| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.90 |
| Liaison | Kathleen Crawford |
| Submission Date | July 23, 2020 |
Florida Gulf Coast University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Kathleen
Crawford Sustainability Coordinator Environmental Health & Safety |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
With more than 250 Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) Florida Gulf Coast University has 89 RSOs that focus on sustainability, environment, service, and/or social justice. Their names and missions statements may be found at https://getinvolved.fgcu.edu/organizations.
To name a few:
FGCU Waves of Awareness
The mission of FGCU Waves of Awareness is to raise awareness about the importance of ocean conservation. This mission is focused on, but not limited to, the protection of marine life. FGCU Waves of Awareness will stride to accomplish this mission through volunteer work, the spreading of awareness, working with other marine life-focused organizations, and increasing student involvement within the field of marine conservation.
FGCU Student/ Farmworker Alliance
FGCU Student/Farmworker Alliance will be a multi-purpose student-led organization. Primarily, FGCU SFA will be an ally and advocacy organization that utilizes its energy, position, and resources to support the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a human rights organization internationally recognized for its achievements in the fields of social responsibility, human trafficking, and gender-based violence at work. FGCU Student/Farmworker Alliance will also serve as a space to advocate and take action to support food justice on campus, locally and nationally.
FGCU Growth International Volunteer Excursions
The mission of GIVE is to expose FGCU students to the importance of community engagement by fundraising for and/or participating in service-learning projects locally and abroad. GIVE’s project goals are to cooperate with both local and abroad communities’ to inspire growth, empower global citizens, and ignite sustainable change. Additionally, the organization will seek to provide opportunities for cultural immersion for participants, to introduce participants to issues relevant to the developing world, and create relationships with other FGCU clubs, students and community members.
Engineering Community Outreach (ECO)
With millions in need, Engineering Community Outreach (ECO) is partnering with local and international communities to create a more sustainable world and assists parts of the world to meet basic human needs through engineering projects. Students will have the opportunity to work on projects and competitions that are truly rewarding and beneficial to society while meeting with communities and professionals that are relevant to engineering and the community. This organization is willing to prove that intelligence, compassion, and selflessness can make a difference in a world surrounded by unfair issues.
Florida Water Environment Association FGCU Student Chapter
The mission of the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA) is to further students' ability to research, design, and produce environmental based technologies. Members of FWEA are unique students that desire to apply their classroom knowledge to hands-on projects. Our ultimate goal is to begin a tradition of undergraduate research and development at FGCU. With the assistance of our faculty advisor, we plan to network in the community with local companies and professional associations to create a platform of support for this endeavor. We see this organization as a vehicle for FGCU engineering students to do great things: publish articles, obtain grants for research projects, obtain patents for new ideas, and increase notoriety for the FGCU Whitaker College of Engineering in this region.
Food Foresters
Our club is focused around learning how to grow food in an ecological way in the SW Florida region. We aim to educate students as well as allow them to have a chance to garden and grow their own food.
FGCU Vegan & Vegetarian Club
From vegetarians to vegans, we all have common interests about our eating habits, beliefs, and so much more! This club will offer members the opportunity to learn more about topics related to vegetarian and vegan diets including nutrition, environmental impact, and animal rights. FGCUVV will allow students to come together in a community and engage in new experiences that cultivate friendships and outreach!
Students for Environmental Justice (SEJ)
Students For Environmental Justice works towards eliminating the uneven distribution of environmental damages by addressing structures of oppression in the community and the planet. SEJ defines the environment as including the physical, economic, political and cultural conditions in which we live. By challenging the power structure which threatens these conditions, SEJ works to create progressive social change in both the campus and community levels
The Environmental Coalition of FGCU
ECoFGCU is a coalition of leaders from many environmentally oriented clubs and departments on campus with the goal of coordinating events and brainstorming ideas so that we can have a more unified presence. The goal is to create a better sense of community while also helping each other accomplish the goals and events we set for each semester.
FGCU Wildlife Club
The Wildlife Club is a place for people who enjoy learning about, protecting, and conserving nature. Not only is it a great way to earn service hours through volunteer opportunities that don't even feel like work, it is also a great pace to meet people with similar interests and make new friends. Along with trying to volunteer in the community as much as possible, we also try to have social trips and even go camping. Overall, our main goal is education and conservation of the environment.
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 Food Forest gives students hands on training in a permaculture semi-urban garden. The Food Forest is run by Service-Learning Coordinators and is open for the entire campus community to participate in and benefit from. In addition to growing food, the Food Foresters lead educational workshops and create online educational materials about plants that grow well in Southwest Florida.
FGCU also maintains an urban-style container garden maintained by a paid part-time gardener, along with interns and service learning students. Herbs and produce from this garden is used by residential dining services with excess given to our campus food pantry.
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:
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:
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:
FGCU holds multiple sustainability events on campus that have students as its primary audience. We are currently in the process of planning the many sustainability events for the upcoming year which include but are not limited to the following:
FGCU Veg Fest https://www.facebook.com/FGCU.Sustainability/photos/a.320815258096208/1459636297547426/?type=3&theater
-RecycleMania
-Speakers for the Terry Tempest Williams Student Dialogue (see past speakers here http://www.fgcu.edu/CESE/TTWSD.html)
-Campus Sustainability Month
-Farmers Markets https://www.facebook.com/FGCU.Sustainability/photos/a.320815258096208/1478183649026024/?type=3&theater
-Eagles' Earth Day https://www.facebook.com/events/636132593599987/
-A Conversation on Sustainable Growth (October 11, 2019 Inaugural Sustainability Conference "SusCon" for students) https://www.facebook.com/events/915209295515852/
-Movie showings https://www.facebook.com/events/433271523983820/
-Trail clean ups and tree plantings https://www.facebook.com/events/601508540185127/
FGCU Green Drinks social hour https://www.facebook.com/FGCU.Sustainability/photos/a.320815258096208/1463299310514458/?type=3&theater
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:
Eagles' Earth Day Runway Earth Fashion Show- Students put on a sustainable fashion show as a part of Eagles' Earth Day every year, in which all the clothing was made from reclaimed materials such as used plastic grocery bags.
During the Spring 2020 semester students in ART 4928 Ceramics Workshop created a show titled Single Use: A Plague of Plastic. The virtual catalog may be viewed at https://issuu.com/rpettersen/docs/single_use_catalog_final
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:
The FGCU Outdoor Pursuits program is a division of Florida Gulf Coast University's Campus Recreation department. Outdoor Pursuits is a student-centered program that strives to educate and enhance the collegiate experience through quality outdoor adventure experiences, educational clinics, and team building initiatives. It is our hope to cultivate the lifelong commitment to healthy outdoor pursuits, environmental stewardship, and personal development. https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/campusrec/outdoorpursuits/
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:
Eagles in 23 - Our most recent First Year Experience is a year-long engagement program aimed at making sure that first-year students start their college career off strong by attending specialized events and programs. To finish Eagles in 23, students need to complete 23 requirements including a minimum of two in a list of Service in Sustainability opportunities. Students track their progress using the Eagles in 23 Path in our EagleLink student platform. https://www.fgcu.edu/eaglesin23/#ServiceinSustainability
Additionally, FGCU's has unique Live-Learn Communities(LLC): The WiSTEM LLC connects women in STEM fields to mentorship, seminars, study groups and other resources with the hopes of growing the number of women leaders for STEM careers. The Entrepreneurship LLC is open to students of all majors who want to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, gain access to experienced mentors and take advantage of unique networking opportunities, learn how to create environmentally and socially sustainable business models. Students in this program get automatic acceptance to https://www2.fgcu.edu/CoB/IFE/runwayprogram.html (https://www.fgcu.edu/soe/ife/runway-program) and eligibility to apply for seed funding. The Global Living LLC is Open to all current students who want to gain knowledge and skills to be successful in a global society, deepen one’s understanding of global issues, and gain cross-cultural experiences. https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/housing/thefgculife/livinglearningcommunity
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:
At the Eagles' Earth Day and Campus Sustainability month events, students can learn sustainable life skills such as how to make their own eco-friendly cleaning products and laundry detergent. They also learn tips on how to save water and energy and reduce waste in their everyday lives. https://www.facebook.com/FGCU.Sustainability/photos/a.320815258096208/1460633944114328/?type=3&theater
FGCU's Residential Life's Green Team also sponsors many learning opportunities to teach sustainable life skills through the Fall and Spring semesters.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Environmental Health & Safety Department employs a number of students that contribute to sustainability efforts on campus. These include Environmental Ambassadors that manage social media sites and regularly conduct campus outreach, a coordinator of On-Campus Sustainability Service-Learning that streamlines interdepartmental on-campus sustainability service opportunities, and an EH&S Research Assistant that works on various research projects such as analyzing data for our Ghg inventory and survey data for Forming Lasting Opportunities for Commuter (FLOC) Week.
The Center for Environmental & Sustianbilty Education (CESE) employees a number of student workers that work to advance the mission of CESE. Some of their tasks include planning the annual Terry Tempest Willams Student Dialogue, Reviewing Student Associates for a Greener Environment (SAGE) mini-grant proposals, and preparing documents and reports for the Center as needed.
The Office of Service-Learning has Service Ambassadors that are specifically dedicated to sustainability. These Ambassadors are responsible for service-learning outreach and event coordination (both on and off campus), as well as building sustainable partnerships with suggested Community Partner Agencies.
The Department of Undergraduate Studies employees Service-Learning Coordinators to manage volunteers in the Food Forest, Campus Naturalists to lead field experiences, and other positions as necessary to catalyze students involvement in other sustainability areas that currently require attention at FGCU.
The Office of Multicultural & Leadership Development employs Multicultural Ambassadors who represent diverse cultures, geography, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, and majors. These students serve as advisors, liaisons, facilitators, and representatives to the FGCU Community.
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:
The Office of Multicultural & Leadership Development offers four Co-Curricular Leadership Programs through which students practice, reflect, and apply leadership knowledge and skills that will empower individuals to question critically, think logically, and live ethically while becoming active citizens within the Florida Gulf Coast University community and the rapidly changing world.
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.