Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.64
Liaison Michelle Seppala Gibbs
Submission Date May 2, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Hope College
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Michelle Gibbs
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 No
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 Yes
Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives No

The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:

The Sustainability Task Force is a sub-committee of Hope College's Student Congress and works hand-in-hand with the Green Hope Student Club. These groups are comprised of 10-15 students who focus on educating students about sustainability and what they can do to lessen their environmental impact. These groups organizes multiple events throughout the year with the objective of engaging students in sustainability efforts - such as observing and planning events during National Recycling Day and Earth Week. The task force also organizes sustainability efforts targeting students such as plastic bag drives and recycling competitions.

The Hope Advocates for Sustainability (HAS) is also a student led group that is supported through the Campus Green Team with a focus on educating their residential hall peers about sustainability. They are a group of paid students living in the dorms that organize activities/events for ways to be more sustainable while living in the dorms and future.


The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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:

Dining Services maintains two small herb and tomato gardens on-campus. Students may contact the Dining Services office for information regarding growing their own produce.

During the summer of 2016 the Hope Green Team hired four students to conduct research on campus about sustainability. There was a student for each of the topics which include: energy, water, a campus garden, and the history of sustainability at Hope. The campus garden is a project of GreenHope.


The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
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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:

Hope presents various speakers discussing sustainability topics throughout the year, with the presentations offered by different departments, as well as through grants provided by the GLCA sustainability program. Hope also organizes Earth Week events each year during the nationally designated Earth Week. These events include speakers, awareness activities, and waste reduction competitions, among other things.
www.green.hope.edu/Home/green_events.html

The Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute also helps to host monthly meetings about sustainability. These events are promoted to students, faculty, staff, and community members.
https://blogs.hope.edu/sustainability-institute/events/living-sustainably-along-the-lakeshore/
A full community calendar of sustainability related events can also be found at:
https://blogs.hope.edu/sustainability-institute/events/community-sustainability-calendar/


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:

During our annual Earth Jam the Hope Advocates for Sustainability (HAS) bring in local bands to perform and in the past have hosted contests such as making art from re-purposed materials.


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 student-led Outdoor Adventure Club at Hope College offers various outings for students throughout the year. These include hiking, backpacing, rafting, etc. The Outdoor Adventure Club places an emphasis on environmental responsibility education and abides by Leave No Trace principles.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

Hope offered seven first-year seminar courses in the fall of 2011 - courses designed solely for first year students as they begin their college career - focused on sustainability. These courses included topics such as the benefits and sustainability of bicycling and environmental sustainability. The courses were open to all first year students, and incorporated many sustainability-related texts as part of the course requirements.


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:

The Facilities Team has worked with some of the students living in the campus cottages (off-campus, but college owned housing) in the creation of events that focus on real-world life skills.

The Facilities Team and the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute also brought an energy auditing contractor to campus during the fall of 2015 to assess the efficiency of the campus cottages using the Department of Energy Home Score Tool. Students were encouraged to participate in the assessments of their cottages.


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:

The Hope Green Team hires an Outreach Intern and a Communication Intern for the school year. The Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute also works with student interns for various projects around campus and in the community.


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:

N/A


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:
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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