| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.44 |
| Liaison | Mike Wilson |
| Submission Date | Jan. 29, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Victoria
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
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Does the institution have one or more co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that fall into the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Active student groups focused on sustainability | Yes |
| Gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems | Yes |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | Yes |
| Sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills | Yes |
| Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | No |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | No |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | Yes |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | Yes |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | No |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | No |
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The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
The University of Victoria Sustainability Project (UVSP) is a student-run organization that aims to create tangible results and visible change on sustainability issues on campus and within the local community.
Common Energy is an on-campus organization made up of students who work together with staff, faculty, and regional partners at the University of Victoria to move the institution and surrounding community towards a sustainable future.
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The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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A brief description of gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems:
The Campus Community Garden is a group at UVic that primarily manages the urban agriculture space on campus that includes 90 plots, including individual allotment gardens, communal “giving gardens” for volunteers and food bank donations and garden plots used by advocacy groups and classes. They hold work parties every week, where members can come and work on their individual plots in the company of other gardeners, or help out with the communal tasks and the giving gardens. They also offer workshops on gardening and food related topics throughout the year.
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The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
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A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
The Student Union Building (SUB) is home to several businesses that are owned and operated by the students’ society. According to the UVSS website, "all businesses are designed with students’ needs in mind and strive to be as environmentally sustainable and socially conscious as possible." The majority of employees are student staff, who gain experience operating and working in these operations.
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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
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A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
Launched in 2011, the Revolving Sustainability Fund provides $250,000 in capital to fund conservation projects on campus that provide immediate financial returns on investment. The projects pay back the fund through savings from utility or operating costs. Because the money is repaid to the fund, the fund is able to reinvest the capital (making it a revolving mechanism) to fund additional sustainability projects on campus. Students are encouraged to submit applications to the fund.
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
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A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
The Future of Food; March 27, 2013
A President’s Distinguished Lecture and Special Convocation featuring Vandana Shiva, one of the world’s most important eco-feminists and social justice activists, explores the future of food.
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The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
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A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
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The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
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A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The UVic Outdoors Club offers a friendly place on campus that welcomes people of all experiences to gather and get out on an array of outdoor excursions! The club trips range from day hikes along the coast, to overnighters summiting mountains, and longer trips on reading weeks such as travelling to the Coast Range to ski or Nevada to climb. Other activities include snowshoeing, backcountry skiing/snowboarding, mountain biking, sea kayaking, and rock climbing.
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The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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The website URL where information about the theme is available:
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A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
UVic has an entire student housing building, South Tower Residence, that is a themed-community focused on sustainable living and is a LEED Gold certified building. Students participate in programming that teaches sustainable living practises such as recycling, composting, waste reduction, energy and water conservation through fun, collaborative and student-led programs. Students also learn to develop skills to be sustainability leaders in their communities and in society.
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
Each year the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability offers a co-op student position, which provides students working on the sustainability issues facing UVic campus operations. UVic also runs the successful work-study program, which employs students who are enrolled and who show financial need. This program provides sustainability focused employment thought the different departments on campus including the School of Environmental Studies, the Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, and the Centre for Co-operative & Community-Based Economy in the Gustavson School of Business. These opportunities are, however, in among the many non-sustainability focused employment opportunities.
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The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
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A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
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A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
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The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
UVic's student environment includes a number of different opportunities to engage with sustainability. Student can engage by volunteering with Community Garden, the various student groups, and/or as an elected member of the Student Society, they could attend the various sustainability related events on campus, or even find part-time employment one of the businesses or departments of the institution doing sustainability related work.
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.