| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 61.45 |
| Liaison | Natalie Sobrinski |
| Submission Date | Dec. 23, 2022 |
Muhlenberg College
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Natalie
Sobrinski Sustainability Specialist Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
Yes Muhlenberg College has an active student organization focuses on sustainability.
EnAcT
Mission Statement: “EnAcT's mission is to spread environmental awareness and cultivate ecological literacy while actively taking part in the ecological betterment of the campus, local, and global communities. We offer an outlet for all students to pursue activities and intellectual explorations that fall under this general scheme. Noting the present state of environmental degradation as well as the widespread ideological misunderstanding and general apathy among people, we feel our mission is of ever-increasing importance.” The group has organized events such as brining students to the global climate change march in New York City, organizing Earth Day, supporting the Tree House,Permaculture Garden and Community Garden. This group is student governed.
Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
Yes Muhlenberg College has an on campus garden where students are able to gain organic farming and/or gardening experience. The organic garden behind the “garden house” is up and running. Classes, students, and faculty are welcome to come by and learn organic gardening practices and help out the students living in the house. The Community Vegetable Garden that grows consumable annuals, and the Permaculture Garden that grows consumable perennials.
Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
The college does host a program called the Innovation Challenge. Students sign up as a group to come up with a business plan. This plan can be focused on whatever the group wishes to center their project on. They then are able to implement this business. At this time, a student could choose to run a sustainable business.
Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
Muhlenberg College holds major events related to sustainability, such as conferences, speaker series, or symposia, which have students as the intended audience. Events include event with BERG Votes to promote civic engagement around sustainability issues and hosting speaker Yoram Baumanis, stand-up economist who does research on climate change, part of which has a focus on Pennsylvania.
Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
Fall 2021: Sandra Eula Lee is a multidisciplinary artist who employs a range of unconventional artistic processes to pose questions about form and materiality. Her works use raw elemental materials, which she transforms through a series of deliberative steps. As if she were performing a science experiment, these materials are combined then burned in kilns, smashed together, or otherwise manipulated into a range of creative artifacts. Some of the materials she uses are found or reclaimed objects. This catalog by the artist describes her work as "the cultivation of the natural world and the expansion of urban development in Asian cities - as well as the fragile, shifting balance between these interdependent kinds of flux." https://www.muhlenberg.edu/media/contentassets/pdf/about/gallery/sandra-eula-lee-catalog.pdf
https://www.muhlenberg.edu/gallery/pastexhibitions/sandraeulalee/
Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Muhlenberg’s student run group, the Outdoors Club devotes some of its programming to sustainability issues and Leave No Trace principles. They organize hikes, white water rafting trips, along with other outdoor programs that are accessible to all students on campus. There are multiple trips a semester.
Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Every Freshman class receives a water bottle to participate in the Just Tap It program and encourage bottle reuse as part of the first-year experience. They are also greeted on move-in day by the Green Team to encourage cardboard recycling during the moving process.
Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Our Tree House demonstrates sustainable living - waste reduction, such as bringing their own bags while shopping, bringing their own mugs to coffee places. There is also a Garden House that focuses on planting food.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
There are multiple internships through the Office of Sustainability each semester focusing on energy audits, communications, metrics, carbon inventory, permaculture garden, EcoReps, dorm energy competitions, tree inventory and hydroponic herb garden project.
Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
Muhlenberg College does administer a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future jobs and other decisions.
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
The College hosts group of students called the Green Team who assist students with recycling and disposing of their waster during Move-In. The College has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity and the Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement to promote re-use of items during Move-Out.
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.