Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.93
Liaison Ezra Small
Submission Date Jan. 31, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

University of Massachusetts Amherst
SD-1: New Student Orientation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete N/A Ezra Small
Sustainability Manager
Physical Plant
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does new student orientation include presentations, speakers, or skits that address sustainability and take place in large venues that most or all first-year students attend?:
Yes

Provide a brief description of the presentations, speakers or skits:

The Campus Sustainability Initiative is present at all NSO events throughout the calendar year. During the Spring NSO for accepted students the Campus Sustainability Initiative is the only student organization to hold an information session along with each academic program as well as tabling at the resource fair.


Does new student orientation incorporate sustainability information into presentations (e.g., made by Residential Advisors to individual dorm floors)?:
Yes

Provide a brief description of the presentations:

Residential Directors who serve on the Chancellor's Sustainability Committee (Community Programming Sub-Committee) are in the process of developing this information.


Does new student orientation actively engage students in activities that raise awareness about sustainability, highlight how sustainability plays out on campus, or allows students to take part in a productive green activity?:
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Provide a brief description of the activities:

During the Fall NSO, the Campus Sustainability Initiative has been and the Permaculture Initiative hold information sessions as well as hands-on volunteer opportunities for students and their families to participate in. The Campus Sustainability Initiative will be offering Sustainable Bike Tours of Campus using the Bike Share program fleet in Fall 2013, and the Permaculture offers garden tours and volunteer days as part of the NSO activities.


Does the institution make new student orientation more sustainable via efforts such as a zero-waste meal or carbon offsets?:
Yes

Provide a brief description of the efforts:

All large catered events on campus use local food and sustainable, zero waste options.
All events operated by Auxiliary provide:
1. 100% compostable disposables
2. Clearly labeled recipes and food sources
3. A commitment to purchase locally produced, sustainably harvested ingredients
4. Equipment that impacts the environment minimally
5. Incorporation of sustainability into HACCP Plans.


Does the institution incorporate sustainability into new student orientation in other ways?:
No

Provide a brief description:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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