| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.16 |
| Liaison | Matthew Liesch |
| Submission Date | May 13, 2024 |
Central Michigan University
PRE-2: Points of Distinction
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Tiffany
Jurge Coordinator Central Sustainability |
Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
In 2020, Central Sustainability was founded by CMU students Eric Urbaniak and Teresa Homsi to serve as a campus sustainability office. With the support of the CMU Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, CMU Facilities Management, and the CMU Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Central Sustainability now employs six student workers who focus on developing the projects, programming, and policy which make our campus more sustainable from a holistic lens. Central Sustainability focuses on education, collaboration, and institutional growth to better the Central Michigan University campus and community. Since its foundation, Central Sustainability has engaged thousands of individuals through campus sustainability tours, educational videos, updating university policy, Earth Week, Campus Sustainability Month, community partnership, waste reduction drives, and research. This has resulted in widespread sustainability education in Mt. Pleasant, and bolstered attention towards sustainability issues from administrative bodies, student groups, local business, and facilities leaders. Additionally, it is a unique higher education office structure, in which student workers lead all facets of administrative office functions.
Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Public Engagement
Coordination & Planning
Optional Fields
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Second Point of Distinction
A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
With more than 14,000 students, Central Michigan University’s (CMU’s) waste prevention and diversion efforts are a student-led priority. In 2010, university students began a food recovery project collecting kitchen waste. The kitchen waste, combined with yard waste, created the first campus compost pile. The resulting compost was given away for use in student gardens. After 10 years and with the help of Aramark and Morgan Composting, the program now composts over 330 tons of food scraps per year. The university buys back some of the finished compost to produce a more circular economy. CMU students also work with campus facilities to collect styrofoam, plastic grocery bags, and pizza boxes. For example, students collect plastic stretch film and turn it into 250-pound bales. The bales are sold to Petoskey Plastics, and the resin is used to create trash can liners. The university purchases the liners, completing the cycle once again. The University is fortunate to have great partners in Chartwells; Waste Management; Isabella County Municipal Recycling Facility; Mt. Pleasant Wastewater Treatment Plant; Petoskey Plastics; and Morgan Composting. None of these efforts would be possible however without CMU students. The university’s sustainability programs represent the students’ thoughts, desires, and actions.
Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Food & Dining
Waste
Wellbeing & Work
Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
Third Point of Distinction
A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
Recently, Central Sustainability has began a fun and engaging partnership with CMU Dining Services and Chartwells. Through educational videos in dining hall, outdoor engagement initiatives, and student plate waste audits, the Central Sustainability team has made noticeable impacts in the CMU waste streams.
Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Public Engagement
Diversity & Affordability
Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
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.