Ohio University
EN-3: Student Life

EcoReps: EcoReps is a student organization focused on offering friendly, sustainable education to its peers in a multitude of ways. EcoReps participate in various ecological volunteer opportunities on campus and around the City of Athens in an effort to improve the community and collaborate with other organizations, including the Office of Sustainability, to promote environmentalism. EcoReps strives to lead by example and encourage a sustainable culture around campus and constantly educate themselves and others about what it means to live a sustainable lifestyle. SOUL: Sustainable Ohio University Leaders (SOUL) is a liaison group open to all students, faculty and staff. SOUL works to further the implementation of the Sustainability Plan and the Climate Action Plan by dividing into 4 sub-groups, which each meet at least twice a semester. Through an online communication and task management platform, SOUL members work on each benchmark of the Sustainability Plan. The overall mission of SOUL is to fulfill the Ohio University Sustainability Plan and Climate Action plan by empowering students, faculty, and staff of different educational and experiential backgrounds to engage in open dialogue, develop strong capacities for leadership, and embed sustainability into every facet of academic, operational, and institutional practices. SIAC: The Sustainable Investing Advisory Committee (SIAC) is a student organization that works to develop investment guidelines in partnership with the Student Equity Management Group (SEMG) and the Fixed Income Management Group (FIMG). The investment guidelines will in turn help these student groups to incorporate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) analysis into their investment decision-making. The groups invest funds provided by, and on behalf of, The Ohio University Foundation. SIAC is supervised by faculty and sustainability advisors. All three student groups report to The Ohio University Foundation. Bobcats Building a Better World: BBBW is a group of engineering students that meets weekly to develop sustainable designs that are solutions to problems in international disadvantaged communities. The design process is culminated with a small group of students traveling to implement the designs. College Green Magazine: Comprised of students in all areas of study, the College Green Magazine is an independent online publication dedicated to publishing provocative and engaging environmental news. Ohio University Fair Trade: This student organization aims to educate students about fair trade as a movement and encourage involvement. This organization falls within the social justice category. Save Our Seas (SOS): The purpose of this student organization is to spread awareness on campus about the threats facing the Earth's oceans and it's inhabitants. The organization also supports worldwide organizations such as Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Oceana. Student Sierra Coalition: The Student Sierra Coalition is a group of environmentally conscious student advocates that focus on environmental leadership both on and off campus. Wildlife Club: This student organization is dedicated to wildlife, conservation, and education. The meetings typically focus on planning wildlife-related events, volunteer activities, and discussions on varies topics in wildlife and conservation.

The OHIO Ecohouse Community Garden has 10 plots available to the campus community to learn how to grow, harvest, preserve, and winterize home organic gardens. Participation is free. Workshops are frequently held to promote these efforts. A student garden manager maintains the community garden space in the summer and fall months; this student employee also ensures that all participants are collaboratively responding to the garden rules. Each gardener is expected to donate a tithe of the produce harvested to local food pantries.

The Sustainable Investing Advisory Committee (SIAC) is a student organization that works to develop investment guidelines in partnership with the Student Equity Management Group (SEMG) and the Fixed Income Management Group (FIMG). The investment guidelines will in turn help these student groups to incorporate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) analysis into their investment decision-making. The groups invest funds provided by, and on behalf of, The Ohio University Foundation. SIAC is supervised by faculty and sustainability advisors. All three student groups report to The Ohio University Foundation.

Ohio University has named "sustainability" as the theme for its innovative "Common Experience Project"; an interdisciplinary project intended to offer faculty the support and resources necessary to offer a common conversation for all students to engage in. Since adopting sustainability as the common experience theme, a variety of speakers have traveled to Ohio University for the purpose of educating students, faculty, and staff about various sustainability-related topics. For example, in the fall of 2014, Dr. Jon Barnett, a professor of geography at the University of Melbourne and lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change let an informative discussion. His presentation was titled "Climate Change and Human Security". The event was co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program, the Department of Geography, and the Sustainability Theme. The Ohio University Science Cafés and Café Conversations are a venue for students to informally share their interests during a conversational exchange with faculty, staff and the community in a friendly setting. All Cafés are held in a central location on campus and inspire a diversity of discussions on issues related to science. In Fall 2014, Dr. Ryan Fogt, a professor of Geography at Ohio University was featured at a Science Café with a presentation titled: "All Coupled Climate Models are Wrong, Some are Useful".

In March 2013, three Ohio University Recycling Center student employees created a temporary sculpture located on campus between several residence halls. The installation was created using numbers 1 and 2 plastics that had been recycled on campus over the past four weeks. The purpose of the sculpture was to bring attention to the upcoming recycling competition, RecycleMania, which is a friendly competition between college and university recycling programs. In the 2014 Spring Semester, the Common Experience Project on Sustainability sponsored a sustainability film series. Students were among the intended audience, however the entire campus and community were invited to view the films for free. The series offered a global, cultural, and environmental exploration of sustainability.

As of FY13, Ohio University has named "sustainability" as the theme for its innovative "Common Experience Project"; an interdisciplinary project intended to offer faculty the support and resources necessary to offer a common conversation for all students to engage in.

The OHIO Ecohouse is a unique off-campus living and learning laboratory. The Ecohouse is currently the only residence at Ohio University that offers students the chance to focus on sustainable behaviors. Any student (undergraduate or graduate) who is eligible to live off-campus is invited to apply to live in the house to further their knowledge of and investment in sustainable living. Tours of the OHIO Ecohouse are available to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. Tours are led by Office of Sustainability student employees and staff members. The tours showcase the features of the house and aim to educate the campus and surrounding community about how living sustainably is important and can be incorporated into anyone's lifestyle.

Every year the Office of Sustainability has a number of undergraduate student employees, interns, and graduate assistants. Students from any discipline are encouraged to apply for open positions in the office; however, if the student's interests are not matched by current postings, they are welcome to apply and the Director of Sustainability will work with them to develop a position that benefits both the Office and the student. All members of the OHIO student staff are trusted with meaningful projects that advance the Office's goals and mission while contributing to student success. During their time in the Office, students are invited to dedicate approximately 15% of their time on professional development. Through the help of the Director of Sustainability and the Professional Development Coordinator, students are guided through a skills-set assessment and then develop a plan for thoughtful reflection and development of personal skills. This is done in an effort to allow students to proactively approach their plans after graduation.