Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 38.83
Liaison Emma Parsley
Submission Date Dec. 16, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Texas State University, San Marcos
EN-2: Student Orientation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 James Vollrath
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Are the following students provided an opportunity to participate in orientation activities and programming that prominently include sustainability?:
Yes or No
First-year students Yes
Transfer students Yes
Entering graduate students Yes

Percentage of all entering (i.e. new) students (including transfers and graduate students) that are provided an opportunity to participate in orientation activities and programming that prominently include sustainability (0-100):
100

A brief description of how sustainability is included prominently in new student orientation (including how multiple dimensions of sustainability are addressed):

Sustainability is brought forward to all new students at new student orientation by having a day encompassing all the student organizations on campus. Environmental/sustainable organizations are represented by student officers.

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability
• Animal Rights Club: A group to help animals, people, and the environment all while promoting a vegan lifestyle and eating delicious, cruelty free food.
• Bobcat Blend: A faculty managed, student-run and grant-supported research and teaching-oriented waste management campus composting program at Texas State. The goals of the organization are to teach students, faculty, and staff through daily operations and development of habits the environmental, economic, and intrinsic values of composting, in the dining halls and in the classrooms, labs, and landscapes on campus.
• Bobcat Buzz: Building and maintaining equipment. Harvesting honey to promote the Agriculture Department. Educate students about the importance of honeybees in our communities and here at Texas State. Hold events to educate as well as promote the club and department.
• Bobcat Stream Team: To engage students, alumni, and the community in water quality monitoring of Texas waterways.
• Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO): Host guest speakers from various parts of the environmental field to share their experiences (and possible job opportunities). Find new ways that our campus can become more sustainable and make them happen. Participate in various volunteering opportunities, such as trail building, tailgate recycling, and Bobcat Build. Explore new ways to reduce the impact in the personal lives of its members.
• HEAT Establishment: Bi-weekly meetings, campus beautification, river clean-ups, volunteering with local animal shelters, working with dining halls to pick up wasted food or compost items, volunteering for/supporting causes for humanity (i.e. invisible children), emphasize "Green Building" on campus, and provide students with an outlet for multiple service opportunities.
• McCoy College Bobcat Net Impact: Award-winning Net Impact recognized by Presidents Clinton and Obama provides members with leadership through sustainability projects on campus and along the IH 35 corridor. Speakers at General Meetings bring first-hand knowledge on innovations like crowd funding and energy auditing skills. Projects are the backbone of the organization at Circuit of the Americas and ESPN Summer XGAMES. We make a positive impact.
• Not on My Campus: A student-led organization and marketing campaign centered around breaking the silence surrounding sexual assault. In order to provide a safe environment for all faculty, staff, and students. It is imperative that the campus sustains a comfortable and welcoming community where all are encouraged to participate, in order to maintain a sustainable community.
• Oxfam at Texas State: Interested in Activism, Human rights advocacy and fighting injustice. Oxfam at Texas State serves as a branch from the Global organization Oxfam America. Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.
• Resource Conservationists of Texas State: Resource Conservationists of Texas State will work in affiliation with Bobcat Blend, the Texas State Recycling Center, and the City of San Marcos to spread awareness of the need for and benefits of proper recycling. Volunteering efforts will promote a more environmentally friendly campus and city.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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.