Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 46.17
Liaison Jamey Pavey
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Earlham College
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Jamey Pavey
Director of the Integrated Program in Sustainability
Sustainability and Environmental Studies
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

The Earlham bicycle co-op is a community space for the sharing of bike mechanic skills, a place for students to learn to fix their own bikes for free, and an organizing hub for bicycle activism in Richmond.

Earlham's student run, consensus based coffee shop- Rose City is a great place to witness sustainability business design at work. The coffee shop offers only fair trade coffees and teas, organic milk and soy milk products, and eco-friendly beverage containers.

Earlham Environmental Action Coalition (EEAC) was restarted in Fall 2018 with a focus on addressing waste management concerns on campus.


The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects 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:

The College has operated a student farm, Miller Farm, for 40 years. The Farm was relocated and reorganized in 2014-15, and a part-time Farm Manager was hired in 2017. Miller Farm includes a production garden, a community garden, a high tunnel greenhouse, and a composting operation.


The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

Earlham has a student-run coffee cooperative. Their Mission Statement is "to be an environmentally and socially responsible coffee nonprofit co-op, able to provide coffee and pastries to the students, faculty and staff of Earlham College, as well as the wider community.
To be a space to display Earlham community artwork, available for all of the community, year round, to display artwork and other expressions of self.
To be an inclusive intellectual space on campus, to encourage students and faculty of Earlham College to mingle in a comfortable environment for both parties.
To be a meeting place for groups involved in student activism of all kinds, to empower students in creating change in Earlham, the Richmond community, and the World.
To be an entirely student run, non-hierarchical, diverse, consensus based, and sustainable program on Earlham campus."


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives 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 focus of the Earlham Prize for Creative Capitalism competition is on social entrepreneurship and creative capitalism (people, planet and profit). The competition helps develop their idea from the idea stage to commercialization. Hence, they must learn and utilize financial skills to develop a sustainable business model/plan.


The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:

Earlham's office of events seeks to bring speakers for both the endowed artist and lecture series and convocation lectures that have a sustainable message. Notable speakers have included Majora Carter, Michael Pollan, and Sandra Steingraber.
The Environmental Leadership Program regularly partners with a variety of groups on campus to host speakers and/or events with a sustainability theme. In 2018, we hosted PLAN's Points of Intervention Tour as our major event.


The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
---

Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:

Visual & Performing Arts faculty and students regularly pursue installations and performances with sustainability themes. Urinetown was a recent production.


The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

Started in 1971 by a small group of faculty members dedicated to the value of experiential education, the Wilderness Program at Earlham College has grown to become one of the most unique and comprehensive programs of its kind in the country. Through our outdoor trips and courses like rock climbing, backpacking, and kayaking, students have the opportunity to learn new skills, gain a deeper appreciation of our wilderness areas, and gain self-confidence and interpersonal skills. Through our on-campus academic courses and off-campus semester in environmental studies, students engage in intensive, interdisciplinary inquiry leading to an integrated pathway in Outdoor Education. And finally, through a wide variety of leadership opportunities, students have the opportunity to discover the teacher and leader within by teaching skill courses and leading outdoor trips.

As one of the oldest and most respected outdoor education programs in the country, the Wilderness Program has a national reputation for training outstanding outdoor leaders. Through a wide variety of opportunities, student instructors gain invaluable teaching experience and the transferable skills of leadership and group facilitation. Co-leading the August Wilderness expedition is frequently cited as the highlight of many students' undergraduate outdoor careers. Many work for such organizations as Outward Bound, the National Park Service, the National Outdoor Leadership School, and other environmental and outdoor programs.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
---

The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
---

Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

The Environmental Theme House is a student governed living space in which students with shared interests in environmentalism live and learn together. The Co-op Hall is a second student governed living space that has a focus on sustainability.


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

The Environmental Leadership Program employs 10-15 students per semester in the Student Sustainability Corps. Each student applies to a specific project area and has significant ownership over their projects and tasks. The Student Sustainability Corps intentionally welcomes students of all experiences and serves as a leadership and capacity building body for sustainability initiatives on campus.


The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
No

A brief description of the graduation pledges:
---

The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
---

Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
Yes

A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:

The Energy Wars is a student-run residence hall energy saving competition held annually at Earlham. Halls and houses compete to conserve energy against their own baselines over two weeks.
Additionally, the PLACE - Environment and Community pre-orientation program offers incoming students the opportunity to learn about the local Richmond community and consider ways they can engage to make it more sustainable.


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
---

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

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.