California State University, Channel Islands
ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation

Freshman Island View Orientation is a required two-day, overnight program. All incoming freshman students must attend both days of the orientation and stay overnight in our on-campus housing. Parents and guests are invited to attend the concurrent family orientation while their student attends Island View Orientation. Beginning in the summer of 2007, two Island View Orientation administrative processes were migrated to an online format to decrease use of paper as well as materials used for printing and mailing. The hard copy registration form was replaced by an online registration system. An online Pre-Orientation Homework replaced a hard copy mailing of nine documents containing information necessary for students to prepare for orientation. Beginning summer 2008, reusable plastic water bottles for each participant were distributed at check-in in lieu of disposable water bottles at each meal. The water bottles were branded with the New Student Center phone number which provided additional marketing of the Center to incoming students. In the summer of 2009, in an effort to promote sustainability and meet the need of the technology-savvy net-generation, Island View Orientation provided students and guests with a flash drive bracelet containing documents normally printed in hard copy and placed in a folder. Since 2009, flash drives have not been distributed to students, but rather than providing hard copies for each Orientation attendee, hard copies were distributed only to those who wanted the information at the University Marketplace. Approximately 28,000 pages of paper, 1600 envelopes, and 3,400 water bottles are saved each summer by using these sustainability practices. Campus representatives present to incoming students and guests each year to discuss methods for leading a more sustainable life as well as informing them of the ways CSU Channel Islands seeks to serve as a green campus. In addition, The Advising Center adopted strategies to decrease both paper usage and materials used for printing and mailing while assisting students during Orientation.