Boston University
EN-2: Student Orientation

During each of the eight weeks of orientation, student leaders serving as Sustainability Ambassadors are on staff to converse and engage with the incoming students of Boston University. After three weeks of training, these environmentally aware students integrate themselves into the orientation programming, as a way to develop relationships with the incoming first year students. Throughout the orientation process, the Sustainability Ambassadors build upon these relationships as a way to educate incoming students about sustainability-related opportunities at BU. In the Common Ground activity that familiarizes students with the city, the Sustainability Ambassadors scatter around, offering facts about sustainable sites throughout the city. These representatives eat with the incoming students as a way to learn their interests and promote sustainable habits and initiatives that are aligned with the academic and personal paths of incoming students. After daily meals, matriculating students also take part in the “Composting Comes Out” program in which back-of-the-house waste separation is done by the students themselves. This activity allows them to better understand where their food waste goes. Throughout the week, Sustainability Ambassadors also make themselves available to the families and supporting individuals that travel with new students. In the mock dorm room, they assist in promoting sustainable products by clearly marking them with sustainability@BU’s endorsement such as LED bulbs and smart power strips. They also offer a Green Campus tour to parents in which they highlight sustainable facts, figures, and notable locations to remember. Outside of this peer interaction, other orientation initiatives include a “Did You Know” poster campaign on sustainability related facts. These are promoted during the summer months to attract attention from incoming students and visitors. “Did You Know” posters are attached to Big Bellies down the stretch of Commonwealth Avenue. All students receive reusable water bottles during orientation and when they collect their dorm keys, are given fabric bags to aid in recycling in their dorm during the academic year. In addition, sustainability@BU hosts the Sustainability Festival in September to bring sustainability related student leaders and campus organizations together to educate students about the many opportunities to get involved with sustainability initiatives and what resources and events are available to them.