San Jose State University
EN-3: Student Life

There are at least nine student groups that meet the criteria for this credit, well beyond what is required for the credit. Here we highlight the Environmental Resource Center (ERC), a student-run organization affiliated with the Department of Environmental Studies and funding by the Associated Students and Transportation Solutions. The ERC was established in 1967 and is responsible for the annual Earth Day celebration, and environmental library, and other projects that promote sustainable living. The ERC started the campus recycling program and the alternative commute-planning program that has now grown into Transportation Solutions. The ERC serves the student body and their supporting affiliations by undertaking a wide range of sustainability projects each year.

Multiple gardens on the SJSU campus meet the STARS requirements. The three most important campus gardens are the Sustainable Agriculture Garden run by the Environmental Studies Department, the A. S. Community Garden run by Associated Students and the Native Botany Garden, run by the Biology Department. Growing Roots of Wellness (G.R.O.W.) is a SJSU Campus garden collective connecting and empowering students, faculty, staff, and community members to reclaim and cultivate fresh, local, and healthy food by establishing expanding, and maintaining multiple urban garden plots. The Associated Students Board of Directors, oversee the Cesar Chavez Community Action Center (CCCAC) which is in charge of the A.S. Community Garden. The A.S. Community Garden is a ¼ acre organic garden that provides healthy food for students and a space for service learning. Furthermore, the CCCAC provides free food for students to take home through their food pantry program. The food shelves are located in 13 different spaces within SJSU.

The A.S. Director of Community and Sustainability is a voting member on the University Affairs committee. This A.S. Committee is a space where students and other Board of Directors can handle all matters related to the University and student success. The duties of the committee are to bring issues pending in the Academic Senate and at the CSU Board of Trustees that impact the quality of education and university experience at SJSU. This committee is also the place where we review issues that are not within the jurisdiction of other A.S committees. The A.S. Director of Community and Sustainability is a voting member of the A.S. Programming Board which organizes Trashion Fashion event in the spring. This annual fashion show is used to create awareness for the lifecycle of post-consumer waste and clothing. The clothing is provided by local recycled clothing stores. Associated Students hosts a segment where students create and submit their own original outfit made of at least 80% post-consumer materials. (file:///C:/Users/tsassistant/Downloads/Events_TrashionFashion_ApplicationForm_Version1_condensed312151352%20(4).pdf)

Associated Students (student-governed) offers $2,300 to student organizations recognized by the Student Involvement office per school year through the approval of the finance committee. The money for student organizations has to either be allocated during one semester or split between two school semesters. A Funding Request Form has to be completed at least 4 weeks prior to the date of the program, event, or activity. Student groups working on research projects can receive $2,300 per year with the approval of the finance committee. (https://as.sjsu.edu/asdocs/OpenDoc.jsp?id=1109) Associated Students offers an Environmental Champion Award. The award is for $500 and is awarded to five students with a minimum of 2.75 GPA. The award is given to students who champion environmental sustainability initiatives, foster awareness and education for peers, and demonstrate a passion for an eco-friendly world for the coming generations.

One of the major sustainability events held at SJSU is Earth Week, held each April. During this week, there are many major events that draw a large number of students. Throughout the event, a resource fair is available to all students in order to string connections with various on-campus and off-campus sustainability-focused organizations. Some on-campus organization include: Transportation Solutions, the Sustainability Board, Spartan Shops, Spartan Locavores, etc. Some off campus organizations include Our City forest, Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet, Trader Joe's, California Coastal Clean-up, Bicycle Express, CrossRoads (Second hand clothing store), Garden-to-Table and many more. In 2015, the presenter was Tia Nelson, Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands and daughter of Earth Day founder and SJSU Alum, Gaylord Nelson. (http://www.sjsu.edu/socialsciences/docs/CoSS-EnvS-Earth-Day-Presentation.pdf) In April 2016, SJSU's Earth Day speaker was Byron Gudiel, executive director of Communities for A Better Environment. (http://www.cbecal.org/about/staff/) The College of Engineering also holds an ongoing Green Talk series. Practicing engineers, scientists, and technical experts deliver up-to-date briefings on how engineers deal with environmental issues. (http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/about/greentalk). Once a week during the academic school year, the Environmental Studies department host research presentation seminars for not only Masters Student candidates, but also SJSU professors, professionals and other faculty members. (http://blogs.sjsu.edu/envs/category/events/envs-210-public-research-presentation/)

Every year for the last 8 years around Earth Day (April 22nd), Associated Students has hosted the event "Trashion Fashion Show" where designers use material and items that are typically thrown away such trash bags, newspaper and electrical wire to create fashionable clothing ensembles. The purpose of the event is to create awareness of post-consumer waste and clothing and to endorse being green on campus while serving as a platform for SJSU's student models and designers to showcase their art. This annual fashion show is used to create awareness for the lifecycle of post-consumer waste and clothing. The clothing is provided by local recycled clothing stores. Associated Students also hosts a segment where students create and submit their own original outfit made of at least 80% post-consumer materials. file:///C:/Users/tsassistant/Downloads/Events_TrashionFashion_ApplicationForm_Version1_condensed312151352%20(4).pdf Exhibition: February 2 -March 25 2016 in the art building gallery of SJSU The art installation, titles "GYRE" is one of many installations artistically capturing ocean trash and depris. GYRE (http://www.sjsu.edu/art/events/exhibitions/)

Outdoor Adventures, run by Associated Students Campus Recreation (ASCR) provides day and overnight outdoor activities for San Jose State University students, faculty, and staff. Events are offered throughout the year for all levels of participants. Recent events include day hiking trips, volunteer days, kayaking, rafting, backpacking, and climbing. The events follow ecological principles to maintain ecological systems while enjoying the outdoors.

The College of Engineering Technical Writing program has a Sustainability theme and impacts more than 1000 engineering students annually. The program focal point is a GreenTalk series that features guest speakers from a broad spectrum of fields that talk to engineers about the many intersections between engineering and the environment, including biodiversity and habitat loss, water recycling and toxicology, "green" energy and transportation systems, environmental justice, supply chain and manufacturing as well as recent innovations that impact the environment in the field of engineering, such as The Internet of Things.

The gardens exists to provide the community with an opportunity to participate in food justice. Providing a place for student initiative, cooperation and cultural exchange using the growing of food as an exploration of community involvement. While tending to the garden, Mark Batcheler teaches student volunteers about sustainable agriculture and home gardening to ensure a deep understanding that can be implemented the students' own daily routine. ENVS 118 - Sustainable Home Gardens A 3-unit course that's objective is to "obtain basic or strengthen existing gardening skills," and "Have a basic understanding of soils and the composting process", and have "working knowledge of how a garden/landscape is designed basic understanding of current, common planting practices such as xeriscaping and permaculture." for full description on class objectives, please see the attached PDF syllabus. (http://www.sjsu.edu/envs/docs/syllabi/ENVS%20118%20-%20Spring%202016%20-%20Bacigalupi.pdf)

Spartan Shops is a Campus Benefit Organization dedicated to providing top quality goods and services to SJSU students, faculty, staff and guests. Spartan shops has a student sustainability coordinator position available throughout the year. This position plans outreach programs and campaigns to increase awareness of SJSU's sustainable practices on campus, reduces waste at the Dining Commons by running environmental-based events, and represents Spartan Shops on the SJSU Sustainability Board. (http://www.sjsu.edu/adminfinance/about/newsletters/2015/4/spartan_shops_4/) The Center for Development of Recycling (CDR) is a university-based, non-profit, environmental research and service organization that was established in 1989. The Center for Development of Recycling has two student positions available for the project manager and admin manager positions. These positions are responsible for coordinating student volunteers, and providing information on types of recyclable materials and available recycling centers. (http://recyclestuff.org/html/about.html) Associated Students Transportation Solutions (TS) is dedicated to serve the commute needs of students and employees at SJSU. Transportation Solutions offers three part-time student employee positions, Student Coordinators. Student coordinators handles transit receipt processing, trip-planning, outreach, marketing and more. (http://as.sjsu.edu/asjobs_new/job_descriptions/Student_Coordinator_20140926-042548.pdf)

Members of the Global Village themed housing unit actively engage in social justice, globalization, and sustainability through shared experiences with other students from a variety of backgrounds. Residents are encouraged to challenge themselves about their personal values through the exploration of the values of other cultures. The community’s interests can be as broad as the economic conditions that fuel our country or to the political agendas and belief systems that fuel hearts and minds around the world.

Sustainability Initiative: promoting a culture of sustainability is part of the educational and outreach missions of San Jose State University. SJSU is committed to building sustainability programs and positioning SJSU as a leader among universities in sustainability. (http://www.sjsu.edu/discover/initiatives/)