Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 58.15
Liaison Victor Udo
Submission Date Sept. 16, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Bucknell University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Dina El-Mogazi
Director, Sustainable Design Program
Center for Sustainability and the Environment
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Yes
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 Yes
Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles Yes
Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences Yes
Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills No
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

The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:

Bucknell Environmental Club: This group provides Earth Day programming and raises awareness on campus sustainability issues, such as plastic bags and bottled water. They provide volunteers to dining services for sustainability initiatives in that department.
Engineers for Sustainable Development: student run group that promotes sustainable development and practice both throughout campus and on a global scale.

Bucknell Green Builders- foster scientific study and research in the field of environmentally sustainable building, investigate ways to improve current methods and designs through case studies, and preparing for the LEED Green Associate Exam.

Net Impact- networking opportunity for Bucknell students who are seeking internships and jobs in sustainability, as well as experience in local community development through small businesses and charitable organizations


The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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:

At the Bucknell University Environmental Center there is an organic garden consisting of 15 raised beds which contain seasonal vegetables, strawberries, herbs. The garden also has an apple orchard and established grape vines. The garden is used as a laboratory for the course "Food and the Environment" and also serves as a communal garden for Bucknell staff who wish to grow their own food.

There also is a Lewisburg Community Garden organized through Bucknell's Office of Civic Engagement, with the goals of increasing access to fresh, healthy, low-cost, locally grown food and educating students and community members about home gardening benefits and techniques.Creating cooperative, multi-generational learning opportunities between campus and local community.


The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:

Bucknell Advancing Communities Educating and Serving (BACES): a student-led service organization that travels down to the Dominican Republic over spring break to participate in a wide variety of service projects such as medical outreaches, food drives, building homes and teaching in a local school.

MGMT 101: Students create non profit companies to benefit local community or service projects.

Bucknell Brigade: providing emergency relief efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Mitch, the university has been involved in a unique partnership with a resettlement community outside the capital city of Managua, Nicaragua.


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:

Bucknell University Green Fund provides start-up money for sustainability projects that are proposed and implemented by students, faculty and staff. (Students are on governing board but are not sole governors)


The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:

Numerous events are held each year on a sustainability themes. Within the past year Bucknell has hosted a Susquehanna River Symposium, an Sustainability Symposium, a Green Screens Film Series, and a Renewable Energy Workshop.

Sustainability Symposium: This event is organized annually with the goal of focusing the campus community's attention on local, regional, and global sustainability issues. In 2013 the day-long event included themed panel discussions by faculty, a poster and project display session, a presentation about a local rail-trail project, a demonstration of unique human-powered vehicles, and a keynote address by best-selling author Juliet Schor.


The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:

A recent sampling of performances focused on cultural diversity and sustainability themes includes:

Pedrito Martinez Group- An ensemble with roots planted firmly in the rumba tradition, performing bata rhythms and vocal chants of Yoruban and Santerian music.

Aparna Ramaswamy- Indian-American artists of the next generation who retain roots in their collective history while bringing their own voices to the contemporary stage.

The Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble's presentation of "Same River," a multimedia exploration of Marcellus Shale hydrofracturing.


The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:

Bucknell Outdoor Education and Leadership provides a wide variety of opportunities for students to engage in outdoor activities including a ropes course, an outdoor club, international expeditions, and an outdoor pre-orientation program known as BuckWILD. The university also maintains a boat landing on campus for river-based excursions, and a campus-wide bike sharing program.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

Three of Bucknell's residential colleges for first-year students have themes directly related to sustainability. These colleges and their learning outcomes are listed below:

The Social Justice Residential College: Understand the perspectives of marginalized populations. Critically and compassionately examine issues of social justice. Examine topics including poverty, inequality, health care, immigration, LGBT issues and civil rights. Learn about grassroots activism. Advocate for social justice in the community.

Environmental Residential College- Explore the ecological impact of human activities. Learn about successes in sustainable development. Raise awareness about environmental issues. Celebrate the wonder of the natural world. Study the complex scientific, social, political and ethical dimensions of environmental issues.

Global Residential College- Explore issues related to globalization and culture in this interconnected age. Learn how the modern world came to be and understand its successes and problems. Learn how to initiate change. Challenge your beliefs and look beyond the conventional.


The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
---

The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
---

A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:

Bucknell University Environmental Center: Provides employment opportunities for students to work with faculty on research projects and other sustainable initiatives (such as AASHE STARS)


The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
---

The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
---

A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:

Campus Greening Initiative: Facilitate the integration of sustainability throughout the curriculum, and provide experiential learning opportunities focused human connections to the natural world, Support student-centered research and analysis that contributes to the increased ecological, economic, and social sustainability of the University, Provide direction and leadership to collaborative campus sustainability projects by creating linkages among curricular, administrative, and operational units across campus.
Susquehanna River: integrate research, teaching, and outreach focused on the Susquehanna River

Place Studies Initiative:The Place Studies Program provides opportunities to understand, represent, and engage natural and human communities by:
Advancing understandings and applications of sustainability for rural communities
Exploring how to characterize and represent places in the digital age
Encouraging creative expressions and articulations of human-nature relationships


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Since the performance year, some significant changes to sustainability programming have occurred at the University. Most notably the Bucknell University Environmental Center has changed to the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment, and the Campus Greening Initiative has changed to the Sustainable Design Program. As a result, the content of the associated websites may reflect these changes.


Since the performance year, some significant changes to sustainability programming have occurred at the University. Most notably the Bucknell University Environmental Center has changed to the Bucknell Center for Sustainability and the Environment, and the Campus Greening Initiative has changed to the Sustainable Design Program. As a result, the content of the associated websites may reflect these changes.

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.