Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 52.49
Liaison Angela Oberg
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2023

STARS v2.2

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 2.00 Angie Oberg
Associate Director
Office of Climate Action
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student groups 

Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Yes

Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
Rutgers has several student groups focused on sustainability. One of the most active and longest running is Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA). SEA is focused on educating the Rutgers student body to create lasting environmental stewards and transition Rutgers to having a positive environmental and community impact. https://www.rutgerssea.com/

Gardens and farms 

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
Rutgers Gardens has a long-standing dedication to education. While many faculty members utilize the garden grounds as an outdoor classroom, the gardens also provide many other educational opportunities for Rutgers students, children of all ages, and the community at large. Rutgers students also work for and volunteer at the New Brunswick Community Garden and Farmers Market.

https://rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu/

Student-run enterprises 

Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
Yes

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
The Student Farm functions as an outdoor classroom for specialized, interdisciplinary coursework, providing unique learning opportunities, hands-on experiences, and research opportunities for students throughout the year. It also serves as a vibrant local food source and provides a foundation for community outreach and programming, as well as an entrepreneurial perspective. Our aspiration is to showcase an example of small-scale food production that is simultaneously ecologically sound, socially just, and economically viable—the three pillars of sustainability.

https://rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu/farms-markets/student-farm/

Sustainable investment and finance 

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?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
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Events 

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
Rutgers holds many sustainability focused events each year. Two of the most recent standout events are 1) Rutgers Offshore Wind Symposium – there were several student presenters as well as audience members. https://osw.rutgers.edu/event/symposium/; and 2) Rutgers Climate Symposium 2022: Climate Change & Biodiversity – included a student poster session as well as many student attendees.

https://ruclimatesymposium.rutgers.edu/

Cultural arts 

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
Watershed, a sound installation by Dr. Scott Ordway, Assistant Professor, Music Department, Commissioned by the AIR Collaborative for the March to Rutgers Gardens, 2021, Performed by the Rutgers Voorhees Choir on September 25, 2021.

https://vimeo.com/655364603

Wilderness and outdoors programs 

Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
No

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
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Sustainability-focused themes 

Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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Sustainable life skills 

Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
No

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
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Student employment opportunities 

Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Office of Climate Action regularly hires students interns to assist with sustainability projects on campus.

https://climateaction.rutgers.edu/about/interns

Graduation pledge

Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
No

A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
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Optional Fields

A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.