| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 43.94 |
| Liaison | Tsuneo Yabusaki |
| Submission Date | June 5, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Soka University of America
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Michelle
Hobby-Mears Associate Dean of Students Director of Student Activities Student Activities and Residential Life |
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Student Groups
Yes
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
Soka Student Union Sustainability Committee:
The mission of the Soka Student Union Sustainability Committee is to materialize the university’s noble principle of “[fostering] leaders for the creative coexistence of nature and humanity” through initiating activities and developing policies that instill a culture of resilience and regeneration in the Soka community. The student-run committee achieves this by working in three areas: research, policies, and outreach and education.
The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Gardens and Farms
Yes
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
The Soka Instructional Garden (SIG) is a facility of the Environmental Studies Concentration that supports academic programs through instruction in composting and gardening. The SIG serves as a venue to learn and practice these skills in an environmentally friendly, healthy and safe manner. The garden is managed by a garden manager and student workers, assisted by Soka's landscaping staff. Students meet weekly in the garden to compost and harvest crops. The SIG works with Bon Appetit, Soka’s cafeteria service, to give students the opportunity to taste fresh, local, and organic produce grown and harvested by students, and is a space for students to directly learn about and engage in the path of produce from farm to fork. The SIG emphasizes and practices organic agriculture. The Environmental Studies concentration offers courses which utilize the SIG for hands-on learning: EOS 280 Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening, and ECOL 211 Sustainable Aquaculture.
The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Student-Run Enterprises
No
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
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Sustainable Investment and Finance
No
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
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Events
Yes
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
Student gardeners invited a guest speaker for an event in the Soka Instructional Garden. Students were invited to learn about the speaker's research in ladybugs as biological control.
The Student Sustainability Committee worked with Career Services to create a sustainable career lunch talk series, in which an alumni came to speak about her work in corporate social responsibility. They also hosted a sustainability information fair, inviting different environmental groups and companies to come interact with students.
The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
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Cultural Arts
Yes
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
In the 2016-2017 Academic Year, Residential Life and Student Affairs held Hope in Action events, where students responded to visual and performance art about environmental justice, race and class justice, and woman's rights and gender equality.
The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
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Wilderness and Outdoors Programs
No
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
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The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
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Sustainability-Related Themes
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Eco-Wing is a themed community in one of SUA’s residence halls that provides a physical and social space in which Soka students concerned about environmental issues can live and grow together. Residents experiment with conservation methods and spreading awareness to other members of the community. Eco-Wing residents are dedicated to continually learning about environmental movements and issues while engaging with the surrounding student body to raise awareness about the environment at the international, national, and local level.
The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Sustainable Life Skills
No
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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Student Employment Opportunities
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Soka Instructional Garden supports two student jobs. These student employees have the opportunity to learn and teach others about organic agriculture.
The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
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Graduation Pledge
No
A brief description of the graduation pledges:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
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Other Programs and Initiatives
No
A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
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Optional Fields
75
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.