| Overall Rating | Reporter - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | Rebecca Jones |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Austin College
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Peter
Schulze Director Center for Environmental Studies |
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Does the institution have one or more co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that fall into the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Active student groups focused on sustainability | Yes |
| Gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems | Yes |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | Yes |
| Sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills | No |
| Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | No |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | No |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | No |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | Yes |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | Yes |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | No |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | Yes |
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The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Austin College Thinking Green: The mission of Austin College Thinking Green is to facilitate attitudes, behaviors, policies, and technologies that promote environmental responsibility, reduce resource consumption, and minimize waste production. Austin College Thinking Green serves as an umbrella for all campus greening initiatives, including our annual residence hall energy conservation competition, our annual GreenServe event, student-initiated greening proposals (more than two dozen of which have been adopted by the college), our involvement in the Second Nature Carbon Commitment, and all other efforts by staff, students, faculty, and contractors to "green" the campus.
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The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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A brief description of gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems:
N/A
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The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
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A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
The Student Sustainability Fund: Austin College students voted to enact a $5 fee that they pay each school year. This totals to over $6,000 dollars annually that can be used towards a sustainability initiative or project. This group is student governed. The most recent success has been the installation of water bottle refill stations that also track the amount of plastic saved with each bottle filled.
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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
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A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
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A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Each semester the Center for Environmental Studies hosts 5-6 presentations during the students' lunch period. Students are invited to bring their lunch to the (1 hour) presentation, and those who do not have a meal plan will have their lunch paid for. Seminars are presented by faculty/staff, guest speakers, and students. Some topics addressed include Environmental Health and Safety at Home, Hawaiian Humpback Whale Research, (summary of) a Summer Internship at the Land Institute.
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The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
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A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
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The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
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A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
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The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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The website URL where information about the theme is available:
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A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Through a variety of classes, labs, projects, and experiences that are encountered throughout a students' time in the Environmental Studies Program they will come across instances and discussions which teach them how to live a sustainable life style.
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
Students are able to hold Work Study positions in the Center for Environmental Studies as well as the Austin College Physical Plant. Students are also recruited to work as field trip guides at the local prairie restoration site, where they are able to teach children the importance and methodology of ecosystem conservation.
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The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
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A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
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A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECOS) is dedicated to the student and preservation of the environment. ECOS coordinates a campus recycling program, shares information, sponsors Earth Day, and organizes environmentally-oriented service projects and activities.
The H.E.A.T. Establishment’s purpose is to educate the campus community on Human, Environmental, and Animal Rights and bring awareness to these issues.
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.