Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.92
Liaison Jonathan Lantz-Trissel
Submission Date July 26, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Eastern Mennonite University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Deirdre Smeltzer
Vice President and Undergraduate Academic Dean
Undergraduate Academic Dean's Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability :
Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community Farm at Willow Run

Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? :
Yes

Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe?:
Multi-year or ongoing

Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus?:
The partnership simultaneously supports social equity and wellbeing, economic prosperity, and ecological health

Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners in strategic planning, decision-making, implementation and review? (Yes, No, or Not Sure):
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability, including website URL (if available) and information to support each affirmative response above:

Tom Brenneman, a 1992 graduate with a degree in social work, lives at Willow Run and manages the gardens. The Willow Run project delivers produce directly to VMRC kitchens from 1.5 acres of cultivated land. The project initially struggled but quickly gained steam when the partnership with EMU's Sustainable Food Initiative was formed. With five to six students working three to four days a week for two to three hours a day, Willow Run is now staffed with a consistent and dedicated workforce. The food production supports local agriculture and educates students volunteers about commercial vegetable production, provides elderly retirement residents with fresh, healthy foods raised with organic methods that benefit the farm soils and ecology. This year a long term student volunteer was employed as an assistant garden manager for the growing season, further growing the connections between VMRC and EMU.


Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (2nd partnership):
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Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (2nd partnership):
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Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (2nd partnership):
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Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (2nd partnership):
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Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners in strategic planning, decision-making, implementation and review? (2nd partnership) (Yes, No, or Not Sure):
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A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability, including website URL (if available) and information to support each affirmative response above (2nd partnership):
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Name of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability (3rd partnership):
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Does the institution provide financial or material support for the partnership? (3rd partnership):
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Which of the following best describes the partnership timeframe? (3rd partnership):
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Which of the following best describes the partnership’s sustainability focus? (3rd partnership):
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Are underrepresented groups and/or vulnerable populations engaged as equal partners in strategic planning, decision-making, implementation and review? (3rd partnership) (Yes, No, or Unknown):
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A brief description of the institution’s formal community partnership to advance sustainability, including website URL (if available) and information to support each affirmative response above (3rd partnership):
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A brief description of the institution’s other community partnerships to advance sustainability:
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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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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