| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.06 |
| Liaison | Meredith Moore |
| Submission Date | March 17, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Stephanie
Lage Assistant Director Ctr for Sustainable Environment |
Does the institution have one or more co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that fall into the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Active student groups focused on sustainability | Yes |
| Gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems | Yes |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | Yes |
| Sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills | Yes |
| Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | No |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | Yes |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | Yes |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | --- |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | Yes |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | --- |
The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Student Sustainability Committee (SSC): recommends allocation of student green fees.
Students for Environmental Concerns (SECs)-
Red Bison - prairie restoration
USGBC - green building
Green Observer: student environmental newspaper
Environmental Law Society
ActGreen
The website URL where information about student groups is available:
A brief description of gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems:
The farm serves as a production farm to supply our residence halls with locally grown, low-input sustainable food. In addition, the farm acts as a living laboratory to connect students, community members, and the state at large with regional, small-scale food systems. We plan to broaden our focus to include the research, education, and outreach missions of the university.
Currently, the farm operates between 45-48 weeks per year, occupying 3 acres for outdoor field production and nearly 10,000 square feet of year round high tunnel production. Every attempt is made to integrate educational aspects into all activities on the farm.
The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
Illinois BioDiesel Initiative - The Illinois Biodiesel Initiative’s mission is to lower the emissions of the university by recycling waste vegetable oil into useful products, and to promote renewable, alternative energy sources to the greater community. Our team strives to make the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative a model for university and community biodiesel production. Beginning in Spring 2006 as a local project within Engineers Without Borders, IBI has grown to be one of their largest projects incorporating students from a wide variety of majors within engineering and otherwise. Together, the group works to meet the needs of the initiative which includes but is not limited to the following: used vegetable oil pick-up from the dining halls, biodiesel production, quality testing, biodiesel integration, soap production from the by-product glycerin, project management, budgeting and accounting, publicity and outreach to other communities and universities. The group sells the final product to the Facilities and Services Garage and Carpool where it is blended with regular diesel for us in the campus fleet.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are assessed a self-imposed sustainability fee which accumulates about $1,000,000 annually.
The Student Sustainability Committee is a funding board comprised of ten voting student members, five ex officio non-voting staff members, and six non-voting faculty members. At least three SSC student members are graduate students. SSC is responsible for allocating funds generated by two student fees--Sustainable Campus Environment and Cleaner Energy Technologies. SSC proposes funding recommendations to the Director of the Office of Sustainability for final approval.
Students are appointed by the Illinois Student Senate and serve a one-year term. Faculty and staff ex officio members are appointed by the Director of the Office of Sustainability and serve a one-year term.
Administrative support, including the full-time Program Advisor, accounting, and marketing is provided by the Student Programs and Activities Office in the Illini Union.
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Each fall semester the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment sponsors Sustainability week, and each spring semester supports Earth Week. In addition, the institute supports the spring offering of the Scholarship of Sustainability Series - an in-depth examination of sustainability literature.
The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Campus Recreation and the Kinesiology department offer several outdoor programs that follow Leave no Trace principles, like hiking, backpacking and kyaking.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
The Illini Union’s One Book, One Campus program hopes to provide a shared experience for our community. Through reading the same book community members will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue and explore various themes. Through lectures, book discussion groups and many other activities we will learn about ourselves and others while experiencing a unique sense of community.
The 2011-2012 book selections was Annie Leonard's 'The Story of Stuff'.
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall - Sustainability Living Learning Community. Tours available in summer.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
The Illinois campus offers a pledge program for all faculty, staff, and students. Many of the options provided center around energy use, but there are also components regarding the stewardship of natural resources.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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.