University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation

Staff and students are involved in workshops, tabling events, and talks about various sustainability programs on campus during Welcome Week, the University’s week-long orientation. Residence hall leaders, along with over 400 Welcome Week leaders, receive orientation on sustainability. Also, in the introduction to residence halls, community advisers conduct trash sorts to demonstrate how to properly use the three stack series of recycling bins. Welcome Week Leaders: Current students lead and volunteer to coordinate sustainability oriented talks (“Living Green on Campus” and “Biking on Campus”), educate about compost and recycling programs, and provide information about ways to get involved in sustainability efforts on campus. Sustainable events: Zero waste meals are served during Welcome Week and an effort has been made to reduce “throwaway giveaways”. Additionally, the events are scheduled across our three UMTC campuses; students ride the bus and connector during the week, many for the first time, getting over the initial hurdle of using public transportation. Engagement: Sustainability topics are also intertwined in the community engagement portion of the orientation - this is an important aspect of the urban campus especially as students move off campus in the following years. An open house with our Institute on the Environment is part of the ‘Getting to Know the University Day,’ which helps show how university research is linking to issues that are important on campus, locally and globally (energy, food, transportation, etc). Current students participate in the event to connect new students to on-campus groups focused on the environment and sustainability. In 2010, this event offered every student the chance to make the "It All Adds Up" pledge and to engage in hands-on activities like riding an energy-generating bicycle, removing the dam in a scale model river exhibit, putting on 3-D glasses to view maps of Minnesota, and talking with faculty and student leaders about research and group activities as part of a scavenger hunt activity. Another event of Welcome Week focuses on raising awareness about the Mississippi River running through our campus. The boat ride in 2009 turned into canoe rides in 2010 to strengthen the river experience. The discussion helped make the connection between the stormwater management/sewers on campus and the impact on the river. It also raised awareness about natural resources. The boat ride included the Park Service, River Life Educators and Sustainability staff. A Gopher Rangers student group was formed in 2009 to focus "student power" on the river beyond Welcome Week.