| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.69 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Kalkbrenner |
| Submission Date | Feb. 14, 2023 |
Santa Clara University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Veronica
Johnson Academics and Engagement Program Manager Center for 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:
GREEN (Grass Roots Environmental Efforts Now) is a sustainability club focused on promoting sustainable action and organization on campus.
Oceans & Rivers Conservation Alliance’s mission is to educate Santa Clara University about water pollution and create positive change by enacting sustainable solutions to water pollution within our community.
Surfrider Foundation SCU Club is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches through active volunteering, ocean conservation awareness, clean water testing, and controlling plastic pollution.
Santa Clara Sunrise aims to bring awareness regarding climate change to the campus of Santa Clara in terms of political action. We advocate for the Green New Deal and progressive policies and candidates, locally and nationally, that share the same values as the Green New Deal.
Net Impact SCU Graduate Chapter strives to inspire and equip emerging leaders to build a more just and sustainable world.
SCU Food Recovery Network fights food waste and hunger by recovering surplus food from on-campus dining venues and catered events and donating it to a local non-profit food distribution center. The organization works to promote greater consciousness of the injustices of food waste amongst the student body at Santa Clara University.
Engineers Without Borders (undergraduate and graduate chapters) support community-driven development by implementing sustainable, user-centric solutions to solve pressing challenges in developing nations.
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 Forge is SCU’s half-acre organic garden where the campus community can volunteer, learn about sustainable agriculture, and participate in community events. The Forge Garden currently has chickens, beehives, a 400-square foot greenhouse, a compost center, fruit trees, an outdoor kitchen with a wood-fired oven, over 15,000-square feet of garden beds, a public commons, an aquaponics system, and the 2007 Solar Decathlon House used as an office. The Forge hosts a weekly farmstand and volunteer hours, among other events, where students, faculty, staff, and the community can visit, conduct research, use the space as an outdoor classroom, and benefit from the garden vegetables and local honey. The Forge Garden hosts various workshops offered throughout the year.
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:
Bronco Surplus is a donation-based, pop-up shop that appears at the beginning of the school year for first-generation students to find reusable dorm room essentials such as desk organizers, plastic bin organizers, laundry bins, shoe organizers, and wall decor. All items are available for a suggested donation of $2/small item and $5/big item. Bronco Surplus is organized by the Circular Economy Student Sustainability Coordinator.
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:
The Campus Sustainability Investment Fund (CSIF) is an internal fund that provides financing to projects that reduce energy use via conservation or efficiency (electricity or natural gas), transportation emissions associated with student/employee commute or university-sponsored travel, landfill waste, and water consumption. Santa Clara students, faculty, and staff are eligible and encouraged to apply for funding. Projects can be submitted by an individual or as a team. The CSIF is an educational tool to provide hands-on learning and involve our campus community in driving positive change at Santa Clara University. The goal of the fund is to encourage the university’s population to create their own solutions to help SCU meet our sustainability goals.
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:
Started in Fall 2019, tUrn is a bi-annual climate crisis awareness and action conference held for one week in October and one week in April. tUrn centers conversations around the climate crisis to empower the community to learn, engage, and take action toward meaningful solutions.
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:
The EcoFashion Show showcases designs made by SCU community members from upcycled clothing or waste materials. This fun event is an opportunity to consider the environmental impact of the fashion industry and learn about sustainable solutions.
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:
Into the Wild is a chartered student organization committed to the Leave No Trace principles that joins together students with a shared interest and/or passion for the outdoors and outdoor activities. Into the Wild provides students with opportunities to get off campus and explore California’s wilderness. Organized trips are held every week with activities including hiking, backpacking, snow camping, rock climbing, kayaking, rafting, surfing, and more. Into the Wild aims to promote healthy, substance-free fun while encouraging education in environmentally sustainable practices.
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:
The Sustainability Liaison Network engages sustainability enthusiasts across the campus to further develop a culture of sustainability at SCU and to learn, share, and educate peers about sustainable life skills. Student organizations also have the option to join the student organization sustainability liaison group to collaborate with like-minded clubs to plan and host sustainability-related events. The residential sustainability liaison group empowers Santa Clara University Community Facilitators (CFs) to educate on-campus residents about sustainable lifestyle habits and promote events related to sustainability happening on campus.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Center for Sustainability offers 16 paid positions for students (12 sustainability coordinators and 4 garden apprentices). Students are selected based on their professionalism, proof of leadership abilities, and passion to learn more about sustainability. Each student sustainability coordinator has a different focus area: Curriculum Development, Applied Learning, Data & Analytics, Graphic Design, Storytelling & Campaigns, Housing & Dining, Strategic Engagement, Circular Economy, Facilities Operations, Laudato Si, Career Empowerment, and Collaborative Events. The garden apprentices help maintain the campus garden and support the weekly Farm Stand, Forge Garden events, and volunteer days.
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:
Santa Clara University has nine Residential Learning Communities (RLCs), each with a specific theme and programming which focuses on certain core values. Cyphi's theme is rooted in sustainability and the arts.
https://www.scu.edu/living/residential-living-options/rlc-undergraduate-housing/cyphi---swig-hall/
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.