University of Oklahoma
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Sarah
Ballew Director, Energy Management & Sustainability Facilities Management |
Student groups
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
· Environmental Science Student Association (ESSA) – the mission of the Environmental Science Student Association is to provide opportunities for future environmental engineers and scientists to both gain practical experience as well as to volunteer in the local community.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/environmental-science-student-association
· OU Botanical Society – The Botany organization creates the opportunity for non-majors and majors to collaborate on projects and activities involved with botanical science. Their focus is on education and public engagement.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/botanical-society
· Green Week - Green Week is a student organization which annually plans and implements a week-long event to promote environmental sustainability and awareness on OU's campus. It takes place during April of each year and consists of fun and informative events where students are able to learn about how they can lessen their impact on the environment as well as help develop their community.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/green-week
· The Geography and Environmental Sustainability (GES) – The club’s mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the world around us while promoting sustainable practices to protect the planet. They bring together students of all backgrounds who are passionate about geography, environmental sciences, and social justice, encouraging exploration, discussion, and action.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/ougesclub
· OU Beekeepers’ Association – The Beekeeper’s Association strives to promote the wellbeing of honeybee populations in the Norman area. The establishment, maintenance, and propagation of new colonies is our primary directive. Additional club affairs include increasing public honeybee awareness, furthering education and research, and volunteering in support of the environment.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/beekeepers-association
· Association of Geography Graduate Students - The Association of Geography Graduate Students (AGGS) is a student run social organization that brings different concentrations of Geography and Environmental Sustainability graduate students together. The organization acts as a resource and space for networking, discussion, news, comments, social events, and concerns for graduate students in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/aggs
· Sustainable Energy Society – The goal of the Sustainable Energy Society is to spread interest and create an organization for students passionate about sustainable energy by hosting workshops, enrichment events, while also further educating students on the importance of sustainable energy.
https://ou.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/ses
· Styro-Home - Styro-Home aims to make an impact to the community and environment by recycling styro-foam. They provide a waste management system of disturbing boxes across campus for people to throw away grade 6 polystyrene foam and recycle it. Their goal is to create an abundant circulatory system that makes foam recycled and reusable.
Gardens and farms
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
The OU Fit + Rec Community Garden is a gardening education program designed to offer participants an opportunity to learn where their food comes from as well as to help cultivate participants into better stewards of the environment by designing, nurturing, and harvesting the community garden.
https://www.ou.edu/far/facilities-programs/ou-fit-rec-community-garden
Student-run enterprises
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
Sustainable investment and finance
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Events
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
The 2024 OU Sustainability Forum focused on identifying ways in which community, industry and academia can collaborate to overcome the current technological, socioeconomic and scientific hurdles at the intersection between energy and materials science. Dozens of students, from undergraduate to post-doctoral, attended the forum. They had the chance to interact with leading experts in a friendly and open setting. Several students from the OU online MS program in Sustainability: Energy & Materials Management visited the OU campus in person for the first time to take part in the forum. Many were inspired to hear from leaders about what and where the future research should be going within energy, economics, sustainability, and trans-global agency efforts.
Cultural arts
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
Wilderness and outdoors programs
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Outdoor Adventure (OA) is an Honors College backpacking and leadership club. OA is a great opportunity to meet other Honors College students, to get involved with Honors activities, and to explore the outdoors. Each year OA leads students in day hikes, weekend camping trips, and picnics.
Sustainability-focused themes
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Sustainable life skills
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Student employment opportunities
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Yes, the office of Sustainabiliy employs students to contribute to recycling, engagement and reporting activities. The Department of Geography and Sustainability offers research employment opportunities for students, providing financial support to both undergraduate and graduate students working on projects that address real-world sustainability challenges.
Graduation pledge
A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
Optional Fields
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.