Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 70.62
Liaison Darcy Coughlan
Submission Date Dec. 22, 2022

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

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:

The Sustainability Club
URL: https://coastal.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sustainabilityclub
Description: The Sustainability Club is to provide students an opportunity to volunteer with Sustain Coastal, keeping students up to date on all Sustain Coastal Events, meet students with same interests, and promoting Sustainability on CCU’s campus. The club is run by the Sustain Coastal Eco-Reps, and gives students an opportunity to help plan events, help out with daily operations during football games, and any other Sustain Coastal event.

SPROUT
URL: https://coastal.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sprout
Description: The purpose of SPROUT is to promote sustainability; engage in sustainability activities on campus, including the CCU Arboretum and greenhouse; provide interactive and hands-on educational experiences to students at CCU and the broader community about ways to sustainably engage with the environment.

Other Related Organizations

URL: 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.

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.


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 Summer 2022, Sustain Coastal built two raised garden beds along the Early Childhood Development Center - located on CCU's campus. The purpose of the garden was to teach preschoolers and summer campers about gardening & how fun it can be to play in the dirt. The garden is currently maintained by Sustain Coastal staff and students in the Sustainability Club.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf4pApvv4Xu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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.

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.

SPROUT
URL: https://coastal.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/sprout
Description: The purpose of SPROUT is to promote sustainability; engage in sustainability activities on campus, including the CCU Arboretum and greenhouse; provide interactive and hands-on educational experiences to students at CCU and the broader community about ways to sustainably engage with the environment.


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:

October 2022 - Farmers Markets at CCU. In partnership with the Waccamaw Market Cooperative, Sustain Coastal created space for students to participate as vendors in the monthly farmers markets on campus. Students had to apply to become an approved vendor through the Waccamaw Market Cooperative and Sustain Coastal reserved space, tables, and chairs for student-run enterprises to participate as vendors and sell their products to the campus community, at no cost to the student-run enterprise. https://www.coastal.edu/sustain/programsevents/farmersmarket/

December 2021 - CHROMA Holiday Art Sale at CCU. The CHROMA Holiday Art Sale is a student-led annual event where students sell their own artwork to the campus community. https://youtu.be/_eROH2x3g-A

CHROMA is a student organization focused on building bonds and professional connections within the arts. Our main goal is to implement artistic creativity in a way that inspires others and gives back to our community within and outside of our department. Through events, fundraisers, workshop, exhibitions, and competitions, we aim to inspire artists while making connections beneficial to their work and future careers. With CHROMA, our goal is to shine light upon and share the aesthetic of art while making a difference in the world around us.

https://coastal.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/chroma


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.


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:

March, 2022: Sustain Coastal hosted a speaker series called "Women in Sustainability," in partnership with the Intercultural and Inclusion Student Services and Women's and Gender Studies departments. The goal of the event was to
highlight women doing the work to protect our environment and communities across South Carolina. Featuring women in conservation, environmental activism, and those leading the environmental justice movement. Following the discussion we provided an opportunity to network with professionals to learn about job and internship opportunities.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CbNgFVNL1-k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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.


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:

October 17 – November 18 2022
Rebecca Randall Bryan Art Gallery, Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Darwin's Finches by Eloisa Guanlao
https://www.coastal.edu/gallery/currentexhibition/

Eloisa Guanlao is a multi-disciplinary artist and scholar. She attended Carleton College in Minnesota, California State University in Long Beach, the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and LACHSA for her art and art history training.

Concerns about the unexamined expansion of technology and the unrestrained use of natural resources inform their art practice and historical inquiry. This includes a scrutiny of the impact of technological innovations on labor migrations, colonial acts, and socio-cultural development.

November 3, 2021: Higher Ground Screening (see attached flyer)
In partnership with South Carolina 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.


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

November 2022 - CCU Alternative Break Trip to Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. The CCU Office of Community Engagement partnered with Sustain Coastal and the Pisgah Conservancy to offer an alternative break purpose-driven trip over Thanksgiving Break. Student participants were asked to become certified in the Leave No Trace principles prior to attending the trip. During the trip, the Pisgah Conservancy provided additional education on sustainable recreation and trail maintenance, before students participated in a trail maintenance project.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ClgoD4HLEQS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link


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:
---

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 promoting sustainable living skills. For example, in Spring 2021, the Eco-Reps in collaboration with SPROUT offered the following Earth Month Workshops:

• 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


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 CCU's Arboretum, the greenhouse, or working as a peer educator for the LiveWell office.

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


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):
---

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

Sustain Coastal coordinates educational programs and outreach events such as CCU Farmers Markets, Earth Month programs, Pop-Up Thrift Shop, Campus Salvage, and more! We also offer classroom presentations, volunteer opportunities, campus sustainability tours, and opportunities for collaboration; both on and off-campus. Here is an example of the 2022 Earth Month calendar of events. The theme for last year was Building Sustainable Communities (SDG #11), with the goal of coming together and engaging in service on CCU's campus and in our local community.

https://www.coastal.edu/sustain/programsevents/earthmonth/
https://youtu.be/N-JnMd0uvXI


Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.