University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
AC-8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

An energy dashboard is available to all students. Students of the Web and Media Development Mobile GIS course are challenged to re-design the dashboard into a more robust interface or user-friendly application. The Office of Sustainability has a student volunteer who is working on a solar mural project to increase sustainable energy sources on campus. The university partnered with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) through a joint-funded effort by the Career Ready Internship program. Two student interns created a Solar Investment Plan - a preliminary roadmap to be used as a tool for campus to invest in large-scale solar energy in order to meet our carbon neutrality goal. A doctoral student is working on a publication that she is co-authoring with our director of the Ed.D. in sustainability. The topic is on Greenhouse Gases defined and Impact related to Higher Education.

The new Chemistry-Biology building that is in the process of construction is being built to LEED standards, and includes a green roof which will be accessible to student use and be used for urban agriculture projects. Students were included in meetings throughout the planning process.

The biofuels lab is integral to the interdisciplinary biofuels minor offered at UW-Stevens Point. Students gain foundational knowledge in methods to produce liquid fuels from biomass. In the laboratory, students produce biodiesel and ethanol from biomass. This laboratory and biofuels minor augments students’ education in the fields of biology, biochemistry, natural resources, or paper science and engineering, and positions them for employment in emerging renewable energy fields. The Office of Sustainability has a student volunteer who is working on a wind turbine project to increase sustainable energy sources on campus. The university partnered with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) through a joint-funded effort by the Career Ready Internship program. Two student interns created a Solar Investment Plan - a preliminary roadmap to be used as a tool for campus to invest in large-scale solar energy in order to meet our carbon neutrality goal.

Dining Services works collaboratively with the Student Government Association, Students for Sustainability, and the Waste Management Society. Student workers are working continuously to improve the vegan food choices offered by dining services. Student and full time staff in dining compost all food scraps during the preparation process. Dietetics students in the Health Promotion & Human Development program operate the CPS Cafe and experience all aspects of food service operation and management. The cafe uses green-sustainable practices in operations and serves natural and organic foods sourced from sustainable local farms.

Grounds department employs 10 students that help improve and maintain campus grounds, including turf, annual flower beds, and perennial shrub beds. Some high maintenance areas include the baseball field, soccer field, and four football fields. Student workers helped with a major cleanup and restoration effort at a 3-acre site in our natural Schmeeckle Reserve due to a storm in 2017; all standing and fallen aspen trees were harvested, grinding equipment will grind the remaining stumps, logs, and brush into woodchips. Site will be planted with native trees and grasses as part of a multi-year process to restore habitat for aesthetics and wildlife. UWSP campus plan for dealing with the Emerald Ash Borer ( EAB). Facility Services is collaborating with the College of Natural Resources. Specifically with Dr. Rich Hauer (Forestry Professor) who has hired a student and has created a research project for this student. For the next 3 years Dr. Hauer has funding for the student and chemicals. They will be doing a variety of research. Using different methods to treat the ash trees and at different frequencies. All the trees will be tagged with a number to assist in the research. After this 3 year program, we will re-evaluate the management plan and see if funding sources will continue or we will explore finding other funding sources to continue to pay for the treatments. If that is not possible, we will start removing ash trees based on their health.

Students in the fair trade committee work with the Purchasing department to purchase fair trade certified products, such as coffee, chocolate, and clothes, to sell on campus and ensure that UWSP maintains its recognition as a Fair Trade University.

Student Government Association worked with their Advisor and the Director of the University Center to contract with Zimride through student fees. Students and staff are able to share rides, thus reducing commuting miles. Students also run a bike rental program. Bringing new bike shelters and bike repair stations was a student led project implemented recently which further promote biking. The Office of Sustainability hired a student coordinator to chair the Biking & Pedestrian Planning Task Force Committee. Projects include introducing a new student bike rental program to campus and creating a Bike & Pedestrian plan for campus. Office of Sustainability student workers organize Winter Bike to Work Day.

Students work in the recycling center getting hands-on projects revolving around campus waste. The University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is home to a state-of-the-art facility, the Waste Education Center, that provides students with landfill, wastewater treatment, recycling, composting and hazardous waste management training. The building includes a small-scale wastewater treatment plant.

The Center for Watershed Science and Education provides meaningful, practical and positive educational and professional experiences for UW-Stevens Point students pursuing careers in natural resources. Opportunities exist for graduate and undergraduate students to work side-by-side with faculty and staff conducting scientific research and performing laboratory analysis. Undergraduate students earn internship credit in Water 381 and gain valuable experience by assisting in research projects and/or working in the Water and Environmental Analysis Lab. Graduate students are able to earn a master's degree in Natural Resources by completing an approved course of study and completing a graduate thesis that researches a water resource issue.

The role of the Student Government Association (SGA) is to be active participants in the governance of the university, representing the interests of the student body by creating policy and working towards the goals of the university as a whole. SGA specifically employs an Environmental & Sustainability Issues Director who manages the Green Fund committee. This planning committee uses funds collected from student fees and allocates which sustainability projects the money will go towards. There are many committees on campus that incorporate both staff, faculty and student members.

Tunnel of Awareness is a program hosted by students and staff with Residential Living that encourages participants to take action and be aware of social justice issues affecting UWSP. Tunnel of Awareness is an experience that encourages participants to engage with different topics that individuals in marginalized identities experience on a daily basis such as white nationalism, police brutality, DACA, gender identity/expression, interpersonal violence, and sexual assault. The goal of this program is to encourage participants to take action and be aware of social justice issues affecting our campus community.

The Green Fund is intended to encourage and fund projects that positively affect the sustainability of the UWSP campus community. The Green Fund is lead by a Steering Committee made up of UWSP students, and is responsible for vetting and approving projects seeking Green Fund monies. They are also tasked with creating a one and three-year strategic vision for the Green Fund.

The Office of Sustainability employs a student special events coordinator to assist with campus and community events. The student organizes and reaches out to vendors and campus groups to involve them in events such as Campus Sustainability Day. Students learn marketing and media advertisement skills. The Office of Sustainability also employs a student as the communication specialist and assists with marketing and media advertising through social media platforms, a sustainability newsletter, and reaching out to local news and media sources of information to promote events. The 350 Stevens Point student organization raises awareness of the climate crisis and other environmental issues and to take action for these issues. They work with the city's 350.org group and have helped dismantle an old greenhouse and install solar collectors to heat it to grow healthy food locally.

The Employee Wellness program at UW-Stevens Point is run by health promotion/wellness students in an advanced practicum course. They manage programming, promotion and activities of wellness-related events around campus. They focus on the seven dimensions of wellness, including the environmental dimension. The Office of Sustainability has a student employee working on implementing a green office certification program on campus that will gain participation in sustainable office practices.

The Department of Art and Design includes the ceramics area, which recycles and reuses clay for student projects; the glass program uses window glass from renovated residential halls along with recycled glass from their hot furnace for other art projects; and several courses in environmental and outdoor sculpture and design, including “en pleine aire” (on location) painting classes. ​