Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.76
Liaison James Speer
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Indiana State University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.75 / 2.00 Nicholas McCreary
Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student Groups 

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 Environmental Club has been active on campus for many years and it was called the Earth Science club prior to that. They are active in community service and promoting sustainability and environmental issues. They meet every week and also have off campus events at the Sycamore Outdoor Center. The Sycamore Environmental Action Club (SEAC) is a student-led Indiana State University wide organization that is dedicated to cultivating environmental awareness, promoting environmental education and fostering environmental stewardship through experiential and service learning.

The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):

Gardens and Farms 

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 Indiana State University Community garden has plots available starting in May of each year. The 2.5 acre lot houses many 10'x10', 15'x15', and 20'x20' plots. The garden restricts the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides and gardeners are encouraged to donate surplus food to local food shelters. A new teaching deck at the community garden has been constructed to provide teaching space for garden and sustainability classes.

The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):

Student-Run Enterprises 

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:
The Fashion Merchandising Association (FMA) and the Sycamore Environmental Action Club (SEAC) collaborat to produce a Re-Use store on campus and are continually providing pop-up shops. The Re-Use Store committee has sustainability as a core principle to their business model.

The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):

Sustainable Investment and Finance 

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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
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Events 

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:
The Office of Sustainability collaborates with multicultural services and programs to produce the Taboo Topics series that intends to have students engage in conversations surrounding topics generally avoided in society. These two offices also collaborate on producing events for Black History Month and various other cultural events. Every year, the Office of Sustainability hosts a campus-wide Earth Day event in the Spring and invites many campus and community partners to join. In the 2019 year, the Earth Day event will be a week long and has many campus and community partners hosting separate events throughout the week.

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

Cultural Arts 

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:
The Office of Sustainability and the student group Sycamore Environmental Action Group (SEAC) have been working on creating rain barrel art installations for campus. Art Spaces, the Department of Art and Design Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, and the Center for Community Engagement brought artist Matthew Mazzotta to campus and the community to begin installing a community-specific art project that focuses on the power of built environment to shape our relationships and experiences.

The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):

Wilderness and Outdoors Programs 

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:
We have a Recreation & Sport Management program that educates future outdoor recreation managers and educators. These programs support outdoor recreation on campus as well through their department and through the Student Recreation Center. Along with these programs, the Environmental Science Club conducts outings which all students on campus are able to take part. We also organize paddle events on the Wabash River multiple times a year and many of our courses in the Earth and Environmental Systems classes have required extended field excursions that include camping, backpacking, and field research.

The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):

Sustainability-Related Themes 

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

Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
No

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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Student Employment Opportunities 

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 Office of Sustainability has several student employee positions available for project workers and community garden workers. There are multiple student employee positions available through research labs on campus that focus on sustainability topics and issues.

The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:

Graduation Pledge

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:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
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Other Programs and Initiatives 

Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
No

A brief description of the 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 (optional):
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Optional Fields 

Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
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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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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.