| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.02 |
| Liaison | Megan Litke |
| Submission Date | Sept. 17, 2024 |
American University
EN-2: Co-Curricular Activities
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.00 / 9.00 |
Anna
Parse Johnson Sustainability Manager Sustainability |
2.1 Student sustainability organization
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the sustainability-focused student organization(s):
The American University Beekeeping Society promotes the health of honeybees and pollinators on American University’s campus, and within the local community. The Beekeeping Society practices small-cell, treatment-free beekeeping, in hopes of encouraging beekeeping for the sake of bees, not profit.
https://www.instagram.com/aubeekeepingsociety/
Wonk Trade aims to reduce clothing waste and consumption through the creation of an on-campus thrift-store that collects donations and operates through a one-to-one swap policy. They also host events such as Project Move-Out, an effort in partnership with the Office of Sustainability and Zero Waste Office to reduce waste during move out by collecting unwanted items and then reselling them to students at the beginning of the next year.
https://www.instagram.com/wonktradeau/
American University's chapter of the Climate Reality Project address the climate crisis through education efforts, in addition to advocacy and active participation in order to improve sustainability, and maintain a greener future. The chapter hosts campus meetings, organizes groups for climate marches, and hosts educational sessions on climate change.
https://www.instagram.com/climatereality_americanu/
The Sunrise Movement AU is a revolution of young people whose goal is to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. Sunrise American University is an autonomous chapter of this national movement that works to build the sunrise community on and around campus.
https://www.instagram.com/sunrisemvmtau/
Does the institution formally recognize at least one student organization that is focused on a topic other than sustainability, but is advancing ecological integrity or racial equity and social justice?:
Narrative and/or website URL providing an overview of the student organizations that are advancing ecological integrity or racial equity and social justice:
PeaceJam AU is a chapter of the PeaceJam Foundation, focused on creating peace and advocating for a more just world. They partner with Nobel Peace Laureates to mentor youth and build competency through service learning. Their goal is to develop the skills essential to create positive change in the world.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
2.2 Sustainability-focused co-curricular activities
Description of and/or website URL for at least one major sustainability-focused event or series of events:
In 2023, AU's Kogod School of Business and Sine Institute of Policy and Politics co-hosted a series of events called Changemakers in Sustainability that brought leaders and innovators in sustainability fields to campus to speak to students. Some of the speakers included Seth Goldman, co-founder of Eat the Change, Anthony Capuano, CEO of Marriott, and Shazi Visram, founder of Happy Family Brands.
https://kogod.american.edu/gamechangers-in-sustainability-2023
Does the institution have a sustainability-focused peer-to-peer education program in which student educators are selected and trained to help catalyze change among their peers?:
Description of and/or website URL for at least one sustainability-focused peer-to-peer education programs for students:
AU has an EcoRep program managed by staff and interns in the Office of Sustainability. It is a volunteer-based program for undergraduate students. They recieve training from the Office of Sustainability and work together to promote sustainability and encourage sustainable behavior change among their peers. Their responsibilities include staffing events to share educational materials and support proper waste sorting by attendees, distributing sustainability information through social media, and assisting with composting in the campus dining hall.
https://www.american.edu/about/sustainability/get-involved/ecorep-program.cfm
Does the institution provide sustainability-focused employment opportunities for students on at least an annual basis?:
Description of and/or website URL for at least one sustainability-focused employment opportunity for students:
Sustainability interns serve a critical role in the Office of Sustainability by working with students across campus to expand sustainability awareness and increase engagement, as well as supporting other Office of Sustainability programs and communications and reporting to STARS. Students work ~10 hours per week, including mandatory weekly all-staff meetings. Tasks include event planning and outreach, developing communications and social media content, and data management and reporting, in addition to general office work as needed. Students receive training in sustainability topics such as green buildings, zero waste, carbon neutrality, and energy efficiency, as well as strategies for developing outreach campaigns and effectively engaging peers.
Does the institution have at least one student-managed enterprise that is sustainability-focused?:
Description of and/or website URL for at least one student-managed enterprise that is sustainability-focused:
The School of International Service houses the Davenport Coffee Lounge, a coffee shop run by students. The Davenport is dedicated to being a sustainable business. They serve all organic and fair trade coffees and teas; compost coffee grounds, cups, napkins, and utensils; give a discount for using a reusable mug; and provide free reclaimed/returnable mugs. Each month, the Dav creates a special drink and all proceeds from the drink go to philanthropic or service-oriented student organizations.
Description of additional sustainability-focused co-curricular activities for students:
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
2.3 Percentage of students that participate in sustainability activities
Percentage of students that participate in sustainability activities:
Approach used to determine the percentage of students that participate in the institution’s sustainability activities:
Narrative outlining how student participation in the institution’s sustainability activities was determined:
The Office of Sustainability tracked names and emails of students engaged via class tours and visits, partnerships, volunteer work, and programs like EcoPledge and EcoRep, as well as some events. Also included in the count are students participating in student-led sustainability clubs and groups. The list of engagement was checked for duplicates, ensuring each student counted is unique.
Class tours & presentations: 95 students
EcoPledge: 144 students
EcoReps: 74 students
Project Move Out volunteers: 94 students
Sustainability-focused student groups (Beekeeping Society, Sunrise AU, Climate Reality Corps, Food Recovery Network, Kogod Sustainability Club, AU Outdoors, Plant Futures Club, Wonk Trade, Community Garden, Students Against Food Insecurity, PeaceJam AU): 915
The Office of Sustainability also estimated students engaged by attendance at events which did not track attendance by documenting names and emails of attendees. To ensure estimates do not include repeat attendees, the Office of Sustainability conservatively reports 50 percent of estimated attendance for each event.
Sustainability orientation events: 450
Project Move-In: 175
Transportation Fair: 100
Sustainable Food Festival: 15
Sustainability Basketball Game: 200
Campus Beautification Days: 150
Total students engaged through direct tracking and conservative estimate: 2,412/11,199 total students, or 21.5 percent
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.