Vassar College
EN-2: Student Orientation

During the summer before arriving on campus all new students are sent a pamphlet on sustainability activities on campus. "Vassar Adventures for New Students," an orientation program, includes an interactive sustainability field trip around campus. VANS are usually around 30 students each In the Fall of 2012, new students were provided with reusable water bottles as part of an arrangement with the student-run campaign, Tap That, committed to removing bottled water from the campus. The college donated the funds to purchase these reusable water bottles for all new students discouraging them from buying plastic bottles of water (which were no longer available for sale through Dining Services). In the Fall of 2013, the College provided all new student leaders in the dorms (collectively referred to as a dorm's "House Team") with reusable plastic cups during their orientation preceding the school year. These cups were then expected to be reused during all catered meals during the orientation. The following week, entire dorms were offered cups as a prize for winning sustainability contests during Freshman and New Student Orientation. The sustainability activities included a dorm-wide trash art sculpture contest. This encouraged students to think about waste reduction, promoted reuse, as well as dorm bonding. During Freshman orientation, new students were also approached by members of the sustainability committee during their first board meal with pledges encouraging them to commit to reducing waste at the dining hall. About one-third of the freshman class signed a pledge.