Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.20
Liaison Jonathan Rausseo
Submission Date March 29, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Ottawa
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Jonathan Rausseo
campus sustainability manager
physical resources service
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

Office of Campus Sustainability is a university-run hub for students and the campus community to gain information on sustainability initiatives on campus. Several student run groups are operated as part of the operations of the Office of Campus Sustainability including the 'Friends of the Free Store' which is the volunteers that assist with the operations of the Free Store; Muggy Mondays which is a volunteer-run student group responsible for the operations of the fair-trade, lug-a-mug program; and the 'Green Reps' which is a student collaboration between students in residence and Housing Services which seeks to advance sustainable living practices in residences. Additionally, the Student Federation at the University of Ottawa funds the Bike Co-op which helps student gain access to the tools required to build and maintain bikes and learn about sustainable transportation initiatives and the SFUO Sustainability Centre (which is currently inactive due to funding cuts but is expected to return next academic year). People's Republic of Delicious is a student-run, non-affiliated group which aims to enhance sustainable food options on campus by offering free, vegan meals made from recovered food products.


The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:

The University of Ottawa, in collaboration with the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, operates community gardens across campus. There was a total of 50 plots this past season and there are plans to expand next year. Plots are available to all faculty, staff, and students as well as community members.


The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

Located in the basement of Simard, Café Alt provides students with healthy food options, fair trade and organic products, as well as foods that meet the needs of different diets such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Opened in October 2008, Cafe Alt is committed to composting, recycling, and minimizing their environmental impact. The cafe also hosts a variety of sustainability events and workshops.


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:

The University is currently in the process of establishing a revolving green fund for sustainability centered projects. The source of funding and project criteria has not been fully established yet.


The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
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Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:

ENGAGE: Canadian Communities and Energy Decision-Making This conference brings together energy leaders from the public, private, academic, Indigenous and NGO sectors to address this question in a systematic way across a variety of energy sub-sectors. It features the results of cutting-edge research by the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy project and the Canada West Foundation.

The event is impact-driven and structured to drive toward identifying not only what needs to be done when it comes to community confidence in energy development but how it should be done and who should do it.


The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
No

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
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The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
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Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

The Outdoor Club hosts a number of trips every semester, ranging from day trips to sugar-shacks and climbing gyms to multi-day hikes and paddles in Algonquin Park.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

The University of Ottawa does not yet have a themed semester or year.


The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

During the annual RecycleMania event, the Office of Campus Sustainability hosts a series of living waste-free workshops which aim to teach students how to go about their daily lives in a manner that reduces or eliminates all waste. These workshops include a field trip to local stores which accommodate waste free living and a series of tips and tricks for navigating food waste. Additionally, during Wellness Week on campus, the Health Promotions team hosts a variety of workshops with sustainability themes including one on how to use gardening as a means of alleviating mental stress.


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

The Office of Campus Sustainability in collaboration with other Facilities departments offer student employment positions related to sustainability. Specifically, two coordinators are hired each semester to operate the Free Store along with a variety of other student positions related to environmental engineering or as a research assistant working on sustainability-themed research.


The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
Yes

A brief description of the graduation pledges:

The students of the Telfer MBA program take the MBA Oath upon graduation. This oath states “I will conduct my activities in an environmentally sustainable manner, and will consider the true societal costs when making investment and operating decisions.”


The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
Yes

A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:

The Office of Campus Sustainability also participates in the uOttawa 'Living Laboratory' program which connects courses at the university with hands-on projects on sustainability-themed challenges. These experiences contribute to student's co-curricular record with each student working approximately 30 hours per semester.


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
2

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.