Oregon State University
EN-2: Student Orientation

New student orientation at OSU includes three programs that include sustainability-related content. START is a summer one-day event preparing new students and their parents for the upcoming year. All upcoming students are strongly encouraged to attend. Welcome Week is held the week preceding fall term. The annual Beaver Community Fair, one of the larger Welcome Week events, kicks off the academic year with a large event fair attended by several thousand participants that has a central section focused on sustainability.

In all of these events, sustainability groups and resources are prominently displayed for students to learn how to get involved. Sustainability organization display tables are staffed to welcome new students. Sustainability presentations are often offered in small groups to all students highlighting sustainability efforts on campus and opportunities for students to get involved. OSU's first year live on requirement serves to get more students actively engaged in orientation programming and informed about recycling and sustainability efforts in the residence halls. At START in particular, students are encouraged to think ahead about their sustainability needs and impacts. Much of the focus is on how to get involved as a student of any experience level or degree type, what to bring (reusable coffee mug), what not to bring (a car) and how to stay connected and learn more later (sustainability newsletter and social media).

Welcome Week starts with campus move-in, geared towards undergraduate students, where volunteers are on hand to show new residents how to recycle and where additional campus sustainability resources exist. It is a crash course for students to learn how recycling, composting, and waste reduction works at OSU. Welcome Week also features a Morning of Service where students participate in service learning opportunities on campus and throughout the City of Corvallis.

The annual Beaver Community Fair draws together the OSU and greater Corvallis communities to celebrate the start of the academic year. The Sustainability Office, Campus Recycling, Transportation Services, various academic units that include sustainability and others host booths to connect students with involvement opportunities. Two examples of involvement opportunities that are highlighted are Eco-Reps and the OSU Environmental Council. Eco-Reps are paid student positions responsible for advancing and institutionalizing a culture of sustainability in the residence halls in which they live. Eco-Rep positions are open in all residence halls, including the family housing unit and the GEM. The OSU Environmental Council is a forum for undergrad, grad, and online students representing different organizations and departments at OSU and within the community to collaborate on environmental justice issues and follow up on projects to make campus more sustainable. Environmental Council brings together various student clubs and student organizations to collaborate across group boundaries. Participants include students at all levels, including graduate and undergraduate students. First year involvement is often strong, resulting from fall outreach events.
https://fa.oregonstate.edu/sustainability/get-involved/students/eco-reps