| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 64.03 |
| Liaison | Casey Romero |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Oklahoma State University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Kristeena
Blaser Sustainability Coordinator Energy Services |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
The Student Government Association (SGA) Sustainability Board was created in 2007 under the SGA Executive Branch. It was established to bring students together who have an interest in sustainability and a passion for making a difference on campus in the form of reducing the environmental footprint of Oklahoma State University. Members of the board will also have the opportunity to be involved with "Real Cowboys Recycle," OSU's award-winning tailgate recycling program. Furthermore, members will have the opportunity to be involved in Real Pokes Pass It On, the Green Student Initiative, and EarthFest, OSU's Earth Day celebration as well as the Green Student Forum.
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:
Family & Graduate Student Housing students share a community garden right in their neighborhood on campus. Each spring, residents may sign up for a 10' X 10' plot within the garden.
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:
Real Pokes Pass It On is a collaborative effort between the SGA Sustainability Committee, Housing & Residential Life, Parent & Family Relations, and is co-sponsored by the Student Union Activities Board. At the end of the spring semester unwanted items such as clothing and furniture are collected from students and stored until the beginning of the fall semester when they are sold to students, faculty, and staff for reuse. Proceeds are donated to charity. This program is considered an enterprise as 1) summer storage place is solicited as a donation, 2) collected items are inventoried, 3) items are resold in fall for cash, which is collected and managed by students and donated to charity along with any unsold items.
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:
The SGA Sustainability Committee operates a sustainable micro-finance program called the Green Student Initiative. Approximately $40,000 per year is awarded to students and student orgs. to conduct a green project on campus. Students must develop the project, create a budget, and written proposals. Finalists present the project idea to a panelists of judges and may receive up to $5,000 to carry out their initiative in the following academic year.
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:
Each academic year, SGA Sustainability Committee hosts a Green Student Forum, which convenes leaders of about a dozen student orgs. that are related to sustainability. The GSI focuses on ways to collaborate throughout the year and especially during OSU's Earth Week and Earth Fest held in April.
The Finding Center Conference, organized by OSU’s student chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, features internationally-known keynote speakers and breakout sessions that appeal to sustainability in design for engineers, policy makers, scientists, developers, land owners, community members, and more. The full-day conference attracts students, regional professionals, faculty, alumni and the general public and is held in Stillwater every even year.
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:
Once a semester the Office of Sustainability works with the Prairie Arts Center to host an event that incorporates sustainability into art, where students can sign up to participate at an in-person event and there are 2 grab bag events where students from the Office of Sustainability hand out art supplies that allow the recipient to create a sustainable art item.
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:
Outdoor Adventure emphasizes adventure, environmental awareness, personal development, safety training, wilderness travel and fun through its workshops and trip programs. As part of our program design philosophy, OSU Outdoor Adventure teaches and models the Principles of Leave No Trace ethics to student participants.
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:
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:
Each year sustainability themed floor programs/events are hosted in the Residence Halls. The Office of Sustainability is often invited to speak to a floor or entire building of students to teach them how to live sustainable, through sustainable actions, in the Residence Halls, as well as ways to incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day lives on campus.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Office of Sustainability employs and trains students to conduct student outreach presentations and develop/execute marketing plans year-round for various sustainability programs, projects and events.
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):
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
The Sustainability Office offers volunteer projects to involve students and student organizations that contribute to learning by introducing a challenge or issue, providing training, and monitoring progress. Volunteer projects range from helping with STARS data collection to marketing the water bottle refill stations to checking outdoor lighting around campus to ensure lights are not on during the day.
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.