Campus as a Living Lab

Through class projects and collaborative work with faculty members, students make significant contributions to advancing sustainability at the College. These hands-on learning experiences prepare our students to think critically and become engaged citizens ready to confront the environmental challenges of the future.

Greenhouse

In 2019, the ERGS Capstone developed a plan for an off-grid greenhouse for LaFarm that will help LaFarm to grow its own seedlings, while also integrating the development of small-scale green technologies into Lafayette coursework through hands-on projects at our living laboratory.

Electric tractor

In 2019, mechanical engineering students laid out plans and budget for a tractor conversion project, in which a tractor will be converted to run on electric. After over a year of securing funding, planning, ordering parts, and getting designs approved and reapproved—not to mention doing most of the legwork off campus—the tractor conversion is expected to be ready in 2021. The gas-to-electric conversion also will allow the machine to run off Tesla batteries.

High Tunnel

Thanks to a generous donation, Lafayette’s LaFarm became home to a high tunnel, a 30-by-100-foot growing environment that enables the farm to extend its season and protect its crops. Another benefit is that the high tunnel will protect crops from excessive rain, which can increase disease pressure on crops and decrease production. Construction of the high tunnel started in early 2020 and was put on pause when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down campus. Students played critical roles in the construction and assembly of the high tunnel.

Thrive

In 2019 and 2020, LaFarm partnered with the College’s Counseling Center to host Thrive, a well-being event that promotes positive emotional health and personal growth for students. Students were able to access programming three different ways: in person on the Quad, in person at LaFarm, or virtually from any location. Thrive focused on eight different domains centered on promoting students’ emotional health and well-being: gratitude, mindfulness, self-compassion, growth mindset, connection, digital detox, sleep, and exercise.

Pop-up Thrift Shops

The Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with Gateway Career Center, hosted its annual pop-up thrift shop on campus in 2019 and 2020 in an effort to encourage students to trade in items for something that’s “new to you.” Students, faculty, and staff donate clothing and housewares they no longer need to other members of the campus community who “shop” for free. More than 800 items were donated to the 2020 event. “By doing this on campus, we can simultaneously raise awareness about practical sustainable habits that students can use in their daily lives, and also make it convenient for students to engage in green activities,” says Julianna Carpeneitti ’21, an EcoRep who organized the 2020 event. Gateway Career Center co-sponsored the event and donated professional attire to help students in need of workplace apparel. “Supporting campus sustainability efforts by donating clothing helps to keep these textiles out of landfills,” says Alana Klass, senior associate director and coordinator for access, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Gateway. “In today’s economy, it’s so important for students to be able to showcase their talents both verbally and visually.  I’m thrilled that we have been able to support students with their career endeavors and now have enough inventory that students can keep the clothing, rather than having to return them as they have in the past.”

Green Move-Out

At the end of each spring semester, students are encouraged to recycle their unused or gently used household items by donating them to local organizations. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, this campus-wide sustainability and community service effort continued in 2020.

Program Outcomes:

• Advance environmental sustainability by decreasing the campus contribution to landfills
• Advance community sustainability by distributing usable goods to agencies that will redistribute items to local communities

Student Outcomes:

• Increase campus engagement and civic responsibility
• Students will demonstrate a commitment to reducing their own carbon footprint through donating their own used goods or volunteering.
  • Here is what was collected in spring 2020:
    • Shirts: 400
    • Pants: 200 pairs
    • Shoes: 30 pairs
    • Rugs: 3
    • Mirrors: 3
    • Pajamas: 10 pairs
    • Socks: 40 pairs
    • Jackets: 15
    • Pillows: 20
    • Comforters: 5
    • Sheet sets: 10
    • Towels: 20
    • Bags: 20
    • Water bottles: 40
    • Laundry bags: 10
    • Books: 50
    • Mattress pads: 10
    • Storage containers: 5
    • Kitchen supplies (plates, cups, silverware, etc): 200
    • Cleaning supplies: 50
    • Misc: 50