Iowa State University
EN-2: Student Orientation

Incoming students housed within the Department of Residence (DOR) facilities are introduced to community recycling and sustainability efforts by their floor's Community Advisor (CA). All CA's are provided with sustainability training by DOR Staff in tandem with leaders from the GreenHouse Group (a student organization dedicated to sustainability efforts within campus residence facilities) before assuming their roles. CA's also familiarize students with the Recycling Chair and Sustainability Coordinator leadership positions and opportunities within their residence facilities.

Sustainable practices are prominently featured in several campus orientation activities. ISU Dining details their sustainability efforts via signage during orientation meals, including efforts to acquire food from local sources, initiatives to reduce food waste via mindful consumption and composting, reduce energy usage by limiting tray usage, and mitigating single-use drink container waste by incentivizing reusable container usage for all self-serve beverages.

Campus orientation tours highlight several LiveGreen! initiatives and accomplishments, including the use of BigBelly solar waste compaction bins for all outdoor campus waste receptacles. Tours conclude at a resource fair allowing partcipants the opportunity to directly interact with representatives from several campus facilities and organizations.

Office of Sustainability staff are present at the Orientation Resource Fair in order to engage and educate incoming students and their families regarding campus sustainability initiatives and opportunities, including campus sustainability education and research, recycling/composting efforts, sustainable transportation, information about the sustainability minor and coursework, the Live Green! team and activities on campus, information regarding Green student groups, signing up for the LiveGreen! newsletter and other sustainability opportunities, initiatives and resources.

The Office of Admissions New Student Programs offers a multi-day orientation event prior to the beginning of each Fall and Spring semester known as Destination Iowa State (DIS). DIS features several activities allowing students the opportunity to familiarize themselves with campus and network with peers. DIS activities involving food or other sources of waste also prominently feature and encourage recycling. The final day of DIS offers the chance to participate in community service outreach/learning opportunities, historically in the form of volunteer waste removal efforts within public areas.

Orientation activities are planned in a manner to maximize environmental efficiency. All activities take place within walking distance from one another in order to discourage driving between venues. Free public transportation onto campus is made available to all participants via circulating shuttles from the commuter lot. Campus tours are entirely pedestrian, and requests for accomodation are via ISU's fleet of electric vehicles.