Colorado State University
ER-T2-1: Student Group

The Student Sustainability Center’s (SSC) mission is to empower students to advance sustainability principles and practices at Colorado State University and beyond. Through innovation and collaboration with the campus community, they work to raise awareness about opportunities for positive environmental impact and lead projects to achieve personal and institutional sustainability. The SSC is dedicated to increasing student involvement and coordination among sustainable projects in the community. They work to create a strong network of organizations with sustainability in mind, so that they can facilitate students’ ideas on a more efficient and effective level. Other projects nclude monthly educational workshops, efforts to increase xeriscaping on CSU’s campus, community garden development, and free documentary showings with the City of Fort Collins.

The Student Sustainability Center 1. Engages students in volunteer projects 2. Hosts speakers, films and other events to raise awareness about sustainability 3. Consolidates and distributes sustainability-related information and events through the Green Bulletin 4. Builds relationships and networks across campus to promote environmental initiative Recent Projects include: A Dumpster Diving Open House, where students learned about excessive waste of reusable goods; and were encouraged to jump in a dumpster filled with (clean) trash, hats, games, books, knick knacks and more—then to take something home with them. That evening, Laura Pritchett, author of Going Green, lectured on the ethics, benefits and practice of dumpster diving. Publishing the Green Bulletin, a weekly update email for the campus community about programs and events related to the environment or sustainability. A monthly movie series has entertained and educated students from across campus. As collaboration is essential in sustainable communities, the SSC has built relationships across campus and within the Fort Collins community to promote sustainability. Coordination with CSU’s student government and student groups like the SusDev organic garden, the composting club and the Coalition for Campus Sustainability has facilitated increased student participation and collaboration across groups. A SSC sponsored Green Grant funded an expansion of the composting project to allow more students to get involved. Earth Week events were co-organized with the Live Green Team, a group of student and housing staff volunteers who work together to take environmental action, and with the Warner College. Helped inspire and organize campus Green Tours to educate the campus community about environmentally friendly buildings and programs on campus. Provided a student voice in researching and writing the Climate Action Plan, CSU’s plan to reach carbon neutrality. Collaborated with the City of Fort Collins Climate Wise program and the non-profit Be Local to pilot the Student Conservation Assessment Program to train students to complete environmental impact assessments with small, local businesses.

There are also many other sustainability focused student groups on campus: The Ecosystem Science Club Conservation Biology Club Horticulture Club Environmental Engineering Club SuRF: The Sustainable Remediation Forum Natural Resource Management Society One Health Student Sustainability Farm Wildlife Society Graduate Student Council - Environment Constituency Net Impact (Sustainable Business Club) Warner College Student Council