Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 30.46
Liaison Jesse Carswell
Submission Date Oct. 11, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Southern New Hampshire University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

"The Environmental Club, formally known as The Environmental Sustainable Student Group, was formed in 2008. Previously it held other names such as Students for Environmental Action. This club is run by an executive board of student leaders a well as a faculty advisor. They hold weekly meetings on campus and organize events for members and non-members surrounding the topic of sustainability.

The Outing Club has been active for about 10 years and a core part of its mission is to appreciate nature. The club practices this by offering students the opportunity to engage in the wilderness and outdoor programs (e.g., hiking, rafting, mountain climbing, visiting waterfalls, and camping) that follow Leave no Trace (LNT) principles. Though this club has a faculty advisor,it is primarily run by students and student coordinators who plan and put these LNT-based trips together. "


The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
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 Arboretum at SNHU was developed in 2014. The 200-acre outdoor space has provided over 2,000 hours of STEM-centric opportunities. The Arboretum invites the community to visit and see various types of wetlands, forested environments, and other ecosystems.

SNHU mission is to ""have the arboretum become a space that is recognized and treasured for creating innovative academic experiences, fostering community wellbeing and generating passionate and engaged leaders."

In the Spring of 2019, The Pollinator Garden was established from January through May 2019 by three students in the School of Business. More information on this project can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US_JNzijf6c
"


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

N/A


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
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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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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 Environmental Club on campus holds events targeting student engagement and education. In the past, The Environmental Club has put on screenings for movies related to environmental issues and has invited speakers to discuss on the topic regarding sustainability.


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

The McInich Art Gallery on campus has both inside and outside sculpture installations. The director of the museum includes exhibitors that focus directly on the areas of nature and sustainability. For example, a show called Elements: Exploring the Effects of Consumerism on the Environment. "This show aims to use design and media arts to communicate and explore current issues caused by consumer culture, specifically ones that afflict our environment. By looking at the elements of air, water, and earth, this show will combine research and the arts to provide a cohesive examination of multiple environmental issues spread throughout different biomes."


The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
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?:
No

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

N/A


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

N/A


The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
No

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

N/A


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

"SNHU does hire students in the area of sustainability. For example, SNHU hired a student for the role of Sustainability Reporting Coordinator with the mission to collect data for the STARS report as well as to discuss and implement sustainable efforts on campus.

The Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) is the community service department on campus that provides many different student-worker positions. One of the positions that the department offers is Service Coordinators. Service Coordinators are in charge of coordinating service projects on campus and in the local community. There are also Alternative Break Coordinators who spend months planning and preparing for service trips centered around various issues, including environmental sustainability. Also, the office hires Service Learning Coordinators who assist in courses that have integrated community service into its curriculum. "


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

N/A


The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
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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 general education program at SNHU offers a first-year experience in the environment and sustainability. This 'learning community' is offered to entering freshmen who take together (as a cohort) an introductory environmental issues course, English composition, as well as SNHU 101 courses each with a sustainability theme. Here is the description:

Human Impact: Living on Earth
What are the environmental issues impacting our lives and futures? Students in this Learning Community will be enrolled in three courses together, helping them to develop a strong sense of connection to students and faculty with common interests. The courses in this Learning Community include:

SCI 219: Environmental Issues, in which students study various environmental topics, including ecology, pollution, and sustainability;
English 120: College Composition I, which offers practice in researching and writing about the environment and related topics, such as food, health, and social justice.
SNHU 101: First-Year Seminar, in which they will use discussion, reading, and research to develop new understandings around controversial social issues, such as sexism and racism. "


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