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Campus as Lab: Using Post-Secondary Campuses as Petri Dishes for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

University Partnerships for Sustainable Development

ISBN: 978-1-78973-644-1, eISBN: 978-1-78973-643-4

Publication date: 19 June 2020

Abstract

The use of campuses as living, learning labs for sustainability education, and the advancement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a growing trend at post-secondary institutions across North America. Post-secondary institutions are embracing this approach to advance sustainability and the SDGs both on- and off-campus and to cultivate the next generation of sustainability leaders. Recognizing the diverse stages of living lab program maturation between campuses, and the fact that living lab practitioners are often working in isolation, the Campus as Lab Community of Practice (CaL CoP) was created to enable peer-to-peer learning and to catalyze the development and potential of living lab programs toward meeting the SDGs in a coordinated fashion. The CaL CoP members have identified the opportunity to use a collective approach to advance the SDGs on their home campuses. A collective approach enables CaL CoP members to account for their contributions to advancing the SDGs in a way that is relevant to their local context while highlighting the global impact of their actions. Challenges to utilizing this approach include collaborating remotely, resourcing, and maintaining momentum.

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Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dano Weisbord, Director of Sustainability and Campus Planning, Smith College; Gina Talt, Food Systems Project Specialist, Princeton University; and Dr. Weston Dripps, Executive Director, David E. Shi Center for Sustainability and Associate Professor in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Furman University, for providing instructive feedback on this chapter. Their insights and ideas helped to greatly clarify and tighten our writing. We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to the members of the CaL CoP whose ongoing work, passion, and commitment inspired the ideas captured within this chapter.

Citation

Haddock, R.L. and Savage, C. (2020), "Campus as Lab: Using Post-Secondary Campuses as Petri Dishes for Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals", Sengupta, E., Blessinger, P. and Yamin, T.S. (Ed.) University Partnerships for Sustainable Development (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 20), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 67-80. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120200000020008

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited