| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 46.40 |
| Liaison | Shannon Craig |
| Submission Date | Nov. 25, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Camosun College
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.25 / 2.00 |
Maria
Bremner Manager Environmental Sustainability |
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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 | No |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | No |
| 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 | No |
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The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Camosun Students for Environmental Awareness (CSEA) is a group of environmentally conscious students who focus on campus environmental issues. Previously proposed ideas that have been implemented include water bottle refill stations, recycled paper initiative and the establishment of Sustainability Day.
Camosun College also has an Environmental Sustainability Council that provides an open forum for the discussion of college-wide environmental initiatives. The council's goal is to improve and extend current environmental practices. Membership is open to staff, students, administrators and faculty.
The Camosun College Student Society has a Director of Sustainability position that is filled by a student annually. The director works closely with the Environmental Sustainability Council and helps organize events such as Sustainability Day.
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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:
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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:
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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:
Most recently, Camosun hosted a "Sustainability Week" that included numerous events open to students, faculty and staff. The week included a keynote speaker, a workshop about enhancing Living Lab opportunities at Camosun, TED-style talks with a number of different sustainability related themes, tours of sustainability features of the solar thermal lab, rainwater collection and the Printshop. There was also a green business job fair.
Past events include hosting a debate on the role of capitalism in the age of climate change which was followed by questions and audience participation. A lecture on the Mount Polley mine disaster was also hosted by Camosun and included a discussion on the cause and consequences of the spill and its implications for the Province of BC and First Nations in the Fraser River watershed.
The Green Tech Exchange is an organization that brings together panels of clean-technology experts and business people in a forum that engage students, industry and the general public. Camosun Applied Research and Innovation and CTAC has supported the GreenTech Exchange on Vancouver Island for the past three years and has hosted two forums, the latest one in October 2013 focused on ocean energy.
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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:
In 2013 students from the Camosun Students for Environmental Awareness (CSEA) group gathered used coffee cups from trash bins around campus and created an art installation that was unveiled at Sustainability Day. The art piece was intended to bring awareness of waste and to promote the use of reusable coffee mugs.
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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:
The Camosun Outdoors Club/ BC Appreciation Group, which is open to all students, organize hiking trips, camping trips and native plant/ edible plant workshops. Additionally, the group participates in outdoor related workshops put on by the community. The members are passionate about their natural surroundings and practice ‘Leave No Trace’ principles in all activities.
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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:
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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:
Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities vary from year to year and often occur in the form of co-op placements. The Office of Environmental Sustainability hires co-op students, giving them experience working on sustainable initiatives. The most recent co-op student conducted a waste audit of both of Camosun's campuses. Additionally, the Environmental Technology Program hired a co-op student to work on a pilot project using cone digester composting.
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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:
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Re: Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience: The Office of Environmental Sustainability strives to continuously advance sustainable initiatives and awareness at Camosun College. We have identified sustainable themed conferences, speaker series and events as an area where improvement is needed and have made it a goal in our Sustainability Plan 2014-2017 to foster greater awareness and engagement through such events.
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.