| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.50 |
| Liaison | Chris Bond |
| Submission Date | Nov. 27, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Unity Environmental University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Jonathan
Gibbons Sustainability Engagement and Data Coordinator Sustainability |
Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
Beekeeping, Earth and Environmental Science, Food and Agriculture, Forestry, FFA (Future Farmers of America), Primitive Skills, Sugarmakers, Wildfire
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:
The Unity College has McKay Farm and Research Station are a hub of sustainability activity on campus. We grow organic produce for our dining hall in our greenhouses and fields and have an additional 1/2 acre under cultivation by the hunger relief project Veggies for All. A smaller demonstration garden is utilized by faculty and students in the sustainable agriculture and horticulture programs. All students are introduced to our campus gardens through orientation and the first-year seminar. Many support campus gardens through course work, community service, and special projects. Work-study students staff the farm during the academic year and students are given preference for our seasonal Sustainable Food Production Assistant position. Students can get hands on experience at a organic greenhouse and in organic fields. Unity also offers clubs in Beekeeping and sugar making giving them experience in local and sustainable food systems.
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:
Sugar Makers Club-The Sugar Makers Club teaches students how to create and produce maple syrup that they then end up selling to the community and hosting a pancake breakfast.
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 College has a Sustainability Fund that is a revolving loan fund. Established with 1% of the endowment at that time, the $130,000 fund receives applications twice annually for student and employee projects that have a 5 year or less ROI.
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:
Currently we have a fishbowl talk series where speakers from on campus and off come and do talks for 30-45 minutes at least once a month. The talks are on a wide variety of science, environmental and sustainability topics.
Unity students twice annually present their research and explore sustainability themes at the Unity College Student Conference:
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 Unity College Center for Performing Arts is a campus and community facility that brings sustainability speakers and events to Unity as well as hosting different art exhibits and performances for the campus and community
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:
The Outdoor Adventure Center was established to provide excellent outdoor programs and support to Unity College students, staff and faculty. The OAC uses adventure and outdoor experiences to help individuals discover and grow. The OAC follows and promotes Leave No Trace practices and teaches LNT Master Educator courses. Also, the college hosts NOVA, the new student orientation. It is designed to support the transition to college life at Unity by emphasizing personal growth and promoting environmental stewardship.
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:
First year students are required to take a class called Unity Experience. Students in Unity Experience spend a class period at McKay Farm and Research Station learning about food production on campus and also are presented to by the Office of Sustainability on the schools framework of sustainability science and how we measure the campus' sustainability efforts. Theme semesters, such as a focus on water conservation, have become ongoing initiatives like "Take Back the Tap," a program that provides bottles to every incoming student to reduce plastic waste from disposable bottled water.
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:
Student clubs teach sustainable living skills, such as beekeeping, cooking, primitive skills, etc. We have courses that include practical carpentry, woodlot management, outdoor living and fitness, etc.
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:
Students work in the Sustainabilty Office each year and in Sustainable agriculture programs including the greenhouses on campus and the off campus research farm and greenhouses
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:
Voluntarily signed by the senior class, graduates “pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider, and will try to improve these aspects of any organization for which I work” (since 2009).
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:
Unity College participates in PeaceJam, a program working towards peace through youth leadership and community engagement
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.