| Overall Rating | Reporter - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | |
| Liaison | V.S. (Raghu) Raghavan |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Mount Holyoke College
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Nancy
Apple Director Environmental Health & Safety |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Student Groups
Yes
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
The Climate Justice Coalition seeds to redirect College investments away from the fossil fuel industry in order to build a sustainable future by upholding Mary Lyon's vision of purposeful engagement in the world.
Students for Zero Waste strives to foster a more sustainable campus by educating the student body about waste reduction and spearheading waste removal initiatives.
The Mount Holyoke Chapter of Think Outside the Bottle works to reduce/eliminate bottled water use on campus.
The Food Justice Society educates students about food sustainability, local food, and the importance of sustainable food systems.
The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Gardens and Farms
Yes
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
The Food Justice Society is currently working with Mount Holyoke College's Botanic Garden, Miller Worley Center, and Dining Services to create a sustainable student garden which will be planted this Spring.. The Miller Worley Center for the Environment also curates multiple food justice/agriculture internships (exclusively for Mount Holyoke students) at local farms and gardens.
The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
---
Student-Run Enterprises
Yes
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
The Think Outside the Bottle and Zero Waste student groups offer and provide infused, filtered tap water for faculty, student, and staff meetings (to replace bottled water). The students manage this enterprise themselves.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
---
Sustainable Investment and Finance
Yes
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Mount Holyoke College has a Green Revolving Fund.
Mount Holyoke College has a student managed SRI with student selected funds.
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
Events
Yes
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
Each semester the Miller Worley Center for the Environment invites noted guest speakers, which have included reporter Paddy Woodworth, investigative reporting covering the battle against environmental degradation, author Barry Lopez, Native American rights activist Winona LaDuke, and environmental health expert Sandra Steingraber, to engage the community in dialogue on critical environmental issues. A fall event is held that exposes students to a wide range of environmental sustainability activities and programs on campus. An annual spring event is MHC's Pangy Day community picnic which takes place to celebrate Earth Day. Dining Services participates in a Farm to School week, bringing local farmers to campus during that week and throughout the year.
The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Cultural Arts
Yes
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
The Campus periodically has cultural events related to sustainability. A Halloween concert featured Icona Pop on their Campus Conscious Tour, combining music with an environmental awareness and action campaign. Sunboxes, an outdoor art exhibit featuring a solar-powered sound installation by artist Craig Colorusso, also visited campus. The art and theater departments use the natural campus for sculpture exhibits and performances as part of our Campus Living Laboratory program.
There are also multiple permanent signs posted throughout campus (including the dining center, by the ecological trails, and right in the center of the campus) that focus on Mount Holyoke's dedication to sustainability.
A environmental film festival this Spring will present six films on environmental topics and include discussion and class visits with the Producer of "River of Gold".
The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
Wilderness and Outdoors Programs
Yes
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The Outing Club seeks to cultivate and enrich Mount Holyoke students' appreciation for nature by providing accessible trips, leadership training, and community outreach in the outdoors. They manage a college owned cabin on Mount Holyoke that is available for rent. The Outing Club follows Leave No Trace principles and has received training on these principles from the Appalachian Mountain Club.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Sustainability-Related Themes
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Periodically a sustainable theme is chosen for common reading (for entering first-years). There is often sustainability-related programming sponsored by multiple campus departments. Often, the three campus centers - Weissman Center for Leadership, McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives, and the Miller Worley Center for the Environment - cosponsor sustainability themes or experiences. As an example, a recent Food Series was a campus-wide initiative probing the art, economics, philosophy, politics, and science of food. Through lectures, courses, public events and seminars, exhibits, and demonstrations, the Mount Holyoke Community engages in a range of issues relating to food, such as: famine and food security, agribusiness, diet and culture, genetically modified food, wine, medicine, animal welfare, and more. Sustainability topics are represented in the annual discussion of the theme for the following year.
The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
---
Sustainable Life Skills
Yes
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
In addition to educational programs for all students, the College has available a Living Learning Community option based on student interested focused on sustainability and supported by residential life staff with the Miller Worley Center serving as sponsor and assisting in programming.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Student Employment Opportunities
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Miller Worley Center for the Environment hires 4 Eco-reps tasked with developing and implementing sustainability awareness programs on campus. The Miller Worley Center hires several student interns each year to conduct sustainability research. The Center also offers a number of off-campus internships each summer.
The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Graduation Pledge
No
A brief description of the graduation pledges:
While not institutionalized, the senior class has in the past organized such a pledge.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
---
Other Programs and Initiatives
Yes
A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The Miller Worley Center offers a variety of intership opportunities to enable Mount Holyoke students to make connections across disciplines, across points of view, and across structures that help them understand the concept of “environment” more broadly in their work, community and lives. These internships span a wide variety of environmental fields, including environmental education, restoration ecology, species conservation, sustainable agriculture, and food justice.
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
Optional Fields
---
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---
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.