Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	69.69
Liaison	Deborah Steinberg
Submission Date	Feb. 7, 2019
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

Carnegie Mellon University
EN-3: Student Life

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	2.00 / 2.00	Sarah Mihal Assistant Director of Housing Operations - Assignments Housing Services Administration and Community Life

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Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:

Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

There are several student groups focused on sustainability at Carnegie Mellon University: Sustainable Earth, Strong Women/Strong Girls, Net Impact, Engineers Without Borders, Heinz College Smart Growth Club, Women@SCS (School of Computer Science), Solar Splash, Pugwash, the Explorers Club.

Detailed descriptions of each of these groups and links to their individual websites and contact information can be found at the Environment at CMU website "Get Involved".

The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):

https://www.cmu.edu/environment/get-involved/index.html

Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects 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:

The Winthrop Street Community Garden in the Oakland residential area is a city lot with raised beds available for students and neighbors to plant flowers and vegetables. Our university dining service provider offers a Farmers Market throughout academic semesters. Nearby, Phipps Conservatory offers a Farmers Market during the summer and fall. See also details about student-built hoop houses for winter gardening around Pittsburgh, and on the roof of Phipps Conservatory, described in OP-8 with story link.

In addition, as described in OP-8. architecture students in Professor Josh Bard's studio have been designing and building hoop houses for year-round urban farming in Pittsburgh neighborhoods for the past four years. More information at: https://gardens.everybodyshops.com/innovative-cold-frame/

The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):

https://cmusustainability.weebly.com/winthrop-comunity-garden.html

Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

"Net Impact is a network of emerging business leaders committed to using the power of business to create a better world.”

The Net Impact chapter at the Tepper School of Business has a mission to promote the education and understanding of business ethics and corporate sustainability and responsibility among MBA students and other interested graduate students at Carnegie Mellon University. Net Impact views their organizational mission in terms of the triple bottom line – enhancing people, profit, and environment.

The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):

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Does the institution have 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

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

There are several microfinance opportunities for student entrepreneurs on the CMU campus that also provide mentoring in business leadership. The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship (https://www.cmu.edu/swartz-center-for-entrepreneurship/index.html) sponsors the Olympus Incubator Program, through which students can receive $5000 micro-grants through the Spark Grant Fund. The Swartz Center also sponsors the McGinnis Venture Competition (https://www.cmu.edu/swartz-center-for-entrepreneurship/events/mcginnis-venture-competition/index.html#coaching) that allows student entrepreneurs to showcase their startup companies to real-world investors to compete for seed capital. In 2017, the first-place winner, Robotany, received $25,000 to advance their urban robotic vertical farming company. Second-place winners, Teratronix, received $15K and the third-place winner, a company called 101, received $10,000 to support building active learning tools that promote student engagement in college STEM course. Undergraduate entrepreneurs can also compete in the CMU Venture Challenge. https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/news/stories/2017/march/2017-03-30-mcginnis-competition-winners.html

The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):

https://www.cmu.edu/swartz-center-for-entrepreneurship/education-and-resources/mentorship-and-funding/index.html

Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:

Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:

Sustainability Weekend is a 3-day conference that aims to showcase the larger context of sustainability, bringing people to the table who may not normally engage with one another on this topic. This year's theme 'Sustainability, Inclusivity and Equity' seeks to bring students, professionals, and community members together through informational and interactive events and spark diverse conversations about sustainability that transcend discipline, socio-economics background, race, physical ability, age and lifestyle. We will be covering a diverse range of topics including social injustice, sustainable eating, constructive climate communication, intersectional technology and innovation, and the role of arts and expression.

The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):

http://sustainabilitywknd.wixsite.com/2018

Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:

Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:

ArtPark Lab
Carnegie Mellon students are invited to be a part of a new green space on campus: The ArtPark Lab on Forbes Avenue. The 4621-4628 block of Forbes Avenue has been transformed into a temporary ArtPark Lab, where Carnegie Mellon students can enliven the busy Oakland street with both art and environmental projects. All types of student are encouraged: visual art, performance art, installations, etc.

The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):

https://www.cmu.edu/cdfd/art-park/index.html

Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:

Yes

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

The Explorer's Club at Carnegie Mellon University is a student run organization dedicated to bringing together people with an interest in the outdoors since 1959. The Club organizes activities such as rock and ice climbing, mountaineering, caving, hiking, backpacking, flat and white water boating, sailing, skydiving, mountain biking, scuba diving, and more. On Explorers Club trips, members should follow the seven Leave No Trace principles.

The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):

http://www.cmuexplorers.org/leave-no-trace/

Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:

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

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The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):

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

Yes

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

In its Strategic Plan 2025, Carnegie Mellon includes among its goals, "Encourage individuals to pursue a high quality of life, to develop their talents and interests and to value physical, emotional and spiritual health throughout their lifetimes." Although the plan contains recommendations to go even further than we currently do to achieve this goal, we currently do a great deal. Efforts particularly related to students include the following:
To promote being physically active Athletics, Aquatics, and Recreational and Fitness facilities are state of the art and available for the CMU community with a valid CMU ID. There are 70+ Group X-ercise classes offered a week at no cost to the faculty, staff, and students.
A monthly BeWell@CMU newsletter offers a comprehensive resource for CMU students, faulty, and staff regarding wellness inspired events, announcement, and professional and personal development opportunities. The Mindfulness room, open 24 hours a day, is a space to rest, breathe, and relax with no agenda. A free subscription to Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app is available to faculty, students, and staff. A variety of meditation sessions are provided to the campus community. The Mindful Living course, Mental Health First Aid, Project Smile, and Thrive are programs offered.
Nutrition services and education are provided through a collaboration with Dining Services and University Health Services. Dining Services makes it a priority to implement programs and practices that are healthier for the CMU community and the environment.
Dining vendors on CMU’s campus purchase foods from local farms and vendors to help support the Pittsburgh community, provide fresher foods and cut down on pollution. Dining Services also provides a nutrition calculator and advice for special dining needs including vegan; vegetarian; kosher; halal and food allergies. Please see additional details of our Sustainable Dining practices in OP-8.

A comprehensive approach through University Health Services includes Green Dot training, LGBTQIA+ care, Unconscious Bias training, Safe Zone, and Collegiate Recovery Community. Counseling & Psychological Services (CaPS) provides a safe, confidential environment for students, faculty, staff, and family members to talk about personal and academic concerns. Community initiatives for health educational programs are presented by the Peer Health Advocates. The Health Promotion Team supports the health and well-being of the CMU community through clinical services, health education programs and campus initiatives.

Every three years University Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services, and University Athletics partner with Institutional Research and Analysis to conduct a Community Health Assessment on the Pittsburgh campus. Our goal is for everyone to come to campus healthy and leave healthier by using the resources provided to them.

There are multiple web links for these programs. See Notes section in addition to link below.

The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):

https://www.cmu.edu/hr/work-life/healthy-living/campus-resources.html

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

Yes

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

Facilities Management and Campus Services offers Green Practices Internships for students during each semester and over the summer.

The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:

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

A brief description of the graduation pledges:

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The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):

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Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:

A brief description of the 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 (optional):

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Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about 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.

STARS v2.1

Carnegie Mellon University EN-3: Student Life

Carnegie Mellon University
EN-3: Student Life