University of Vermont
EN-2: Student Orientation

The main orientation for First Time First Year and transfer students is over the summer. Each student attends a two day orientation. There are many engagement efforts in place that set a precedent for what the sustainability culture at UVM is: One of the main (and mandatory) sessions, called “Living On Campus”, includes a sustainability overview. The Resource Fair, which is the main activity on the second day, includes representation from multiple sustainability partners on campus, including UVM Dining, Center for Health & Wellbeing, Carshare Vermont, LGBTQA Center, Student Financial Services, TREK and Wheeli. All of the meals are Zero Waste and include waste sorting education from volunteer students. Student Financial Services has drop-in hours for students and parents in addition to parent presentation. Breakout sessions include: Staying Well at UVM, ALANA Student Center and Programmed Housing (including our many sustainable programmed housing options) Sunset walking tour of campus for early arrivals and ongoing campus tours by bus that highlight sustainability aspects of campus. Orientation Leaders conduct small group meetings with their students and review sustainability tips and explanation of sustainability programs on campus (ex: bottled water ban, composting, etc). Complimentary water bottle for all students who attend orientation. Pre-made sustainability bulletin board material is handed out to the orientation leaders make into bulletin boards, so that it is prominently featured in the residence halls where the students stay for summer orientation. The Class Picnic and takes place on the Saturday that new students are moving in and is considered part of the Orientation and First Year Experience programming. It includes a BBQ with music, activities, club sign-ups, giveaways, and activities to meet people and to get involved at UVM. Sustainability related representation includes: Eco-Reps, Vermont Students for Environmental Protection Club, Real Food Revolution, Students Towards Animal Rights, Outing Club, Forestry Club, UVM Dining, Bike Users Group, Juntos, Carshare Vermont, City Market, Local Motion, ECHO, and more. This is also a Zero Waste event with volunteers at each waste station. Graduate student orientation is mostly handled at the departmental level. Incoming graduate students typically have 1-3 days of orientation with their department where they go over basic information about the university as well as specific information about their program. However, all incoming graduate students are invited to a Resource Fair that is put on by the Graduate Student Senate. At this event different clubs and companies around campus/Burlington get a table and have the opportunity to speak with students about the services they offer. This year many sustainability focused organizations such as Carshare Vermont, UVM’s Center for Health and Wellbeing, Burlington Parks & Rec, Campus Recreation, City Market, Intervale Food Hub, Outdoor Gear Exchange, UVM Dining, VT Works for Women, UVM Women’s Center and Vermont Community Garden Network had their own table to meet with the student body.

Program PDFs: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B18yqsw2MZAtTlBQTGp6ems5TVk/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B1N-kHP1wCLQVndFbDBwcUFQSzg Data from the summer/fall 2016 orientation session was used.