| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50.22 |
| Liaison | David Petree |
| Submission Date | Dec. 8, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Guilford College
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Bronwyn
Tucker Sustainability Coordinator Facilities |
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Does the institution have one or more co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that fall into the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Active student groups focused on sustainability | Yes |
| Gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems | Yes |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | Yes |
| Sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills | No |
| Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | Yes |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | Yes |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | Yes |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | No |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | Yes |
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The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Students Fighting for Climate Justice is a student led group on campus that focuses on sustainability on and off Guilford's campus. Also one of our theme houses (The Pines) is also located next to a student-built organic garden that is comprised of 5 raised beds and various fruit trees. The Pines compost pile is also located next to this garden, and is used for fertilizing the plants that are grown there throughout the year.
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The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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A brief description of gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems:
Guilford College operates a 2.5-acre sustainable vegetable farm, including a 5,000 square foot high tunnel, which allows for year-round food production. Over 11,000 pounds of produce are sold annually to the campus cafeteria, local grocery stores, and local restaurants. An additional 6,000 pounds is sold in our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Students are able to gain experience on the farm through work-study and volunteer opportunities as well as through introductory and advanced farm practicum courses.
Our 20-plot community garden is a relaxed place where people from all walks of life come together to get dirt under their nails, grow awesome food, and experience the one-of-a-kind thrill of nurturing seeds into harvests. Our community garden stimulates social interaction, teaches sustainable gardening, and creates healthy food that improves lives.
Two of the community garden plots were allocated to the Mobile Market, a student-run group that donates fresh produce to the refugee community of Glen Haven. Fresh produce from the farm is donated to the Mobile Market as well.
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The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
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A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
Guilford College has a student-run coffee shop that only uses fair trade products and environmentally friendly supplies. They also hold many events that students can enjoy, such as open mic night and poetry readings. It is a great community area that the campus can enjoy.
The shop is run utilizing a cooperative process, where decisions are made in a democratic manner.
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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
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A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
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A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Guilford College and the Office of Sustainability host panels and film viewings related to sustainability open to the public, but advertised toward the Guilford community. In the past, we have hosted a panel of local recycling experts and a councilperson and have shown films where we invite the documentary filmmaker (i.e. Plastic Paradise, Bringing it Home). Guilford College is also well-known for our Bryan Series event that occur every year. World renowned speakers, such as Bill Clinton and Jean-Michael Cousteau, come to educate the community on various topics, including sustainability. Some years have sustainability related themes, such as "Green & Beyond," where all of the guest speakers come to speak about sustainability. All students are not only welcomed, but encouraged to attend these events.
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The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
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A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Guilford College's Hege Library contains an art gallery that often displays pieces related to sustainability. In 2015, the Ecology class and the Sculpture and the Environment class collaborated on a series of "Sculptecology" projects. In this collaborative effort an art sculpture and a scientific poster were created that addressed an ecological anthropological problem as well as the potential solution. Projects were presented at Guilford Undergraduate Symposium and held on display in the library.
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The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
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A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The Outdoors Club plans and organizes camping trips during the semester. Their adventures have included trips from the beach to the mountains.
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The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Guilford College has a unique first-year experience program where students choose non-departmental first-year seminars on a specific topic. Courses related to sustainability that have been offered in the last 3 years include Reflecting Nature, What Should We Eat?, Sustainable Communities, Addicted to Energy, Sustainable Living, among others. These courses also require students to engage within the community by going to sustainability related art museums, volunteering on sustainable farms, and visiting local river basins.
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The website URL where information about the theme is available:
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A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Guilford College operates a 2.5 acre sustainable farm that is open to the community. The farm is the classroom for agriculture practicums, as well as sustainability-related courses, and science courses. Students may also hold work-study jobs on the farm and learn useful sustainable life skills about growing your own food. The practicum has offered workshops to all members of the community in food preservation using fermentation and canning.
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
There are various work-study and internship positions available through the Office of Sustainability, including positions on the farm, in the bike shop, and in the Office of Sustainability. The office regularly host internship positions as well as support for independent study.
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The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
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A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
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A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
Guilford College offers Sustainable Farm Practicum courses each term, which require the students to work on the farm throughout the term, while also learning about sustainable food systems in a discussion-based setting.
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.