Wellesley College
ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation

The Office of Sustainability maintains a steady dialogue with the First-Year Orientation planning committee. The Office reaches out to the new students with a table at the Orientation Welcome Wagon. It is also in charge of funding the First-Year reusable water bottles that each new student receives. Each year the Office of Sustainability sits down with the organizers of the First-Year Orientation to propose new initiatives and projects which will help make the week-long orientation a much more sustainable event. For example, we work with food services to make meals environmentally friendly with less waste, consistent recycling, and compost bins. On top of this, the first year student newsletter that the incoming students receive during the summer includes a description of the sustainable move-in rummage sale. This program encourages first years to buy reused items for their dorms instead of buying new ones, creating a more sustainable campus and environmental awareness. The Office is present at "Welcome Wagon", a day where students and families get to know different departments on campus. We promote sustainability and recruit new students who are interested in being a part of our group. The students are encouraged to take a sustainability literacy assessment upon entering, allowing them to consider this in their daily lives.