Campus-As-Lab
High-impact experiential learning, research and teaching can take place across U-M, and, together, can pilot solutions to today's greatest challenges.
Campus-As-Lab & Student Life Sustainability
Campus-As-Lab (CAL) is often a catch-all term for learning and research outside the classroom, utilizing a university's daily operations as a way to experience and experiment with sustainable solutions.
Student Life, which encompasses around 20% of the campus's building footprint, offers many opportunities for faculty, students and staff to work together to address climate change and create a more sustainable future. Within Student Life, Student Life Sustainability offers four cohort-based, applied and experiential leadership development programs centered around sustainability. These programs utilize a "living laboratory" as the basis of the program and employ about 50 students. Additionally, Student Life can support CAL projects varying from simple data requests to complex operational pilots or research projects.
- Student - Individual and Group: Students who want to work together with a Student Life unit to implement a sustainable change on campus.
- Student - Class or Academic Assignment: Students are given an assignment through a course and see an opportunity to utilize a Student Life space to fulfill their project.
- Faculty - Research or Classroom: Faculty teaching a course are looking for a research opportunity that would leverage a Student Life space.
- Staff - Operational Improvement: Student Life staff interested in piloting a new idea or process that could use the support of faculty and/or students.
Campus-as-Lab Resources
Sustainability Project Interest Form
Have a sustainability idea or project in mind? Fill out this form, and Student Life Sustainability staff can help pilot a project, explore your idea, or connect you with campus partners and resources.
Interest Form