Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.85
Liaison Aimee Lemrise
Submission Date Jan. 10, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student Groups 

Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
S.E.N.S.E. (Students Embracing Nature, Sustainability, and Environmentalism)- a registered student organization that sought to implement a student Green Fee and the formation of a sustainability council. SIU Restoration Club - Student organization for creating and managing native habitats on campus and the Southern Illinois surrounding area. Gaia House - Hosted by the campus interfaith center, students provide regularly scheduled programs and special events in support of spiritual development, social justice, and ecological sustainability. Environmental Law Society - Formed for law students interested in environmental, energy, and natural resource law, the mission of ELS is to encourage environmental awareness and stewardship through community involvement and sharing of appropriate news and research. Industrial Design Society of America - IDSA Carbondale is a design-oriented RSO concerned with the relationship between people, materials, and systems of behavior surrounding the two. We look for ways to create a more sustainable future with the materials that we use, how we use them, and how we re-use them.

The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):

Gardens and Farms 

Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects 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 SIU Sustainable Farm is run by the SIU College of Agricultural Sciences and operates as a partnership between the College of Agriculture and University Housing which provides some produce to the dining halls, in addition to the educational and practical opportunities on the farm. Examples of vegetables that have been grown include potatoes, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, bok choy, and broccoli.

The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):

Student-Run Enterprises 

Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:
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 

Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
N/A

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 

Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
The Zoology Graduate Student Association is an organization that represents the interests of all graduate students in the SIU Zoology Department. They host an ongoing seminar series which is currently featuring sustainability as part of the Changing Global Environments Series with 5 key speakers highlighting five themes: Changing Earth, Changing Terrains, Changing Organisms, Changing Ecosystems, and Finding Solutions. In addition, many of their other series presentations are related to sustainability. One of the Zoology faculty, Dr. Jason L. Brown, regularly updates the seminar series schedule on his website, link below: https://www.jasonleebrown.org/seminar-meeting-calendar

The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):

Cultural Arts 

Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
Confluence Ecologies is a series of exhibitions and events that is a multi-state effort aimed at examining the culture, ecology and economy along the Mississippi River. Humans have a multiplicity of effects on the planet and its environment. Understanding, discussing, and ultimately improving that many-faceted relationship is the goal of the Confluence Ecologies project. Carbondale and SIU was one of the “field stations” designated for the effort, which brought interactive, multi-media presentations to the city, with the main exhibition and series of events on campus with events and exhibitions also involving Carbondale Community Arts. The exhibition, held at the University Museum, included 15 artists collaborating on a collection of works that articulate stories and perspectives concerning the Anthropocene from the region between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers framing the region on its east and west sides. https://news.siu.edu/2019/09/091919-confluence-ecologies.php

The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):

Wilderness and Outdoors Programs 

Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
SIU's outdoor center, Touch of Nature, hosts a multitude of programs which are all Leave No Trace based.

The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):

Sustainability-Related Themes 

Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Sustainable Life Skills 

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

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The EcoReps program is based out of University Housing. EcoReps are part of the Residence Hall student government and are the sustainability leaders for each area council. EcoReps are sustainability leaders in our residence halls! This leadership opportunity helps build student resumes (future employers are looking for individuals that understand sustainability, no matter the major). Student work as an EcoRep also has the benefit of counting toward the volunteer hour requirement for the Environmental Ambassador award. EcoReps must also actively participate in planning and execution of EcoRep initiatives. Examples include, but are not limited to the following: tabling, bulletin boards, other education and awareness activities, event greening including food waste diversion, and support of collections during move-out.

The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):

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 Sustainability Office employs both Graduate and Undergraduate students. Positions have included: Sustainability Metrics Graduate Assistant, Sustainability Specialist Graduate Assistant, Communications undergraduate assistant, and student employees to support football season recycling initiatives.

The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:

Graduation Pledge

Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
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 

Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
Yes

A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The Sustainability Fellows program addresses a critical need, getting students fully involved in green thinking and planning through education and advocacy. Sustainability Fellows focus on one or more projects of particular interest to them that meet university needs. Through the program, students also develop professional skill sets that will help them promote sustainability in future careers.

The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):

Optional Fields 

Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
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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.