Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.34
Liaison Samuel Crowl
Submission Date March 11, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Ohio University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Annie Laurie Cadmus
Associate Director
Wellworks
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Yes
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 Yes
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 Yes
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 No

The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:

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 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 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 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:
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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
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A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:

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.


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:

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".


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:

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.


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:
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The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

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 website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

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.


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:

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.


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:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
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A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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