Campus as Lab

Campus as Lab & Student Life Sustainability

Campus as Lab (CAL) is a framework for applied and experiential learning that utilizes our campus spaces, lands, facilities, and infrastructure to develop and test real-world solutions that address sustainability challenges. This approach integrates classroom education and research with campus operations that empower students to design innovations for a sustainable campus.

Student Life Sustainability is uniquely positioned to collaborate across the university by working at the heart of campus life where students live, learn, and lead. When the Ann Arbor campus becomes a living laboratory,  students, faculty, and staff from diverse academic disciplines can leverage campus life, facilities, and operations to experiment with sustainable solutions and build a climate-resilient community.

All students interested in advancing sustainability, regardless of affiliation, at U-M are invited to participate in this work. Please submit a sustainability interest form, and our Campus as Lab team will be happy to connect. Faculty and staff may also initiate CAL projects that involve student learning components through operational improvements, coursework, or research opportunities in Student Life spaces. CAL projects typically aim to achieve innovations in three major areas of work:

Applied & Experiential Learning:

• Student Life Sustainability hires and mentors four student cohorts and offers additional internship opportunities for students interested in CAL projects. Students in sustainability leadership are encouraged to envision and implement sustainability initiatives, solicit feedback, and incorporate their findings into future campus projects.

Facilities & Operations:

• Student Life occupies around 20% of the Ann Arbor campus building footprint, and nearly all students engage with at least one of its services, programs, or facilities. SLSustainability works with campus leaders and students to conduct in-depth evaluations of heating and cooling systems, energy use, water consumption, waste management, and sustainability features unique to Student Life buildings.

Culture Change:

• We foster a culture of sustainability that empowers students and staff to shape a sustainable future. Through skill-building, behavior change, and the integration of core sustainability principles into campus life, we support the development of resilience across our community.

Campus as Lab Projects

Below are some past and current project collaborations with students, partners, and Student Life. Click the tiles for more information about each project.