Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 73.94
Liaison Caitlin Steele
Submission Date July 21, 2023

STARS v2.2

San Francisco State University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 caitlin Steele
Dr of Sust & Energy
Sustainability
"---" 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:
ERC is our student-led Environmental Resource Center that is part of our Government of Associated Students:
https://www.instagram.com/as_erc_sfsu/?hl=en

The Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students is an environmental action student group founded in 2002. The group works on a variety of environmental issues both on and off the San Francisco State University campus. ECO students is open to all students from any major.
https://www.instagram.com/sfsuecostudents/?hl=en

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:
The ERC Students group maintains an on-campus vegetable garden that is used to educate other students about urban farming techniques.
https://asi.sfsu.edu/erc-sol-patch-community-garden-as-greenhouse

Associated Students hosts a weekly Farmers Market on campus.
https://asi.sfsu.edu/farmers-market

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:
Associated Students run the on-campus food bank that serves hundreds of students each week. This program focuses on the social equity side of sustainability.
https://asi.sfsu.edu/gator-groceries

Students run the food recovery network and deliver leftover unserved food from the on campus Dining Center to local organizations in need.
https://asi.sfsu.edu/erc-food-rescue-initiative

SF State's Vista Room is a fully functional restaurant and teaching and learning laboratory that provides safe and realistic food-service work experience for students. It serves contemporary California cuisine with a focus on responsibly-sourced ingredients and a sustainability ethos. Students learn about sustainable food sourcing, how to communicate about sustainability in food systems, and sustainability in restaurant and catering operations. Students run the Vista Room under the guidance of a Hospitality, Tourism and Management Professor.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Students reinvest SFSU's Foundation Endowment into climate positive funds and ESG's (Environmental, Social, and Governance) through the Finance 651 coursework.
https://bulletin.sfsu.edu/search/?P=FIN%20651

The investments must adhere to SFSU's progressive climate investment strategy:
https://news.sfsu.edu/news-story/sf-state-foundation-strengthens-commitment-racial-and-climate-justice-enhanced-investment

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:
San Francisco State hosted a Climate Symposium in May of 2023, an Earth Week event, and a Business Ethics Week event. Over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students attended these events.
Business Ethics Week: https://cob.sfsu.edu/sustainable-center/business-ethics-week
Earth Week/Climate Symposium: https://climatehq.sfsu.edu/climatehq/news-events

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:
SFSU's Global Museum has at least one climate/sustainability focused exhibit each year. Several examples:
https://museum.sfsu.edu/museum-overview
https://museum.sfsu.edu/clearly-polluted-0
https://museum.sfsu.edu/black-lives-matter-antiracist-resources-moving-forward
A Green State | April 18-May 4, 2023
A Green State highlights SF State's unique microclimates and the positive impacts sustainably managed landscapes have upon visitor experiences and personal well-being. Curated by Marissa DaCosta, MA Candidate in Museum Studies.

Wilderness and outdoors programs 

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

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The Sierra Nevada field campus follows a Leave No Trace principle.
https://olli.sfsu.edu/interest-groups
SF State's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute has a hiking group which is is a cooperative whereby all members pitch in and share responsibilities for leading walks/hikes in the beautiful Bay Area, and take turns with the ongoing management tasks. They currently hold a walk a month. The walk/hike leader determines the route of the walk, what time it starts and ends, its pace, length and elevation change. It is the responsibility of the leader to familiarize her/himself with the trail, begin and end the walk on time, and make sure that there are sufficient restrooms. The team leader will send out a description of the walk/hike at least two weeks in advance. The club follows Leave no trace principles.

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:
---

Sustainable life skills 

Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The San Francisco State University Associated Student Environmental Resource Center teaches sustainable life skills during their events.
https://asi.sfsu.edu/environmental-resource-center

Example:
ERC teaches students how to grow their own food at the Sol Patch on campus garden.
https://asi.sfsu.edu/erc-sol-patch-community-garden-as-greenhouse

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 Sustainability, the Dining Center, and Associated Students offer student internships and jobs that focus on improving campus sustainability, from implementing recycling education, to reducing food waste in the dining hall, to bike commuter education.

There is also an internship class within the Environmental Studies major which requires students to hold a sustainability-focused internship on campus or elsewhere.

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):
---

Optional Fields

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 San Francisco State University Basic Needs Initiative, Food+Shelter+Success
https://basicneeds.sfsu.edu/

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.