Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 73.12
Liaison Daryl Pierson
Submission Date Feb. 21, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Portland State University
SD-1: New Student Orientation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete N/A Jenny McNamara
Sustainability Manager
Campus Sustainability Office
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Does new student orientation include presentations, speakers, or skits that address sustainability and take place in large venues that most or all first-year students attend?:
Yes

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Provide a brief description of the presentations, speakers or skits:
Our programs do not include skits or large presentations that address sustainability specifically. This message is, however, interwoven throughout the day.

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Does new student orientation incorporate sustainability information into presentations (e.g., made by Residential Advisors to individual dorm floors)?:
Yes

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Provide a brief description of the presentations:
Yes, sustainability is often incorporated into various presentations. A sample agenda from last year is attached to this message. You will also notice that sustainability is listed as a learning outcome.

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Does new student orientation actively engage students in activities that raise awareness about sustainability, highlight how sustainability plays out on campus, or allows students to take part in a productive green activity?:
Yes

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Provide a brief description of the activities:
Yes, this typically occurs during Viking Days, which is PSU's welcome week prior to fall term. There are hundreds of activities, many of which promote sustainability specifically or include that message as part of their program. The 2010 Viking Days schedule is attached (we didn't print a 2011 schedule; it was web-based).

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Does the institution make new student orientation more sustainable via efforts such as a zero-waste meal or carbon offsets?:
Yes

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Provide a brief description of the efforts:
Recycling, composting, and compostable service ware are incorporated as much as possible at orientation events. These operational efforts set an example for best practices and encourage conservation and waste reduction behaviors.

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Does the institution incorporate sustainability into new student orientation in other ways?:
Yes

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Provide a brief description:
We incorporate sustainability through practices, such as composting waste during meals, handing out reusable water bottles at some events, and striving to be as paperless as possible.

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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