| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.05 |
| Liaison | Tony Gillund |
| Submission Date | March 23, 2023 |
Purdue University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Tony
Gillund Director of Sustainability Campus Planning, Architecture and Sustainability |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
(Not an exhaustive list)
Purdue has numerous student groups that specialize in sustainability initiatives across campus and within the local community. As such, here is a list of several organizations.
Boiler Green Initiative (BGI)
Boiler Green Initiative is an organization focused on sustainability with backgrounds from a variety of disciplines on campus. The club consists of two project committees- recycling and water management. Projects range from volunteer work to the planning and implementation of semester-long projects.
Purdue Student Sustainability Council (PSSC)
Purdue Student Sustainability Council is an organization working to bring awareness, action, and sustainable change to Purdue’s campus and the Greater Lafayette area. Their active committees include Erase the Waste, Friday Night Lights, Climate, Outreach, Precious Plastics, Textile Waste, and Blog. PSSC hosts monthly all-member meetings and various other events throughout the semester, with a goal of spreading the word about sustainability on Purdue’s campus and across the state of Indiana.
Environmental Science Club (ESC)
The Environmental Science Club is a student organization focused on increasing environmental education, awareness, and community involvement. The organization hosts lectures from professors and other field experts at bi-monthly meetings, community projects usually with local land trusts that focus on giving club members hands-on experience in restoration and management techniques, and outdoor outings like hiking and kayaking trips.
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:
The Purdue Student Farm is a small, sustainable farm that grows vegetables and herbs using the principles that naturally govern balanced ecosystems. The day-to-day farm operations are managed by several student groups: those enrolled in the "Small Farms Experience" courses, volunteers involved in the Purdue Student Farm Organization, part-time undergraduate interns, and full-time undergraduate summer interns.
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:
Purdue Student Sustainability Council
PSSC is a council working to bring awareness, action, and sustainable change to Purdue’s campus and the Greater Lafayette area.
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:
Purdue Student Government Small Grants Program
The PSG Small Grants Program is an initiative allocating $10,000 to help student organizations acquire funding for events and initiatives. Student organizations are able to apply for the grant to promote sustainability initiatives or invest in infrastructure to provide quality student experiences.
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:
Sustainability Summit
Purdue Student Government hosted a sustainability summit in November 2021, in which various environmentally related campus organizations gathered to present their current projects and discuss the future of sustainability at Purdue. Speakers from the Center for the Environment and Campus Planning, Architecture and Sustainability also spoke on efforts the university is making to emphasize sustainability.
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:
N/A
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:
Purdue Outing Club
Purdue Outing Club hosts backpacking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and mountain biking trips for students of all levels of expertise. Club members teach participants the proper training for each activity and provide special gear.
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:
Sustainability-focused learning communities, like the Nature of Wild Things and Animalia, provide a living environment where you can enhance your understanding of the natural environment and examine environmental ethics. The Nature of Wild Things allows students to learn more about Aquatic Sciences, Forestry, and Wildlife and participate in field activities like electrofishing, forest management, and more. The Animalia learning community is centered around animal sciences and allows students to visit research centers, attend educational excursions, and participate in social activities and service-learning experiences like Boo at the Zoo and Almost Home Humane Shelter.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Internship through Campus Planning, Architecture, and Sustainability
Interns are given the opportunity to work at campus farmer’s markets and various other campus events. Interns specialize in a sustainability topic of their choosing, like recycling or waste management.
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:
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.