Oregon State University
ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation

New student orientation at OSU in the past few years has gone thorough a dramatic change and currently includes three programs. START is a summer two day event preparing new students and their parents for the upcoming year. CONNECT is held the week preceding fall term. U-Engage which is a first quarter class for freshman that meets weekly. During START sessions all food is composted and served using compostable serving ware, and is marketed to new students as a zero waste event. Sustainability groups and resources are prominently displayed for students to learn how to get involved. CONNECT week starts with campus move-in where volunteers are on hand to show new residents how to recycle, and where additional campus resources exist. It is a crash course for students to learn how recycling, composting, and waste reduction works at OSU. During CONNECT week incoming students receive a free reusable water bottle or coffee mug. The annual Sustainability Fair is a key event during the week, as is the zero waste New Student Picnic where thousands of students gather and more information is available at sustainabiltiy related tables and booths. It also features a Day of Caring where students participate in a number of community service opportunities on campus and throughout the city of Corvallis. U-Engage focuses on how new students can get involved on campus and how when they leave OSU they can be a more productive member of the community. Trips to the Student Sustainability Center are included in U-Engage as is education about how student government works and how students can advocate for themselves and others.