Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 58.21
Liaison Darcy Coughlan
Submission Date Dec. 20, 2021

STARS v2.2

Coastal Carolina University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Darcy Coughlan
Associate Director
Sustain Coastal
"---" 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:
https://coastal.campuslabs.com/engage/organizations

One Earth: To create sustainable change on CCU's campus via their climate campaign and educate others on importance of protecting the planet.

Sierra Club Student Coalition: Network of young people organizing for climate, racial, and economic justice.

Sea Turtle Club: Increase the interest and education of sea turtles and their conservation.

Love Blue: Spread awareness about pollution and conduct community cleanups.

Related Organizations

Aqua League - divers and non-divers that work to conserve local areas (beaches, marsh, and reefs) focusing on dive training and traveling.

Outdoor Adventure Club - The purpose of this organization is to bring together the students of Coastal Carolina who are interested in participating in a variety of outdoor activities, appreciating beautiful nature, and having all types of outdoor fun!

Coastal Elasmobranch Club - The CES is a society devoted to raising funds for the scientific study of living and fossil chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras). This also includes promoting education, conservation, and utilizing natural resources.

Gullah Geechee Student Alliance: Connecting students and faculty members to the Gullah Geechee heritage.

Outdoor Adventure Club: Bring together students who are interested in outdoor activities & appreciate the beauty of nature.

SHORE peer educators/ active minds: Educating fellow students about healthy living and well-being. Mental health has such a strong tie to sustainability and nature.

Social Justice Club: Aims to advocate on and off campus for social justice issues.

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:
In Fall 2018, the student organization, SPROUT, was created. Students in SPROUT engaged in sustainable practices on-campus, worked with campus's greenhouse to build a small garden on campus, and developed a plan to create an Arboretum on-campus.

In Fall 2018, CCU students from UNIV 122: Introduction to Sustainability and SOC 480:Environmental Sociology classes built a garden and fruit park next to the Churches Assisting People (CAP) Food Pantry in Conway, SC. From Spring 2019 - Spring 2020, students helped to maintain the garden as part of their experiential learning requirements. This community garden was funded by a CCU university grant and Sustain Coastal, with the goal of supplying nutritious fresh produce and fruit to vulnerable community members as well as educating students about food insecurity in our community and about organic growing practices.

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:
Pop-up Thrift Shop - Clothing and items donated by students that are then resold to other students the same way as a thrift shop but done on campus and put on by Sustain Coastal members

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
The CCU Student Green Fund asks for voluntary donations of $5 (or more) per semester to support student green projects. You can donate to the Green Fund by visiting the Student Accounts office in the Everygreen Building or by logging onto Webadvisor, clicking on the "Students" link, then clicking on "Student Green Fund" under Student Accounts - Financial Services.

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:
October, 2021: Coastal Carolina University was an official Host Institution of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE’s) annual Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education (GCSHE), which streamed live Oct. 12-14, 2021. All Coastal students, faculty and staff were able to register and attend the three-day virtual event for free. In addition to promoting this opportunity to the entire campus, Sustain Coastal live-streamed sessions from Oct. 12-14th in the student union theatre. https://www.coastal.edu/sustain/campussustainability/gcshe/gcshe/

Sustainability Fair / Earth Day Fair: Each semester, Sustain Coastal hosts a sustainability fair & Farmer’s Market event. This event showcases organizations, clubs and partners that represent the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

SP 2021 - Earth Month Workshops (Presented by Sustain Coastal and SPROUT)
• Composting for Beginners (April 1, 3-4 PM on Prince Lawn)
Discover how waste in your life can be transformed into a wonderful soil product. Learn how to garden in small areas. This brief tutorial will get you started in the right direction.
• Gardening for Beginners (April 15, 3-4 PM on Prince Lawn)
Learn how to garden in small areas. This brief tutorial will get you started in the right direction.
• Earth Day Planting (April 22, 9-10 AM & 1-2 PM at Blanton Park)
Learn how to properly plant flowers while also giving back to Coastal's campus and our local 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:
In partnership with South Carolin 7, CCU, and CCU's Sierra Student Coalition sponsored the documentary, Higher Ground, on November 3rd, 2021 at the Theater of the Republic in downtown Conway. This documentary features CCU School of Coastal Environment Research Professor, Tom Mullikin.


Bryan Art Gallery* Past Exhibitions
https://www.coastal.edu/gallery/pastexhibitions/

January 13 -February 14, 2020: Mayumi Amada
Mayumi Amada’s Japanese cultural heritage is interwoven to the work she creates. Reflecting on it from the United states, she explores how reusable materials and recycling echo concepts from Buddhism and Zen philosophies. The idea of “reuse” and “recycling” contains the meaning of “rebirth” and “giving new life”. Her artwork is focused on a circle of life and eternity in mortality. Through repeated stitches and patterns, Mayumi explores the repetition of generations using traditional techniques and their iconography handed down through lace-work and dollies.

*Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery
The Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery is the primary visual laboratory for the Department of Visual Arts at CCU. We are dedicated to advancing the education of visual artists and cultivating the production, interpretation, and enjoyment of objects and images in society. Located in the Edwards Building on-campus, the gallery operates in the service of society and its development and is free and open to the public.


Great Decisions Lecture Series 2021 - Started February 6, 2021 followed by consecutive Saturdays in February about foreign policy and what are the current important global effects done by our country and what could happen based on decisions of government officials.

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:
The Outdoor Recreation Program at Coastal Carolina University offers a variety of services for CCU students, faculty, and staff including equipment rentals, trips, workshops, and team development opportunities. This program also provides students with the opportunity to participate in wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles. Activities include weekly hikes, kayaking trips and day excursions to nearby locations.

https://www.coastal.edu/recreation/outdoors/

https://recreation.coastal.edu/Program/GetProducts?classification=798b1dfd-ed26-4014-b5dc-9f70a27a2cc0

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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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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:
Yes, the Eco-Reps provide regular programming for the campus about sustainable living.

Earth Month Workshops (Presented by Sustain Coastal and SPROUT)

Composting for Beginners (April 1, 3-4 PM on Prince Lawn)
Discover how waste in your life can be transformed into a wonderful soil product. Learn how to garden in small areas. This brief tutorial will get you started in the right direction.

Gardening for Beginners (April 15, 3-4 PM on Prince Lawn)
Learn how to garden in small areas. This brief tutorial will get you started in the right direction.

Earth Day Planting (April 22, 9-10 AM & 1-2 PM at Blanton Park)
Learn how to properly plant flowers while also giving back to Coastal's campus and our local community

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:
Students are able to apply for sustainability-focused student employment opportunities with Sustain Coastal, including positions on the Green Team and positions as an Eco-Rep Leader. Other positions for student employment include working in the greenhouse, working as a STAR (Students Taking Active Responsibility) Coordinator, or working as a peer educator for COAST/SHORE.

https://www.coastal.edu/sustain/getinvolved/

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?:
No

A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
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Optional Fields

A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.