| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.09 |
| Liaison | Shane Stennes |
| Submission Date | Jan. 11, 2023 |
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Carley
Rice Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
365 green: We are a group of students working to promote sustainability through advocacy and action. We are trying to give students the opportunity to take planet-saving action at every meeting or event they attend. We do this through our social media presence, impacting policymakers, and by creating partnerships with local organizations
Sustainable Systems Management Club: This student group is open to all U of M students interested in the sustainability industry or in the Sustainable Systems Management major. We focus on increasing students' sustainable knowledge, sharpening their business acumen, expanding their network with companies in our industry, and building relationships with each other and SSM alumni. We strive to prepare our members to positively impact the sustainable industry by equipping them with a competitive edge in the studies of energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable resources.
Environmental Student Association: The Environmental Student Association (ESA) is a student-run university organization for all environmentally-minded students. ESA holds weekly meetings to plan events such as volunteering, Eco-U (an exciting environmental symposium), the Earth Day Expo (a large-scale Earth Day event on campus), and camping trips.
UMN Energy Club: Our goal is to provide members with an environment to discuss and learn about all aspects of building a cleaner and safer energy system, including, but not limited to: technology, policy, economics, sociology, public health, and ecology. To facilitate exchange of knowledge, members should expect an open discussion of ideas (to learn from each other), opportunities for outreach (to teach the public), and high-quality dialogue with key players in the local energy ecosystem (to learn from others). Through club activities and events, we aim to prepare members as future leaders in energy.
West Bank Community Garden: We are an environmental student club dedicated to promoting sustainable solutions and projects in the Twin Cities. We are especially focused on the West Bank Community Garden, where both students and outside community members grow local, fresh foods.
Students for Climate Justice:Students holding the University of Minnesota accountable for its contributions to the climate crisis and all oppressive systems. Students for Climate Justice UMN is a local chapter of MN Climate Justice. We welcome anyone, no organizing or activism experience needed! We highly value community and have working teams such as creative, outreach, policy, finance, and communications.
Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project 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:
Student Organic Farm
Group Description
This group is the official means for students to be involved year-round in the University's student-run organic farm, in which they can get experiential education producing sustainable food on the Saint Paul campus.
Group's principal activities, events, or programs:
This group exists to: 1. steward a student-managed, organic, sustainable farm that provides food, a place for community building, multidisciplinary education, research and outreach; 2. increase and facilitate student involvement and leadership of the University of Minnesota Student Organic Farm and provide an official means for students to take part in farm operations and activities; 3. maximize continuity, communication, and documentation between student farm workers and growing seasons; 4. take part in and raise awareness of the broader conversations and communities surrounding urban, sustainable, and alternative food systems.
How this group's activities benefit the University community:
We provide the university community with fresh, sustainably grown produce year-round, provide hands-on experience for students interested in sustainable farming, educate the community about sustainable food choices, and provide empowering information and experiences for those who seek to grow their own food, whether casually or professionally.
How this group fits into its categories:
Although this group could potentially fit into several categories, we chose to categorize ourselves in three primary ways: educational, sustainability, and professional. We are educational because experiential farm education is such a huge part of what students get from being involved with Cornercopia, but also because of our mission to help inform the University community learn about sustainable food. We are a professional group because we provide real on-farm job skills, up to and including managing budgets and business plans. We are a sustainability group because we work to produce and propagate chemical-free food with a positive environmental footprint.
How to get involved with this group:
In addition to regular farm work year-round, we will hold weekly meetings at the main farm field during the growing season (May-Sept), and monthly meetings in the Greenhouse classroom building during the rest of the year. No membership application will be necessary, information will be available through our web page and group email address, and members of the communications committee will be charged with contacting interested students. This group will provide opportunities for many levels of involvement, from casual volunteering to budget management.
Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
Brightside at UMN
BrightSide at UMN is the expansion of local nonprofit BrightSide Produce to the UMN campus and neighborhoods surrounding it, including Como and Cedar Riverside. We strive to reduce food insecurity by increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables in a sustainable way. We work directly with communities, store owners, and students to focus on what they need and how to best incorporate this into their lives.
For students, we offer a Buyer’s Club produce subscription that allows them to purchase produce at wholesale cost, with pick-up located conveniently on campus. This allows for incorporation of healthy foods into their weekly schedule, offered at an affordable price with variety and regularity. The subscription operates year-round with a weekly charge to their cards.
For supplementing the produce offers in communities, we sell produce to Corner Stores in communities that lack grocery stores. We create partnerships with small business owners who are integral components of their communities, supporting their work and improving their customers’ experiences.
Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative 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:
Carlson schools Fund Enterprise: The Carlson School Growth Fund and The Carlson School Fixed Income Fund currently each have more than $15 million under management. Analysts for each fund work in industry teams to develop a list of potential investments. New research is presented to the Fund Mentors, once in the fall and once in the spring. Assistance and oversight is provided by professional mentors and academic faculty.
Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
Advancing Climate Solutions. Now. - The Swain Climate Policy Series:
The Swain Climate Policy Series is geared to mobilize civic engagement on an ongoing basis, year round. The series, and the fund that supports it, were officially launched at Tom’s 100th birthday party in July 2021.
Elements include:
-High-profile public lectures featuring world-renowned climate experts and champions
-Interaction among climate experts, students, researchers, community partners, and the public
-Policy-focused student internships and research initiatives
-Development and analysis of policy strategies for reduced reliance on fossil fuels and deployment of carbon-neutral energy resources
-A focus on climate justice, aimed at reducing the disparate impacts of climate change on people based on geography, income and race
-Opportunities for participants to learn how to be more effective climate stewards through both individual and collective action
Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
Commons - Meeting and Art Space
The Institute on the Environment’s building on the Twin Cities campus includes a gathering and exhibition space, which has hosted a variety of creative works that celebrate the environment and sustainability. As we return to campus this fall, we hope the space will continue to bring different communities across the University together and support IonE’s work to foster interdisciplinary relationships. The Commons is located in R350 Learning & Environmental Sciences.
Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The Center for Outdoor Adventure facilitates wilderness experiences.
"Challenge yourself to develop outdoor leadership skills, learn about winter survival and first aid, and explore the great State of Minnesota. This leadership development and programming seminar is packed with so many unique activities to help you learn about important topics such as outdoor survival, leave-no-trace, outdoor cooking, first aid, backpacking basics and much more."
Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The University of Minnesota’s Sustainability Studies Minor immerses students in the study of real-world problems from a variety of academic perspectives, incorporating disciplines from across the natural, social, and applied sciences. Administered by the Institute on the Environment, the program is unique in its efforts to engage students from every college at the U of M, offering collaborative opportunities that transcend disciplines. Through these diverse perspectives, students will better understand the values, choices, technologies, and policies that create a sustainable world.
Additionally, the university offers the program "Live Like A Student" to encourage students to make sustainable and fiscally responsible decisions when purchasing new versus used products and on the life and use of items once purchased.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Sustainability focused student employment opportunities are provided by: The Office of Sustainability, The Institute on the Environment, UMN Recycling and more.
Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
*Brightside at UMN was active during the submission timeline but is no longer active at UMN. Students are still invovled with Brightside Produce but the "UMN chapter" so to speak is not currently active as of 2022.
*Brightside at UMN was active during the submission timeline but is no longer active at UMN. Students are still invovled with Brightside Produce but the "UMN chapter" so to speak is not currently active as of 2022.
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