The Sustainable Learning Community

Case studies from the University of New Hampshire represent all of the dimensions of sustainability in campus life and show how to advance them. University communities have the potential to serve as models in the development and application of sustainability principles and practices, not only by what they teach and study but also by how they operate facilities and engage with off-campus partners. With the oldest endowed campus-wide sustainability program in the country, established in 1997, the University of New Hampshire has become a leader in advancing integrated approaches to developing a campus culture of sustainability. The UNH experience in pursuing a sustainable learning community provides a unique window into the process of developing this new and integrated approach to teaching, learning, research, engagement, and operations that will be valuable to other institutions as they develop efforts to enhance the quality of campus life while reducing their environmental footprints. This book presents all of the dimensions of sustainability in campus life and offers the story of how one university has combined frugality and creativity to make significant progress in integrating sustainability across all aspects of the university's mission. The organization of the book along four functional domains (curriculum, operations, research, and engagement - CORE) allows faculty, staff, students, and managers to focus on sections of particular relevance to their roles in the university setting as they relate to biodiversity and ecosystems, climate and energy, culture, and food systems. These core chapters develop standards of best practices and present interesting case studies to humanize the larger effort.