Overall Rating	Silver
Overall Score	55.02
Liaison	Rob Williams
Submission Date	July 2, 2024

STARS v2.2

Capilano University
EN-3: Student Life

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00	Rob Williams Project Manager Facilities

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student groups

Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:

Yes

Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:

Capilano Climate Club – This club is part of the Capilano Student Union, the representatives will be working with Faculty Research Assistants to develop programming for the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Week. The Club will have further access to funding through the CSU for future sustainability focused events.

ENACTUS Capilano is a student organization aimed at identifying community challenges and the development innovative solutions that are in line with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The ENACTUS Capilano group has been active since 2016.

City Studio is a CAPU/District of North Vancouver collaboration (further discussed in EN10), focused on innovative student projects to help resolve (sustainable) municipal challenges.

In the promotion of Health and Wellbeing, the Centre for Sport and Wellness promotes a number of active student focused groups, including, a partnership with a student Active Health Coach. This initiative is aimed at students who are active for less than 150minutes per week, to develop an action plan for physical wellbing by identifying lifestyle goals and existing barriers.

Gardens and farms

Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:

Yes

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:

CapU's Facilities Dept. manages a 70 plot community garden for members of the University and surrounding neighbourhood. Various workshops are hosted by the lead groundskeeper to help educate the members on a variety of related issues such as produce perserving, chemical-free maintenance, planting shedules, etc. Three plots are also used by the Office of Indigenous Education and Affairs for growth of medicines, for elders and for students use. Additionally, the Childrens Center also use the planting beds to instill early education relating to food growth, resources and protection.

Additionally, the CSU has delivered an Edible Garden programming series covering:

Basics of veggies and veggie gardening North Shore local food systems

How do we access local veg?

When, where, and how to start seeds?

How do we pick which seeds are best for our uses How do we garden in apartments, on patios, or on balconies?

Best ways to maximize your space for optimal production Square foot garden planning How do we eat fresh and local during the dead of winter?

How can we garden to get a winter harvest

The sustainability campaign included further collaboration with the CAPU Earthworks program and has been further described in EN05.

Student-run enterprises

Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:

Yes

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

Founded in 2016, CapU Enactus is a student led organization with a mission to "develop strong leadership, collaboration, and entrepreneurial skills in its members through the creation of projects that meet social, economic and environmental needs in our community."

Additionally the students through the Indigenous Education and Affairs have an established crafts market and area of the bookstore secured for indigenous artists, whereby all funds generated are directed towards support for indigenous students.

The Student Life Hub is an information desk staffed by students who provide peer advisory services and opportunities to become involved on campus. Peer mentorship opportunities include:

Peer Language Mentors,

Peer Writing Mentors,

Indigenous Mentorship Program

International Leadership and Mentorship Program

Career Development Ambassadors

Recreation Ambassadors

Sustainable investment and finance

Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:

Events

Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:

Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:

EarthWorks is an ambitious initiative spearheaded by students, staff and faculty from the University's Biology, English, Geography, Liberal Studies, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation, Motion Picture Arts and Documentary Film programs and beyond. The EarthWorks mission is to educate and inspire students as well as members of the campus and the local community to understand complex environmental issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective, enabling all to take action for positive change.

As part of the Earthworks Programming, CAPU has partnered with the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship to deliver the SDG Lab, a sustainability focused program aimed at educating students to build a more sustainable future. Open to all students, faculty and staff, the SDG Lab empowers youth to become sustainable leaders that can instigate sustainable change in their communities through speaker series, seminars and interative workshops. CAPU has since internalized similar events aimed at continuing to leverage sustainable actions within the campus community.

Additionally, CAPU hosts an SDG week - a week long event focusing on promoting awareness of the SDG's to CapU's community. The event is open to all, and includes talks, interative events, and exhibitions presented by faculty, external partners, the CSU and other students.

Career Development Centre constantly has different speakers about different career development topics to educate students about different employment opportunites. They also hosted a special speaker series about non-profit organizations employment options with a focus in mental health wellness organizations.

Throughout each term, the EarthWorks team host several events, including speaker series, on site events (such as SDG week) and restoration initiatives available to the whole campus community aimed exploring actions that can be taken now to adapt to our rapidly changing world, mitigate damage and construct ways of living that are in balance with our environment.

During Truth and Reconciliation week, the Office of Indigenous Education and Affairs host a formal speaker series available to the CAPU community.

Cultural arts

Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:

Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:

Black Lives Matter Memorial Project: a multidisciplinary art exhibition that honours Black lives taken by police violence in Canada and the United States. It reflects on the systemic racism that exists in both countries, while recognizing the drive for hope, change and justice.

The Office of Indigenous Education and Affairs host various cultural arts events and displays including cedar weaving workshops, local plant tours of the campus and drum workshops with a traditional teaching element.

Additionally, as a Canoe Family, Capilano University performs a Canoe Awakening Ceremony during convocation and new student orientations to symbolize the beginning and end of student journeys at CapU. Following cultural protocol, the University hosts ceremonies to awaken Skw’cháys every spring and put him to sleep every fall.

Wilderness and outdoors programs

Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:

Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

CAPU has a dedicated Outdoor Recreation Management Program that specifically develops the students' expertise with training in several vital areas, including tourism, wilderness travel, guiding, business management, marketing and leadership. The program includes course content specifically aimed at Environmental Stewardship with a focus on ensuring sustainable practices within the outdoor environment.

Leave No Trace principals are closely embedded into all outdoor and wilderness field school courses as standard.

Sustainability-focused themes

Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:

A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

---

Sustainable life skills

Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:

Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

CAPU organizes a number of programs whereby students can develop sustinability skills, these include:

Eathworks Programming - centered on environmental stewardship and including practical series and events helf on Campus (eg evasive plant pulls, eco surveys, edidble flora series). During Earthworks invasive plant pull, Students volunteer their time to contribute to restoration of the campus grounds. Students get hands on experience by pulling invasive plants and planting native species in their place.

ENACTUS - developing solutions to real life community challenges

Office of Indigenous Education and Affairs - hosting of teachings from Elders in support of their indigenous students. These initiatives support the institutions committments to decolonialization and indigenization as well as the promotion of diversity within the campus community.

Physical and mental wellbeing - student let physical fitness programming and safe gym use, and departmental led Mental Wellbeing programming available to the campus community. Physical activities, such as Move North Shore aimed at improving well-being for students who are not currently physically active. Additionally, CAPU provides a range of mental health, EDI and Indigenous support initiatives aimed at providing students with the skills to lead healthy lives both current and future.

Career Development Support - including mentorship programs, connection to industry proffessionals, career advisory services and self paced non credit courses aimed at developing career competencies, including proffessionalism in the workplace, inter cultural competencies, resume building, interviewing etc.

Student employment opportunities

Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:

Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

CAPU provides a number of part time student employee programs that help promote peer to peer support in the following areas: A

Sustainability club (Earthworks) has 1-3 student research assistant paid positions that work on various projects such as SDG week (every March). In addition, the Capilano Student Union VP Equity and Sustainability is an elected student position paid through a stipend. The role involves the development of sustainability programming run through the CSU. This is also supported by hired student positions through Canada Summer Jobs tasked in developing programming for the Sustainability Campaign. Student Research Assistant positions are also hired via the Faculty with support from Work Integrated Learning. These roles have been hired for the 2024 CAPU SDG programming as well as other sustainability focused research projects.

Additionally the CAPU Centre for Sports and Wellness provides employment to Health Student Assistants who help to promote health and wellbeing initiatives to the student population. This includes weight room ambassadors who help to ensure safe use of weights to students to limit exposure to injury. Peer Mentors also provide support through the Education and Employment Access Program. Students in this program have barriers that could include learning differences, diverse abilities and mental health challenges.

Graduation pledge

Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:

A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):

---

Optional Fields

A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:

---

Additional documentation to support the submission:

---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

---

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.