| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 45.37 |
| Liaison | Grace Afflerbach |
| Submission Date | Oct. 31, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Purchase College - State University of New York
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Angie
Kim Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management |
Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
The Green Team is recognized by the student government association (PSGA) as a formal club whose mission is environmental activism and raising sustainability awareness among the campus community. The GreenFee oversees all of the green services and its coordinators on campus including: FreeNew, FreeStore and The Rocket composter.
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?:
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
There is a Native Species garden on campus which was once owned by the Green Team and PSGA. Leadership is now belongs to the Environmental Studies Department to ensure maintenance throughout the entire year, not just the school year. Students have played a large part in turning this space into a native species garden to be used for research for a variety of faculty members in multiple departments. The garden will also host several community service days as well as act as a resource for both the Purchase and larger Purchase community for education on native species.
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)?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
FreeStore is a student-run, on-campus thrift store for various second hand items such as non-perishable goods, art supplies, gently used electronics, etc. Their mission focuses on environmentalism and the longevity of goods.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
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?:
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
The Purchase College Green Fee supports initiatives that help the campus operate in a more sustainable manner. Students and faculty may submit requests for funding of projects, programs and events that benefit the entire campus by reducing our collective environmental footprint. The Green Fee Committee, comprised of students, faculty, staff and administrators, will review all submittals and recommend selected requests to the Purchase College Student Government (PSGA). The PSGA administers the Green Fee fund and is responsible for fund accounting, and for final approval of requests, disbursements and purchases. Purchase College students and faculty should submit requests that adhere to the guidelines contained in this “Request for Green Fee Funding” form.
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
Throughout the year the Environmental Studies Department hosts research symposiums, poster presentations and a GIS conference where students are encouraged to attend and present.
The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
The Visual Arts department has hosted several art symposiums with upcycled waste art pieces. Recently, the VA department has utilized the campus Sustainability Office as "clients" in their Graphic Design curriculum. Several student projects are showcased in the VA museums related to the topic.
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?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
There is an "Outdoors Skills" program where students choose two overnight weekends in outdoor activity areas like downhill skiing, canoeing, camping, caving, rock climbing, and backpacking. Includes instruction in the various skill areas, plus wilderness first aid, camping equipment and camp setup, and survival skills.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
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)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The Sustainability Office releases a Green Living Certification where on-campus residents commit to several green living actions pertaining to: energy, water, food, waste and involvement. Other programming includes: sustainable cooking classes and resources for green tips.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Through PSGA, our student government association, several paid employment opportunities are available to run our green services. These include coordinators for FreeNew, our move-in/move-out donation program, FreeStore, our on-campus thrift store, The Rocket composter, as well as a position for the Student Sustainability Coordinator.
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?:
A brief description of the graduation pledges:
The Sustainability Office hosts a table during our annual "Grad Day" where students pick up their regalia and commencement information. The office uses an electronic pledge to have students sign while in line to pledge to lead lead socially and environmentally conscious lives.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
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.