Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.30
Liaison Scott Morgan
Submission Date Aug. 30, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Evergreen State College, The
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Sam Alfieri
Sustainability Analyst
Office of Sustainability
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Air & Climate 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Air & Climate?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Air & Climate:
Evergreen has "Independent Learning Contracts" (ILCs) where students propose their own projects and can receive credit for them. One such project was conducted by 3 students. They were working to identify how the university would be impacted by switching to a heat pump system. Additionally, Evergreen had a Sustainability Intern (the Climate Action Planning Fellow) focused on defining best practices in Evergreen's context, in the areas of commuter transportation management, low-carbon space heating, and carbon offsets through literature research and/or interviews. This intern worked to understand Evergreen's unique energy needs and has specifically focused on climate and air. Additionally, the intern assisted with planning and coordination of a regional symposium on low-carbon space heating.

Buildings  

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Buildings?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Buildings:
Residential and Dining Services (RAD) has a Sustainability division focused on "Minimizing our impact on the environment and addressing social and economic injustices is a big part of our sustainability initiatives in RAD Services." Rad had student interns each year and in the past they’ve had students help establish and maintain the many gardens on campus, a student focused on solar panels to helped to analyze data and assess how well the solar panels were producing electricity and heat, and other students helped to cultivate mushrooms in the sustainability lab in C building. http://www.evergreen.edu/housing/sustainability1 A student's ILC is focused on green buildings. This student is involved in the planning process for proposed new dorms.

Energy 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Energy?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Energy:
Clean Energy Committee "The committee is to support the success of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resource conservation at Evergreen. We carry the responsibility of representing the interest of the student body as we appropriate the Clean Energy Fund." It is student run and they allocate about $80,000 per year in funding for sustainability projects on campus. One such project awarded was $75,000 for a solar array on the Evergreen Tacoma campus building. http://evergreen.edu/committee/clean-energy-committee

Food & Dining 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Food & Dining?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Food & Dining:
"The Food Systems Working Group (FSWG) was created when The Evergreen State College signed the Real Food Campus Commitment in 2014, as part of an agreement to participate in the Real Food Challenge. The working group is explicitly student led, by paid students as well as students with voting member standing, but also closely relies on the participation and support of faculty, staff, and the administration." Also, the dining service, Aramark, has a Sustainability Intern each year whose main duties are to compile environmental data from all aspects of food and dining at Evergreen utilizing Microsoft Excel, data base, and various point of sales software programs. Currently, the Aramark Intern works with the FSWG to compile the data for the Real Food Challenge.

Grounds 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Grounds?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Grounds:
The Evergreen Ecological Observation Network "EEON is a long-term research effort involving students and faculty conducting research on patterns and process in a 1,000 acre Puget lowland second-growth rainforest at the Evergreen State College, WA. Our efforts are centered on 44 intensively-studied long-term monitoring plots where we are measuring biological diversity, development, carbon dynamics, avian diversity, trees, snags, sub-canopy vegetation, and down-woody debris. We use a rotating subset of 10 plots to conduct detailed measurements of soil CO2 efflux, root production, spatial relationships between trees and and soils. These data allow us to improve understanding of carbon dynamics and forest structure in a model lowland Puget Sound forest, as well as develop and ask interesting questions related to forest structure and diversity." http://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/eeon/

Purchasing 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Purchasing?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Purchasing:
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Transportation 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Transportation?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Transportation:
"The Evergreen Bike Shop is a student-led, community-run, do-it-yourself bike shop that is open to the entire Olympia area. Our goal is to provide various resources to the community in order to promote cycling as an active lifestyle as well as educate people regarding alternative transportation issues." http://www.evergreen.edu/activities/groups/bike-shop Bike Share program campus wide (Alt Transportation intern in Parking Services - bike share intern now)

Waste 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Waste?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Waste:
The Organic Farm at Evergreen has a closed-tunnel composting system. This farm is a part of Evergreen’s Sustainable Agriculture Laboratory (SAL). The SAL is a space for developing a scientific, cultural, and sensory understanding of our food systems. Dealing with waste is a part of analyzing food systems, which is why there is a system at the lab that students maintain, study, and improve. http://evergreen.edu/organicfarm

Water 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Water?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Water:
The Organic Farm at Evergreen provides a working example of organic agriculture with a focus on soil health and water conservation. Students learn how to plan, plant, maintain and harvest a diverse array of crops while also developing a wide variety of agricultural skills. http://evergreen.edu/organicfarm

Coordination & Planning 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Coordination & Planning?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Coordination & Planning:
Evergreen's governance model requires student, faculty, and staff engagement in most planning and decision-making processes. Large capital projects include student input in pre-design and student representation on the design team. Students also have input on faculty and staff hiring, transportation and parking policies, utility contracts, and many other aspects of college operations. In addition to groups which have direct decision-making authority, the institution relies heavily on "disappearing task forces" (DTFs) to research, analyze and make recommendations on major policy and governance issues within the institution. Each year the president, vice presidents, and faculty agenda committee consult with one another in establishing the issues appropriate for formation of DTFs. Most DTFs include members from across the institution including the student body. Members are asked to serve based on unique expertise or diversity of viewpoint that they can bring to the deliberative process. Often the committee will develop processes for broad consultation across the campus community in developing their recommendations. http://www.evergreen.edu/activities/governance

Diversity & Affordability 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Diversity & Affordability?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Diversity & Affordability:
The Equity & Diversity Committee, is charged by the President, and includes student representatives. http://www.evergreen.edu/equity/council

Investment & Finance 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Investment & Finance?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Investment & Finance:
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Public Engagement 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Public Engagement?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Public Engagement:
Evergreen's governance model requires student, faculty, and staff engagement in most planning and decision-making processes. Most sustainability-related work is necessarily change work and requires public outreach and engagement to support our governance processes. Student interns in Dining, Residential Facilities, the Office of Sustainability, and Parking Services are frequently leading outreach and education campaigns.

Wellbeing & Work 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to Wellbeing & Work:
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Other Impact Areas 

Is the institution utilizing its campus as a living laboratory for multidisciplinary student learning and applied research in relation to other areas (e.g. arts & culture or technology)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student/faculty projects and how they contribute to understanding campus sustainability challenges or advancing sustainability on campus in relation to other areas:
The Evergreen Longhouse is the “House of Welcome.” The Longhouse Education and Cultural Center opened in 1995 at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. As a public service center of The Evergreen State College, the Longhouse’s mission is to promote Indigenous arts and cultures through education, cultural preservation, creative expression, and economic development. http://evergreen.edu/longhouse

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.