| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.35 |
| Liaison | Laurie Husted |
| Submission Date | June 9, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Bard College
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Laurie
Husted Sustainability Manager Bard Office of Sustainability (BoS) |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Student Groups
Yes
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
The Bard EcoReps focus on sustainability in and around a student's sphere of living. Regular outreach campaigns assist in ensuring students are aware and capable of the sustainable initiatives they might be able to take part in. Various other sustainability clubs exist, and though they ebb and flow over time there is always something sustainable happening.
The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Gardens and Farms
Yes
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
The Bard Farm is a 1.25 acre sustainable urban farm that organically grows fruits and vegetables to sell to Chartwells, the campus dining service. Located on Bard’s campus and worked by students, the farm, with its visibility and its accessibility, demonstrates the realities of small-scale farming and the potential for community to develop around food. The Bard community also has an organic garden. It is not divided into plots, but rather grown in full by anyone who wants to participate. Food is harvested by anyone who needs it (usually the custodial staff in recent years). There is some work-study available, but it is mostly run by volunteers. It is a garden and not a farm, and because it's terraced, requires a lot of hand-work.
The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Student-Run Enterprises
Yes
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
The Saw Kill Coffee House is a student run coffee house on campus. Customers are encouraged to BYO mug. The coffee house has also accepted Caught Green Handed 'bucks' ($1 awards students have gotten for doing something sustainable on campus). The cafe reduces, re-uses, recycles and composts.
The Biodiesel Cooperative is a student-operated enterprise that connects dining hall waste grease with consumers of Biodiesel. The student operators manage the sourcing, chemical conversion and find customers for the product, though no money is exchanged.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
Sustainable Investment and Finance
Yes
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
The students on the Socially Responsible Investment Council (SRIC) manage a small fund that is invested to reflect the values of the student body. They conduct research to make informed decisions, divesting from companies with conflicting social and environmental policies in favor of those with favorable policies. They then use these investment decisions to persuade the college to make larger-scale investment decisions.
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
Events
Yes
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
Bard regularly hosts an event known as the Princeton Climate Stabilization Wedge workshop. Biweekly Campus to Congress (C2C) calls are offered during the academic year through the Center for Environmental Policy (BardCEP). Weekly colloquia hosted by the Environmental and Urban Studies department are open and advertised to the student body as well as the public.
The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Cultural Arts
Yes
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
The performance "Good Dirt" was hosted at the Fisher Center for Performing Arts. Multiple senior projects in the performing arts integrate sustainability concepts, often finding the campus grounds as the location for their art.
The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
Wilderness and Outdoors Programs
Yes
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The Bard Outdoors Club runs outings such as hiking, backpacking/camping in the Catskills and Adirondacks, rock climbing in the Gunks (best climbing in NE), skiing/riding, and canoeing. The club follows Leave No Trace Principles.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Sustainability-Related Themes
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Sustainability is included in curriculum of the annual Citizen Science program, required for all first-years during January. Over the last five years, the directors of Bard's first year Language and Thinking program have been very receptive to incorporating readings related to sustainability, including adding the Pope's 2015 encyclical on the environment to the reading list.
The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Sustainable Life Skills
Yes
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
EcoReps host events that delve into human habits and how they impact sustainability. Students involved in the Bard Farm have seasonal opportunities to participate in the "Students Feeding Students" program, where they cook a dish in the dining hall kitchen using farm-fresh ingredients.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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Student Employment Opportunities
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Office of Sustainability (BoS) hires students to perform over 90 weekly hours of labor on campus that incorporates sustainability principles.
The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Graduation Pledge
No
A brief description of the graduation pledges:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
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Other Programs and Initiatives
Yes
A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
Bard students participate in the Amphibian Migration and Eel Monitoring projects, as sponsored by the NYSDEC and supported locally by the Town of Red Hook, Saw Kill Watershed Community, and EUS.
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
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Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.