| Overall Rating | Bronze |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 43.68 |
| Liaison | Jeane Pope |
| Submission Date | June 23, 2020 |
DePauw University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Malorie
Imhoff Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
DePauw has an active student group, the DePauw Environmental Club (DEC), which has pushed for administrative support of sustainability through signing the ACUPCC, Indiana environmental policy, campus and community-wide awareness, and annual educational programming and speakers such as Earth Week.
https://depauw.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/environmentalclub
Students at DePauw have also recently founded Fresh Food Club, a student group focused on campus awareness and learning opportunities related to raw food. The club volunteers at local farms and hosts cooking demonstrations at the Ullem Center for Sustainability or at the dining hall in partnership with Bon Appetit, the campus food service provider.
https://thedepauw.com/from-farm-to-table-fresh-food-club-kicks-off-the-year-making-pizza/
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?:
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
The Ullem Campus Farm at DePauw is a 3-acre vegetable field producing over 10,000 pounds of fresh vegetables each season. In 2019, over 300 DePauw students visited the farm, 600 community members engaged with workshops and field trips at the farm, and hundreds of hours were spent volunteering by student athletes. The farm produces ~90% for the campus dining hall and ~10% for local food pantries.
https://www.depauw.edu/offices/sustainability/campus-farm-2/
Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
DePauw's thrift shop, The Thrifty Tiger, is staffed by students in the Sustainability Leadership Program. Proceeds from the thrift shop go to store operating expenses, student interns, and our local Family Support Services of West Central Indiana non-profit. The thrift shop is open three days a week and also hosts clothing swaps, pop-up shops, and documentary screenings and discussions across campus.
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?:
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
DePauw has a Green Revolving Fund that has been leveraged to receive a grant for LED lighting in our gymnasium. As projects save energy and money, those savings are added to the fund for future sustainability projects.
Page 26 of the 2016 alumni magazine details the Green Revolving Fund donation by Rick and Jan Neville. https://issuu.com/dpupublications/docs/dpu_mag_fall_2016/28
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?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
DePauw's Environmental Fellows Program (EFP) hosts speakers every year during Earth Week open to the entire campus community. The EFP website features some of the most recent Earth Day speakers: https://www.depauw.edu/academics/honors-fellows-programs/environmental-fellows-program/speakers-events/
The Sustainability Leadership Program also hosts speakers at least 3 times each semester for all 80+ students in the program with an open invitation to the campus community. Past speakers have included alumni in the environmental field and sustainability/conservation professionals from the state of Indiana. In 2019-2020, speakers for the Sustainability Leadership Program included:
-Amanda Shepherd from the Hoosier Environmental Council
-Aaron Stump from the Indiana Wildlife Federation
-Mark Flegenheimer '83, President and CEO of Michigan Sugar Company
-Julia Spangler, Sustainable Events Consultant
-Matthew Oware, Professor of Sociology (to speak on masculinity and the environment)
-Daniel Poynter, founder of Carbon Neutral Indiana
-Dan Schmidt, builder for Earthships
-Dr. Gabe Filippeli, Director of the Center for Urban Health at IUPUI
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?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
Our Art Department regularly hosts events and projects to support sustainability initiatives, including a popular paint recycling program.
This fall, the "Earth Globe" was created for the DePauw Climate Strike on September 20. Students wrote their hopes for the planet on the globe and marched it to the courthouse in town. For the rest of the month, the globe sat on display in various campus buildings.
https://thedepauw.com/depauw-prepares-to-strike-for-climate-change/
Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
DePauw Outdoors Club is a student-led organization sponsored by DePauw Student Government that organizes group hikes and camping trips for students. The club practices Leave No Trace principles.
https://depauw.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/dpuoutdoors
https://b-m.facebook.com/DePauw-Outdoors-Club-1471958813075072/
Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
All incoming first-year students are expected to read a book or series of articles, write an assessment, and discuss the content with peers in a faculty and staff-guided discussion during the first week of arrival on campus in a process called the Common Read. Throughout the year, students are asked to refer back to book or articles to contextualize their learning. Several first-year Common Reads have focused around the theme of sustainability. For example, "Envisioning Zero Waste", "The Locavore Movement", and "The Machine Stops" have all been Common Read Themes within the last 6 years.
https://www.depauw.edu/studentacademiclife/firstyear/common-read-articles/
Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The Sustainability House is an intentional living community for 6-8 students to learn and practice sustainable life skills. Once a month, the house hosts educational events to share what they have learned with the campus community.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Office of Sustainability offers over 25 paid internships for students each semester. Our office pays and trains leaders in our Sustainability Leadership Program to lead volunteer efforts on environmental policy, zero waste, the campus farm, the campus thrift store, and more. The Office also hires independent interns to facilitate more in-depth projects, such as food recovery initiatives, community outreach, sustainability consulting, sustainability communications, paid work on the campus farm, and more.
Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
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:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
There is no website evidence of the sustainability house, but attached is a flyer from an event they hosted last spring. The house has been renewed for membership for the last two years.
There is no website evidence of the sustainability house, but attached is a flyer from an event they hosted last spring. The house has been renewed for membership for the last two years.
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.