| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.14 |
| Liaison | Michael Lizotte |
| Submission Date | April 9, 2023 |
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Michael
Lizotte University Sustainability Officer Facilities Planning |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
Advocates for Change: Enhancing the quality of life for oppressed and vulnerable populations through advocacy, human services delivery and research.
American Society of Safety Professionals: students pursuing a career in the safety, health and environmental (OSH) fields.
American Water Works Association (AWWA): Bringing together students who are interested in water, waste-water, environmental and sustainable practices.
Audubon Club: This club is dedicated to the advocacy, protection, and admiration of birds in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area.
Biology Club: A community of Biological Sciences and like-minded students whose purpose is to develop common interests, and promote sustainability, scholarship, professionalism, and self-development through education and action.
Bonner Leaders Program: community work that fights hunger, preserves cultural histories, promotes racial and environmental justice, and ends poverty.
Charlotte Road Cycling Club: building an active student cycling community.
Community Garden Club: For students interested in gardening, sustainabiliity, or community building, this is the right club for you.
Culinary Club: learn about food preparation, encourage a healthy lifestyle, and support the community.
Customer49: affordable and quality public education for all students and advocating for social, economic and environmental justice.
Earth Club: Helping UNC Charlotte become a more sustainable campus.
Enactus: Using the power of entrepreneurial action to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.
Exercise is Medicine-On Campus: making exercise a vital part of UNCC's campus.
Foreign Affairs Council: global understanding of how events around the world can play a role in everyday life.
GEO Club: a student chapter of the Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists
GirlTrek UNCC: a health movement for African-American women and girls grounded in civil rights history, walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy.
Global Dental Brigades: provide immediate, restorative, and preventive dental services in underserved communities.
Global Engineering Brigades: design and implement clean water projects to underserved communities.
Global Legal Empowerment Brigades: provide sustainable development to underserved communities on legal issues pertinent to international health.
Global Medical Brigades: provide sustainable development to underserved communities to set up free medical clinics and improve public health and sanitation.
Graduate Public Health Association: advancing health equity and well-being in an urbanizing world.
Health Care Justice: Advocating for universal access to high-quality health care.
Hiking Club: Bringing together students that have a common interest in hiking and the outdoors.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): Instilling an interest in social justice and the elimination of discrimination.
National Council of Negro Women: research, advocacy, and national and community-based services and programs on health, education, and economic empowerment.
Niner Student Pantry Organization: helping address the issues of food insecurity within our campus community.
Peaks & Professors: intellectual, curious conversations with faculty while hiking in the great outdoors.
Plants for People: extending the benefits of horticulture to students.
Pollinator Club: Increasing awareness of pollinator species on campus.
Red Cross Club at Charlotte: volunteer and leadership opportunities and health and safety training.
SDG Club: working to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN.
Student Organization of Meteorology (STORM): Sciences students in a professional and social capacity.
US Green Building Council (USGBC): students who want to change the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated.
Venture Outdoor Leadership: comprehensive outdoor leadership program for adventure trips and team building.
49er Democracy Experience: enhance public understanding of and participation in the democratic process.
49er Mountain Biking Club: bring together the mountain biking community
https://sustainability.charlotte.edu/get-involved/student-organizations
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:
The campus supports three student garden areas with different goals: to encourage pollinators on campus, grow food for consumption, and to provide gardening education experiences. The Garden Club, Plants for People, and the Pollinator Club are some of the student organizations that work on the gardens. These clubs, along with the Earth Club and Niner Pantry, help the Office of Sustainability host an annual Student Garden Day in April to promote the gardens and clubs.
https://inside.charlotte.edu/news-features/2016-07-06/unc-charlotte-student-garden-thriving-building-community
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:
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:
The Charlotte Green Initiative is managed by a student committee to dispense funding for projects that support campus sustainability. Funds are provided by the Student Government at a rate of $1 per student per semester. Students manage the grant proposal process, from educating students, soliciting proposals, reviewing/selecting proposals for funding, and helping grantees access funding and navigate university purchasing rules.
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:
The Student Sustainability Summit takes place every semester. It is hosted by the Student Government Association and the Office of Sustainability with the goal of building relationships between the student body and the community to address campus sustainability. Previous summits featured discussions on waste in athletic activities, composting on campus, green buildings, and celebrating sustainability through the arts. Speakers are recruited from the faculty research community and community organizations. A series of facilitated discussions follow the formal speaker portion of the Summit.
https://inside.charlotte.edu/news-features/2020-12-02/inaugural-sustainability-summit
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:
The College of Arts and Architecture maintains multiple galleries that frequently have shows focusing on environmental or social sustainability. From August through October 2021, the exhibit Earthbound Riches examined coal as a controversial and complicated resource turned commodity and how it intersects with lives and livelihoods. In Spite of Enclosures by D. Rosen was featured from August through November 2021, with a focus on interspecies rituals and the broader cultural ecologies of the animal, the consequences of anthropocentrism in colonization, biopolitical violence, and contributions to global warming. In February and March 2021, Ruin and Restoration by Kristen Rowell highlighted an installation built from from debris discarded after a building demolition, to comment on our modern constructed environments, their material origins, the gradual change in our communities and environment, and the debris left behind after their eventual collapse. From September through November 2022, Jillian Mayer’s COMPOUND commented on survivalist culture and their pursuit of complete independence from broad social, political, industrial, and economic infrastructures solely relying on their own learned skills to prepare for the threat of impending disasters.
https://coaa.charlotte.edu/events/artist-talk-earthbound-riches
https://www.flickr.com/photos/135069646@N06/sets/72157718535428278/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/135069646@N06/albums/72157719867311642
https://www.flickr.com/photos/135069646@N06/sets/72177720302467311/
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:
Venture is the UNC Charlotte outdoor adventure program that practices Leave No Trace principles. Participants are asked to consciously minimize their impact on the earth by carrying out all litter, using soap only where the environment can safely dispose of it (i.e. away from water), and following other Leave No Trace guidelines. In all activities, Venture's policy is to leave the natural environment as undisturbed as possible, with participants recognizing that the natural environment is a limited and fragile resource that requires care and stewardship. They organize off-campus trips for hiking, rafting, rock climbing and caving; these are open to students, staff, faculty, and community members with any level of experience.
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:
In Spring 2020, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Provost has declared Earth Semester (to extend out normal Earth Month programming and engage more faculty participation). The Common Reading Experiences provides a shared academic experience for first-year students at UNC Charlotte and they have repeatedly chosen texts that contribute to our sustainability discussions on campus. Some previous books chosen were: The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater, The Ground Breaking: An American City and Its Search for Justice by Scott Ellsworth, and Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World by Doc Hendley.
https://diversity.charlotte.edu/dei-campus-inventory/common-reading-experience
https://earthsemester.charlotte.edu/
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:
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Sustainability Office offers paid positions as sustainability aides, EcoReps, and zero waste crew members.
https://sustainability.charlotte.edu/get-involved/student-employment
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:
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.