| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 46.40 |
| Liaison | Robert Sitler |
| Submission Date | July 14, 2023 |
Stetson University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.75 / 2.00 |
Robert
Sitler Prof. of World Languages & Cultures World Languages & Cultures |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
The Stetson Environmental Club is dedicated to engaging the hands and minds of the Stetson community by tackling environmental and sustainability issues on and off campus. We are best known for semesterly beach clean ups on our adopted stretch of the Daytona Beach. We take great care to interspace our volunteering events with outings to some of Florida's wonderful parks and recreation areas so students can help the environment while learning, relaxing, and having fun. Last year the club participated in the International Coastal Cleanup and collected over 10 pounds of trash. As a thanks to the student's great work and dedication we visited Silver Springs national park and learned about manatees, turtles, and alligators on their famous glass-bottom boat rides. We also welcome club sports, fraternities, and sororities to our clean ups as a way for them to earn their own volunteer hours.
Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project 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:
"Hatter Harvest" is a student club in which student volunteers practice organic gardening techniques to grow foods such as corn, broccoli, and leafy vegetables. Students in the organization weed and water the garden as well as fertilizing the plants with non-chemical fertilizers. Some things used in the garden as fertilizers include vinegar, and coffee. Each month Hatter Harvest students run a farmers market on campus where local farmers sell organically grown produce to promote both local farmers and organically grown foods.
Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative 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:
Approved by the Student Government Association and the Board of Trustees with oversight by the Environmental Working Group, the Stetson University Revolving Green Fund is a student fee and cost offset reinvestment combination fund that provides a consistent and expanding flow of resources for campus efficiency and sustainability enhancements. Student fees provided baseline revenue for the fund annually and cost offsets from fund-supported projects are returned as well. With each new project, cost avoidance revenues will grow, eventually outpacing fee revenues.
Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
When Jacek Smolicki was named artist-in-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts’ Soundscape Field Station at Canaveral National Seashore, “I was imagining that I would be in the middle of this pure, amazing and pristine soundscape,” the Polish-born artist, researcher and educator said at a panel discussion on “acoustic ecology” held Wednesday, March 22, in Rinker Auditorium at the Lynn Business Center at Stetson University.
See: https://www2.stetson.edu/today/2023/03/acoustic-ecology-panel-kicks-off-international-conference-on-soundscape-studies/
Stetson University and the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience are partners on the ShORE Symposium, which stands for "Sharing Our Research with Everyone" and provides opportunities for undergraduate and high school students to showcase their research that pertains to the health and conservation of the Indian River Lagoon, an estuary of national importance on the east coast of Florida. https://marinediscoverycenter.org/shore/
On Earth Day 2023, the Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience will host a panel discussion, incentivized for student attendance through the university's cultural credit program, on the topics of climate change and resilience.
https://www.facebook.com/events/171574615714569
Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
On Earth Day 2023, a musical composition will be performed and a mural will be unveiled at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. The musical arrangement is both composed and performed by students in the Stetson School of Music. The piece, entitled A Jeaux D'eau for Lake Beresford, was composed for Earth Day, and will highlight the nature of water through use of layered motion and stillness. The mural, designed by local artist Johnny Dame, has been implemented in part by Stetson students and pays homage to the history of the site, and to the indigenous cultures and peoples who have called this environment home. This event will be incentivized for student attendance through the university's cultural credit program.
Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Stetson Outdoor Adventure Recreation (SOAR) - SOAR plans ahead and prepares by planning trips at the beginning of the semester, we research the area, read and watch videos about what to expect and usually even travel there ourselves before we go their with students. SOAR informs all participants on what they will be seeing while on a trip so that they can be ready for what may come ahead. When conducting overnight trips, we only camp at sanctioned camp sites and then we make sure to pack all trash out or find a trash can. SOAR enters spaces with the mindset of we are going to leave this place better than we found it, we will clean up trash we find while also making sure it looks like we were never there.
Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Stetson's Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience (IWER) pays students to complete special projects, such as the mural, creating signage, or putting on events for the Aquatic Center. Additionally, student employees are regularly paid to complete bi-weekly water testing of Lake Beresford and doing water nutrient analyses.
https://www.stetson.edu/other/iwer/assistants.php
Also, the Environmental Sustainability Fellows are compensated for their work as campus sustainability leaders.
Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
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.