Overall Rating Reporter - expired
Overall Score
Liaison V.S. (Raghu) Raghavan
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Mount Holyoke College
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete Reporter Nancy Apple
Director
Environmental Health & Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 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 foo and the importance of sustainable food systems, and manages the campus organic garden.


The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
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 Food Justice Society works with Mount Holyoke College's Botanic Garden, Miller Worley Center for the Environment, and Dining Services to manage an organic student garden.. They hold several public events at the garden for planting and harvesting to involve the campus community. 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):
---

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 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 atrium cafe is run an all student staff, which management by Dining Services, with the students deciding the products used, including locally roasted Indigo organic, fair trade coffee.


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

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:

Mount Holyoke College has a Green Revolving Fund (GRF) and a Sustainability Fund for projects not eligible for the GRF.

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):
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:

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. Most recently in Fall 2018, Leah Penniman spoke on "Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming and Food Justice" and Gina McCarthy addressed "The Future of the Planet: Climate Change, Health Equity & Environmental Justice".. 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):
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 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 in Spring 2018 presented 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):
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:

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):
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)?:
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):
---

Does the institution have programs through which students can learn 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 the opportunity
for students to propose a Living Learning Community on student interest. There is currently an Outdoor Adventure LLC. Past LLCs have included sustainable living.


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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 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 and outreach. The Center also offers a number of off-campus internships each summer.


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

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):
---

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

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.