Economics Research Projects – Campus Sustainability projects (Tim Payne)
1. Shoreline’s First Carbon Footprint Calculation – multi-group project
a. Project management group
b. Commuter survey project
c. Carbon offsets and sequestration group
2. Free (subsidized) bus passes for students: a self-supporting strategy
3. Evaluation of recycling vendors: analysis and recommendations
4. Comprehensive transportation survey: mode of transport, mpg of cars, miles driven, and more
5. Zero Energy House – several projects
a. Informational brochure describing major features of the ZEH
b. Website for ZEH on My-Space
www.myspace.com/zeroenergyhouse
c. Rainwater harvesting at the ZEH and across campus
6. Costs and benefits of building sustainable student housing on campus
7. Carpooling to campus: survey and recommendations
8. Generating electricity using kinetic energy from exercise machines
9. Campus recycling survey
10. Classroom recycling study
11. Energy efficient lighting in the Library and VCT
12. Energy efficient lighting in classrooms and office
13. Organic fertilizer and pesticide use on campus
14. Survey of student demand for organic food service
15. Costs and benefits of constructing sustainable classrooms
16. What is the carbon footprint of an average SCC student? – a survey
17. A survey of food service preferences: Should SCC provide vegetarian, organic and fair trade foods?
18. Surveying student willingness to pay for a sustainable campus
19. Should SCC sell or donate used computers?
20. Should SCC student government support an online marketplace for students?
21. Investigating the demand for electronic textbooks
22. The viability of alternative prices for parking permits depending on proximity to campus
23. Using a “green” parking pass price increase to fund the recycling program
24. Cost-benefit analysis of changing the student technology fee
25. Examining the costs and benefits of compact fluorescent lighting on campus
26. Will raising parking permit prices and subsidizing bus passes solve Shoreline’s parking problem?
27. Investigating the potential of classroom recycling at SCC
28. Costs and benefits of natural light in classrooms using skylights: A proposal for a donation from Home Depot
29. Should the college replace security vehicles with hybrids?
30. Costs and benefits of Green student dormitories on campus
Geology and Geography classes (Emma Baer and Chip Dodd)
Boeing Creek Stream Monitoring:
Winter 2008-present: Participating courses include Geog 100, Geog 203 and Geol 101.
Monitoring of Stream flooding and stream geomorphic changes of Boeing Creek ( Shoreview Park). Ongoing student projects (starting Winter 2008) focus on maintaining a record of stream changes to infer long-term patterns possibly linked to climate change and human influence and intervention. Project is conducted in both geography and geology courses on an alternating basis. Participating courses include Geog 100, Geog 203 and Geol 101. Preliminary results of the project were presented at the Sustainability across the Curriculum Summer Institute 2008 sponsored by the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education.
Recycling at Shoreline Community College:
Fall 2008- Winter 2009: Participating courses: Geography 100 and Geology 101
Assessment of the current recycling practices on campus through an inventory of current location of all recycling receptacles and monitoring of current use in such locations.
Winter 2010: Participating courses: Geology 101 and Geology 110
Several projects including support facility staff with distribution of additional recycling bins, completion of recycling signage for bins, revision of recycling brochures, recycling education table in the pub; production of video on recycling.
Carbon Inventory Calculation for Shoreline Community College (Chip Dodd)
Fall 2010-Winter 2010: Participating courses: Geography xxx and Geology 101
Students verified past measures and calculations of SCC’s GHG Inventory and collected information on Creating a Climate Action Plan by researching other colleges approaches.
Sustainability Awareness Media Campaign for Shoreline Community College
Winter 2010: Participating Courses: Geology 101 and Geology 110 (overseen by Professor Emma Agosta in collaboration with BGI (Bainbridge Graduate Institute) MBA students in Sustainable Business
Included various initiatives aimed at increasing the level of awareness of students and the campus community on sustainability issues on this campus. A group of students produced video showcasing the many sustainability-related initiatives on this campus that have now very low visibility (i.e. Sustainability Service Learning projects such as this; recycling practices, alternative-fuel transportation education); Another group produced sustainability-related posters that were later posted around campus in conjunction with Earth Week 2010.
Sustainability Awareness Survey for Shoreline Community College
Winter 2010: Participating Courses: Geology 101 and Geology 110 (overseen by Professors Tim Payne and Emma Agosta in collaboration with BGI (Bainbridge Graduate Institute) MBA students in Sustainable Business.
Students polled 1000 students on campus by visiting classed and administering a sustainability awareness survey and student’s support and willingness to fund an Office of Suatainability. Students analyzed data and reported to the class and to BGI team. Data was presented to Student Parliament for consideration for a ballot measure.
Parking and Traffic Monitoring and Evaluation of Policy Options (Chip Dodd and Tim Payne)
Participating Courses include Geog 100, Econ 101 and Econ 201. (Fall 2007, Winter 2008, Spring 2008, Fall 2008, Winter 2009).
Assessment of commuting and parking practices and preferences among the Shoreline CC community (students, faculty, administrators, staff). Most projects involved surveys of commuting patterns, parking patterns and/or preferences of alternative campus policies in parking and commuting. Project also identified parking and commute policies at other campuses in western Washington.
Boeing Creek Stream Monitoring (Matt Loper & Tony Barone (retired))
Courses include Envsc 297, 298, 299.
Long-term project monitoring water quality & quantity of Boeing Creek. Measurements of temperature, pH and other parameters have been collected for over 20 years by students in the former Environmental Technology Program as well as those involved in Special Projects. Data have been used to supplement curricula in environmental science classes as well as to aid in the Campus Master Planning process and potentially in assessing the effectiveness of the new storm water systems installed in the Aurora Corridor Project.
Boeing Creek Restoration (Matt Loper)
Removing invasive weeds, planting native plants to restore and enhance habitat, at times performing a salmon-release in Boeing Creek. This project has included students from a number of courses and the Environmental Club, fulfilling Service Learning or just for self edification. Including the local community, up to 50 people have participated in events mainly scheduled during the week of Earth Day. Partners include the City of Shoreline, Mid-Puget Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, Caffe Appassionato, Central Market. Events have taken place every year over the past 10 years.
Champion Tree Project (Matt Loper, Chip Dodd)
Participating students from Geog 100 and Envsc 201 during the 2007-08 academic year)
A survey focusing on exceptional representatives of native trees on campus and in surrounding Boeing Creek/Shoreview Parks. Students have collected data on size, species and location as part of a project affiliated with the Community Wildlife Habitat Project, coordinated by Boni Bieri for the City of Shoreline.
Salmon Education Program (Matt Loper & Tony Barone (retired))
(Program active every Spring quarter since 1990, but on hiatus the last 5 years).
Salmon Education Program with Shoreline Public Schools. Shoreline students have presented information on water quality, watershed protection, and salmon restoration to 5th grade classes at schools in the Boeing Creek Watershed, including Syre, Sunset, Highland Terrace and St. Luke’s. Field trips were also conducted at Boeing Creek Park, culminating in a salmon-release. Student presenters were enrolled in ENVSC 201 (now ENV 101) and members of the Environmental Club.