Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.41
Liaison Trevor Ledbetter
Submission Date Feb. 10, 2012
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.0

University of Arizona
ER-1: Student Sustainability Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.00 / 5.00 Joseph Abraham
N/A
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total number of degree-seeking students enrolled at the institution:
39,086

Program name (1st program):
Eco Reps

Number of students served by the program (1st program):
6,400

A brief description of how the student educators are selected (1st program):

Eco Reps are self-selected in the Residence Halls. Each Hall Council has one position, Director of Sustainability, that residents can run for. This individual is charged with representing his or her Hall Council at all Eco Rep meetings as well as incorporating sustainability concepts and practices into Hall Council programming. Each Hall Council Eco Rep is responsible for running Recyclemania at each hall as well as creating and implementing sustainability related programming.

In addition to the Hall Council position, residents can become general Eco Reps for their Residence Hall. The general Eco Reps help the Director of Sustainability with programming.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (1st program):

All Eco Reps attend presentations created by Residence Life which cover the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit. Eco Reps take the information imparted through the presentation to their respective Hall Councils and communities.


A brief description of the staff and/or other financial support the institution provides to the program (1st program):

Eco Reps have a budget around $3600 dollars coming from dedicated funds from Residence Life, aluminum recycling, and Recyclemania. Individual Hall Councils allocate may allocate more money to Eco Rep programs upon request.

Staff support of Eco Reps comes in the form of Residence Life's Director of Sustainability leading the Eco Rep Program with support from the Residence Life Recycling Crew. The Director and the Recycling Crew provide guidance and technical expertise for the program.


The website URL for 1st Program:
Program name (2nd program):
The Arizona Blue Chip Program

Number of students served by the program (2nd program):
400

A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):

Students apply for the program by answering several questions. A graduate assistant then selects students based off of how complete, concise, appropriate, and the indicated level of interest in the response.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (2nd program):

All students attend weekly team meetings with Blue Chip Team Leaders. Students in their first year take a course on the foundations of leadership. As students progress through the program they become team leaders or teaching assistants for the program which require taking specific classes on the curriculum that they are to teach and teaching methods.

Blue Chip has four phases. Each phase is a step toward exercising leadership skill with the first being Engage, then Learn, followed by Practice, and ending with Lead. Phase 3 and 4 students are responsible for the majority of the teaching of new students in addition to facilitating projects engaging the greater community at large.


A brief description of the staff and/or other financial support the institution provides to the program (2nd program):

There is a dedicated staff of five people for the program including two graduate assistants. The program is funded through a membership fee and through partnerships with organizations in the community.


The website URL for 2nd program:
Program name (3rd program):
Students for Sustainability (SfS)

Number of students served by the program (3rd program):
39,086

A brief description of how the student educators are selected (3rd program):

Students for Sustainability has a dedicated administrative staff, interns, and volunteers. The administrative staff consists of an executive director, an administrative director and a graduate assistant, all of which are selected by the Associate Students of the University of Arizona (ASUA). These individuals are responsible for running the Grassroots student volunteer program, Ecoalition which coordinates club activities related to sustianability, and individual projects such as Compost Cats, Garden in the Desert, and the Recycle Team.

Interns are selected through a competitive application process that includes short answer written questions and phone interviews with either the executive or administrative director.

Volunteers are encouraged to sign up to help with particular projects based upon their respective time commitments.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (3rd program):

The administrative staff and interns of Students for Sustainability learn to action plan, manage complex projects, communicate effectively across the UA landscape and how to conduct media relations and outreach efforts. These skills are taught through a weekend retreat and through assignments and hands-on experience.

Additionally, interns learn specific skills according to which project an intern selects for the year. Examples include operating large farm machinery for composting, identification of recycable material for the recycling project, and contract management for the gardening project.


A brief description of the staff and/or other financial support the institution provides to the program (3rd program):

The University of Arizona supports Students for Sustainability with financial funding and assigned UA personnel. Projects are financially supported through an annual budget allocation of $5,000 from ASUA. If more funds are needed they are acquired through fundraising.

Students for Sustainability is assigned three advisors including two staff of UA Student Affairs and one graduate assistant. Additionally, Students for Sustainability receives support from the ASUA Administrative Vice President and from the Office of Sustainability.


The website URL for 3rd program:
Program name (All other programs):
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Number of students served by the program (All other programs):
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A brief description of how the student educators are selected (All other programs):
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A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (All other programs):
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A brief description of the staff and/or other financial support the institution provides to the program (All other programs):
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The website URL for all other programs:
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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.