| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.29 |
| Liaison | Bonnie Dong |
| Submission Date | Oct. 30, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
MacEwan University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Chantal
Beaudoin Head of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
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 | No |
| 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 | No |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | No |
| 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 |
The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
The Sustainable MacEwan University (SMU) student club was established in 2013. This group aims to engage MacEwan University students, staff, faculty, and community members in fostering the integration of knowledge and issues related to sustainability into the university’s education, operations, and planning processes. This club provides members the opportunity to experience sustainability through an active learning process, allowing members to develop skills needed to become agents of the change in their communities. In its first year of operations, SMU successfully applied for funding for two initiatives: Re-Love Market and Sustainable Business Week.
IncrEDIBLE Campus: This student club works to promote awareness of food production on campus and establish partnerships with like-minded community groups. They promote the three pillars of the Campus Sustainability Plan and address sustainability through campus food production.
ENACTUS MacEwan Club: This group is dedicated to mobilizing university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders and to create a better world through the positive power of business. The Sustainable Campus International Competition at MacEwan University is led by the ENACTUS MacEwan Club.
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:
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:
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
• Hosted the first Sustainability in Practice event, Who Will Speak for the Earth, with 100 registered participants in attendance and 50 postcards being sent to Premier Redford as an action piece on environmental priorities for Alberta. (September 27, 2012)
• As part of Waste Reduction Week MacEwan Sport and Wellness hosted a display for Greys Paper Recycling Industries Ltd. and collected used white cotton and denim. (October, 2012)
• Hosted For the Love of Waste Expo with an estimated 500 community members browsing the displays. Sponsored by Global Electric Electronic Processing (GEEP), in partnership with Students' Association of MacEwan University (SAMU), over 100 donations culminated in 304kg of electronic waste diverted to reuse and recycling and $1,000 in prizes being awarded. Ten lucky individuals took part in an interactive bus tour of the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. (November, 2012)
• Supported ConFORT proposal and hosted playful fort building installations on campus and across the City of Edmonton using MacEwan University discarded furniture. (November, 2012)
• Launched Earth Common Journal, Voice of Change, as part of the Sustainability in Practice series with 100 guests in attendance and keynote speaker Chris Benjamin, author of Eco Innovators. (September, 2013)
• Attracted over 300 community members at the Build Buy Reno Retro event in partnership with the City of Edmonton, who launched its “Green Guide” for homes, with Mayor Don Iveson speaking at the event. (November, 2013)
• Hosted “Business as Unusual” event highlighting responsible business in partnership with Net Impact Professional Edmonton, with keynote Jane Bisbee, executive director of Social Enterprise Fund. (November, 2013)
• In partnership with Earth Common Journal and the School of Business UN PRME Regional Meeting, hosted Sustainability 3.0, a pre-conference event with Dr. Robert De Vrind, Senior Advisor for Sustainability at the Koning Willem I College in the Netherlands. The event was sold out with 100 registered guests who also participated in an interactive session on cradle-to-cradle product re-design. (June, 2013)
• Supported the activities and promotion of Edmonton Environment Week, and in partnership with Bullfrog, hosted Sustainable business, good citizen: the next level of engaging consumers and creating change event with 40 registered participants. (June, 2013)
The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
At the Earth Common Journal launch 2014 "Everyday Activism", students presented to fellow students and other attendees hip-hop performances on the topics of diversity and food systems. These students are involved in cultural sustainability research focusing on the impact of emerging technologies for music learning, the transformation of national culture to culture as commodity, and the social and economic transformations of the globalization of cultural products.
The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow 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:
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Students' Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) host the annual sustainability festival "Common Ground" which features activities such as build your own worm-composting unit; a farmers’ market advocating local organic products; bicycle repair workshops; a free store promoting reuse; and do-it-yourself stations for tea, bath salt, and cleaning products.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
The Sustainability Assistant is a temporary part-time position that assists the Office of Sustainability in the development and implementation of the strategic efforts aimed at enhancing sustainability within residence at the University. The Sustainability Assistant has the opportunity to engage students in activities that will increase awareness and capacities for reducing environmental impacts whilst living in residence. The Sustainability Assistant is also responsible for researching and providing recommendations for other greening opportunities in residence.
The Sustainability Assistant is hired on a 6 month term and must be a current MacEwan University student.
The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Students' Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) offers an opportunity for students to gain skills in project management, communications, international relations and leadership by supporting the delivery of Green Impact as volunteer Green Impact Consultants (GICs). GICs are matched with teams of staff and faculty and help them complete the sustainable criteria (i.e., actions) in their online Green Impact toolkits.
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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.