| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.88 |
| Liaison | Joséanne Bélanger-Gravel |
| Submission Date | June 3, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Polytechnique Montréal
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Shirley
Fagnen Sustainable Development Advisor Sustainable Development Office |
Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
"Polysphere" is Polytechnique's environmentally focused student association. They offer services and raise student awareness through publications in the students' newspaper, rental of washable dishes for events, fair trade coffee tasting activities, organization of events such as the annual "Douzaine durable" (twelve days focusing on Sustainable Development), etc.
The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects 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:
The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives 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:
Since 2017, the Sustainability Office, the Polytechnique student societies (both undergraduate and graduate student societies) share a sustainable fund (Fonds pour des initiatives durables). A portion of the tax on disposable cups is used to finance this fund.
Every fall, a call for projects is launched. The fund grants about $15000 annually to subsidize various kinds of projects.
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
- The Sustainability Office organizes many events (conferences, panels, Repair Cafés etc...)
-Every year since 2014, the Trottier Institute for Energy (http://www.polymtl.ca/iet/) organises a free symposium. This symposium is co-organised with the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design from McGill University (http://www.mcgill.ca/tised/home).
-There is also the "Douzaine durable" (twelve days focused on Sustainable Development) every year in March, since 2016, where conferences are organized. The "Douzaine durable" is co-organized between Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal and Université de Montréal.
-The Chemical Engineering Department holds an open seminar every Friday afternoon which regularly features sustainability-related topics. The list of past seminars is available here: http://www.polymtl.ca/gch/événements-et-activités/les-séminaires-découvertes-du-vendredi/archives
The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Every year, PolyCarbone, a non-profit organisation run by students from Polytechnique whose mission is to change individual behavior at Polytechnique and reduce GHG emissions, holds a thematic campains. In 2018, it was about food waste. They organized courses on how to cook food scraps, and seminars. In 2019, the campaign is about sustainable clothing and fashion.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
At Polytechnique, students can be employed as official Sustainability ambassadors (for Poly-TRI activites for instance). Poly-TRI is the official waste management program at Polytechnique. The ambassadors help raise awareness among the community through campaigns and activities.
The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
A brief description of the graduation pledges:
At the end of their undergraduate engineering studies, students are invited to pledge at the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. This ritual, aslo known as the Iron Ring Ceremony, "was instituted with the simple end of directing newly qualified Canadian engineers toward a consciousness of their profession and its social significance, and indicating to more experienced engineers their responsibilities in welcoming and supporting the newer engineers when they are ready to enter the profession".
The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
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.