Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.29
Liaison Lindsey MacDonald
Submission Date Feb. 6, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Western Washington University
ER-1: Student Sustainability Educators Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.00 / 5.00 Seth Vidaña
Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
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Total number of degree-seeking students enrolled at the institution:
14,979

Program name (1st program):
Eco-Reps

Number of students served by the program to whom peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education is offered (1st program):
4,006

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (1st program):

An Eco-Rep is a leader within their community who works as a liaison between the Office of Sustainability and their fellow residents to foster and promote more sustainable living. Eco-Reps attend peer-to-peer sustainability education trainings and broaden their knowledge via student club involvement and student government programs. Throughout the year the Eco-Reps and the ResRAP Coordinator present educational workshops and programs in order to educate residents on how they can do their part and make a difference.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (1st program):

They are elected by their peers through Hall Council at the beginning of Fall Quarter.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (1st program):

Formal leadership training is through Hall Council and the EDGE Ropes Course. Training uses the “Eco Rep Training Manual” which is basically a handbook covering all things related to sustainability and sustainable living. Guest lectures are also given. Ex: Andy Bunn on Climate Change, Gigi Berardi on Agroecology and organic foods


A brief description of the staff and/or other financial support the institution provides to the program (1st program):

Hayden Fairley: ResRAP Coordinator (19 hours per week)

Coordinates the Resident Resource Awareness Program, which focuses on student outreach in on-campus residence halls.

Tasks include recruitment of ecology representatives (eco-reps) in each of the residence halls, focusing on leadership development and knowledge of sustainable issues on Western's campus in the fall quarter. In the winter quarter, organize the Go for the Green Competition, a campus-wide total waste reduction challenge between all the residence halls. Tasks include organizing Eco-reps as they put on sustainably themed programs in the residence halls, monitoring the electricity use and waste stream in the residence halls, and calculating that data into a point system in conjunction with sustainable programming per residence hall community and percentage of students living on campus who have signed the "Green Pledge", pledging to reduce their water and natural gas usage in the residence halls.

Kendra Krantz: ResRAP Coordinator Assistant (10 hours a week)

The Eco Reps look to Hayden to address any questions, comments, or concerns regarding Eco Rep activities, events, and general knowledge of campus sustainability. It is Hayden's job to provide as many resources as possible and answer their questions. He also keeps track of the programs the Eco-Reps have done, maintains the Go for the Green Website and Facebook page, helps the ResRAP Coordinator with the ResRAP Newsletter, and collects donations from local businesses with sustainable connections for the Go for the Green Celebration.

The budget for the program is 1500 dollars per year, and is paid by University Residences.

Winter 2012 marked the first quarter where course credit was offered to Western’s 40+ student “EcoReps” via the Residents’ Resource Awareness Program (ResRAP). Through a collaboration between Huxley College and the Office of Sustainability, student sustainability advocates in all 11 residence halls can earn one credit each quarter for their participation in ResRAP, and application of program curriculum to their residence halls.


The website URL for 1st Program:
Program name (2nd program):
Students for Renewable Energy (SRE)

Number of students to whom peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education is offered (2nd program):
14,979

A brief description of the program, including examples of peer-to-peer outreach activities (2nd program):

Students for Renewable Energy is a non-partisan club that exists to affect our local, national, and global community to move towards sustainability, through the use of renewable energy, by setting an example at Western Washington University.


A brief description of how the student educators are selected (2nd program):

There are four elected leaders of Students for Renewable Energy. 2 Co-Presidents and 2 VP's. They undertake no formal training, but discuss all decisions of course of further action between the leaders then to the rest of the club.

The SRE have about 35 continuous members, 200 on their mailing list, and many others who are reached with presentations and events offered to the entire student body. The entire student body is marketed to and eligible to participate in the SRE program.


A brief description of the formal training that the student educators receive (2nd program):

There are four elected leaders of Students for Renewable Energy. 2 Co-Presidents and 2 VP's. They undertake no formal training, but discuss all decisions of course of further action between the leaders then to the rest of the club.


A brief description of the staff and/or other financial support the institution provides to the program (2nd program):

The Students for Renewable Energy do not receive any substantial funding from WWU.


The website URL for 2nd program:
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Program name (All other programs):
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Number of students to whom peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education is offered (All other programs):
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.