Arizona State University
EN-2: Student Orientation

Sustainability at ASU is included in the introductory slide presentation under ASU Essentials focused on our leadership of advancing sustainability with our rankings (AASHE, Times Higher Education) and being #1 for environmentally friendly colleges and universities. Other slides have included our sustainability goals, ASU sustainability websites, how you can make an impact, Seeds of Sustainability training link and Zero Waste and University Sustainability Practices social media channels.

The Welcome Center (starting point for campus student tours) provides a waste station that speaks to our Zero Waste goals and offers recycling and landfill signage on what discarded item goes where. There is a large poster above the waste station that provides new students ideas on how to engage with sustainable actions on campus. The welcome center ambassadors have been trained about sustainability and zero waste practices on campus and speak to some of our programs and involvement.

The Devils’ Advocates have been offered sustainability training via campus sustainability walking tours and with a written campus sustainability fact sheet. Sponsored by Admission Services. Devils’ Advocates are one of the first face-to-face points of contact a prospective student has with ASU. Their main role is to give future Sun Devils and their families a tour of campus and answer questions from a student's point of view. The training via the sustainability walking tours is offered twice a semester.

During the residence hall move-in, ASU's Ditch the Dumpster program works to divert as much recyclable material as possible. Bins are prominently labeled with information about recycling. All recycling and trash bins are staffed by ASU Zero Waste staff, student workers, or volunteers during peak periods - stations are set up with tents, tables, and outreach materials. They serve a dual outreach and operational role:

1) Answer questions about how to recycle at ASU
2) Demonstrate ASU's commitment to sustainability by prominently recycling or upcycling as much as possible.

The largest Welcome Week kick off event is Infernofest. All students are invited to a concert at Sun Devil Stadium. A pre-show slide show includes sustainability slides - “Sustainability at ASU” and “What you can do to make an impact”. In addition, a student-focused ASU Impact video is played for all attendees at the beginning of the concert. The video shows three students who were interviewed with different areas of studies and who were asked how ASU has shaped their thoughts and focus on how they want to make an impact in society. The student majors were Business Sustainabilty and Urban Planning, Politics and Global Studies and Business Data and Analytics. The 3rd year Business Sustainabilty student was interviewed about what sustainability means to her and how ASU has shaped her perspective of sustainable practices. She elaborated on her most passionate area of sustainability being the human aspect with a focus on social justice issues and further commented that we must all have hope. She feels surrounded by people at ASU who have hope, are highly knowledgeable and motivated to enact positive change. The video is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yyuo65499dl34ao/Sustainability_Impact_Final_V1.mp4

All students are provided an opportunity to participate in Welcome Week events and the Welcome Center is open to all students.