| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.23 |
| Liaison | Sara McIntyre |
| Submission Date | Jan. 20, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Sewanee - The University of the South
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Amy
Turner Director of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability |
Does the institution have one or more co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that fall into the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Active student groups focused on sustainability | Yes |
| Gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems | Yes |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | No |
| Sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills | Yes |
| Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | No |
| Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | Yes |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | No |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | Yes |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | Yes |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | --- |
The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Sewanee has a plethora of groups focused on sustainability:
EarthKeepers: EarthKeepers is a student run organization open to undergrads, SOT students, faculty, staff, and local community members interested in living in harmony with the earth and one another.
The purpose of Earthkeepers is to gather people together in a common place to discuss and reflect upon the natural world and our place within it. Earthkeepers is completely ecumenical in nature and open to everyone interested in exploring the interface between nature and spirituality. We will use the work of luminaries such as Wendell Berry, Joanna Macy, and Thomas Merton to spark conversation and engage our own personal feelings.
Earthkeepers is centered around biweekly dinner discussions, monthly outdoor encounters, and gardening and canning volunteer days at St. Mary’s.
Farm Club is a group of students actively engaged in work on the farm as well as issues of food systems and agriculture in general.
Sewanee Water Campaign is an active group focused at reducing Sewanee's dependence on bottled water, with the goal of ultimately eliminating bottled water from the contract we have with the overall distributor.
The website URL where information about student groups is available:
A brief description of gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems:
The core of our new University Farm is the organic garden. After extensive work improving the garden this past summer, the 0.4 acre garden is now a productive and successful example of small-scare organic agriculture. Using conservation-oriented practices, the farm built raised beds on contour to reduce erosion and improve drainage.
The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
Sewanee does not have a similar enterprise at this time.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
The Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability has a Green Revolving Fund (GRF) to finance energy/water efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability projects that generate cost-savings. These savings will be tracked and used to replenish the fund for subsequent rounds of green investments, thus establishing a sustainable funding cycle while cutting operating costs and reducing environmental impact. Sewanee’s initial GRF is seeded by a generous $50,000 grant from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, and matched by $100,000 from other gifts to the University. GRF projects typically include lighting upgrades, mechanical replacements, automatic controls, insulation, low-flow fixtures, building envelope upgrades, and many more. The GRF program is now taking applications from the campus community (faculty, staff, students and community members).
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
No such speaker series exists at this time.
The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
In Fall 2014, there was a Sustainability-themed photography competition amongst the students. In previous years, there has also been an Environmental Art show. All of these are supported by the OESS.
The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The Sewanee Outing Program (SOP) gives students, faculty, and staff at the University of the South the chance to explore the splendid outdoor environment of Sewanee's Domain, the Tennessee region and wilderness areas across the U.S. We'd like you to join us!
The SOP offers climbing, caving, canoeing, kayaking, cycling, hiking, backpacking, and much more. We loan equipment and provide students the chance to develop as outdoor trip leaders.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Sewanee offers a First-Year Program option for incoming freshman. This program (FYP) is a unique course of study, open only to entering students, brings together some of Sewanee’s most renowned faculty members to help you explore all that it has meant and might mean for humans to find their place in the world, both geophysically and otherwise. Through field trips, readings, and plenty of small-group discussion, this course also encourages you to find your place, from the very start of your college career at Sewanee.
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Sewanee does not have a sustainable life skills course at this time.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
The Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability has operated the Sustainability Fellows program since 2013. The program allows for students who are interested and engaged in sustainability issues to work with the office, receiving a stipend for their work either during the school year or over the summer.
The OESS also helps provide funding for students to attend sustainability conferences .
The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
The OESS and the Environmental Program have long sponsored the Green Pledge Dinner, at which interested students can sign a pledge to continue to live an environmentally and socially conscious lifestyle after graduation.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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.