2018 Conference

Poster Presentation

As universities strive for increased sustainability, there is a growing need for coordinated and comprehensive campus sustainability plans that provide specific action items and clear roadmaps to improved sustainability within key areas like transportation, landscape, food systems, and waste among others. Although many institutions have general campus sustainability plans, the plans often lack more specific and detailed goals, strategies, and tactics for improving sustainability within these sectors. The research and crafting of these more detailed plans present great opportunities for student learning. Sustainability education high impact practices emphasize the importance of project-based, applied learning experiences as well as collaborative learning. Higher education professionals also emphasize the importance of capstone signature experiences. At Furman University, we have combined the need for improved sustainability planning with the student educational experience. Students in our senior capstone sustainability science practicum class work in student teams to address and develop detailed, integrated, and holistic vision and master plans for different sustainability campus sectors including alternative transportation, eco-friendly landscaping, and sustainable food systems. Teams conduct secondary and primary research working with campus stakeholders and resource professionals to collect data that inform visions and plans for improving sustainability within each sector. Their year-long experience and efforts result in a written report that serve as foundational and guiding documents for improving sustainability in each sector and are used to inform and improve Furman’s Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) performance. This poster will describe the capstone course and design, and present some results from this latest iteration of the course.