Susquehanna University
EN-2: Student Orientation

First year students actively and passively engage in sustainability throughout their first year orientation experience in both small and large ways. All first year students receive a sustainable packing tip sheet via email that lays out ways to be more sustainable when moving in and what items to bring to campus. A pre-orientation program for the incoming Susquehanna University Service Leaders included a presentation about environmental justice. A service based pre-orientation program called SPLASH included volunteer hours at the SU campus garden. The university theme for 2019-2020 was the power of stories which an anthology of short stories was compiled for first years to read prior to coming to campus. This anthology included a story about climate fiction. During orientation all first year students discussed this anthology. During move-in, dedicated locations for cardboard recycling were set up and upper-class students roved the halls of each residence halls encouraging recycling. Also during move-in, a solar powered cell phone station provided the Office of Sustainability the opportunity to educate about solar panels and the 14 acres of solar panels that SU has. The Office of Sustainability hosted a board game night one night during orientation featuring sustainability themed board games, even including one that was made by students in a course the previous year called Carbon Consequences. The Office of Sustainability also sponsored a food truck during our Food Truck Fri-YAY event which featured vegetarian options and posted flyers around the food truck about the benefits of a vegan/vegetarian diet.

Additionally, first-year students participate in SU GIVE, an event that brings SU students, faculty, and staff together to complete volunteer service projects at locations throughout the central Susquehanna Valley. Many of the projects address social and/or environmental sustainability. Each year, between 600-700 students volunteer at places such as the Susquehanna Campus Garden, Far Point Animal Rescue, Grayson View Assisted Living, Haven Ministry, Kidsgrove, Mostly Mutts Dog Shelter, Sunbury YMCA, SUNCOM Industries, Stone Ridge Farm Foundation, and Susquehanna Children's Center.