Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.28
Liaison David Blodgett
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Babson College
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Asheen Phansey
Director of Sustainability
President's Office
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Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

The Babson Energy and Environmental Club (BEEC) is comprised of Babson College's graduate students with some undergraduate representation. They are a group of students committed to entrepreneurship, sustainable initiatives, and educating themselves with all things sustainable. Their largest event is a conference organized each year, where they invite inspiring leaders in the industry as guest speakers. A carbon neutral organization, BEEC purchases carbon offsets to counterbalance the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from their events and activities. BEEC’s Green-e certified offsets have been purchased through Carbonfund.org, a non-profit organization that supports renewable energy, reforestation and energy efficiency projects worldwide to reduce carbon emissions and the threat of climate change.
The organization is primarily run by the student leaders with the support of several advisers from the professional and academic sphere.

The undergraduate Sustainability Club was founded in Spring 2016 and engages students in campus sustainability projects.


The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):
Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:
Yes

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:

Faculty, staff, and students run twelve 4'x8' raised organic garden beds where herbs, vegetables, and fruits are grown. It is located in between the Reynolds and Hollister buildings.

Additionally, the Sustainability Office supports a CSA program and hosts a drop-off location on campus and serves about 25 participants, year-round. More information: http://farmerstoyou.com/


The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:
Yes

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

Every first year student is part of a business as part of the Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME). Students present business ideas at the start of the year during the annual Rocket Pitch and the top ideas get turned into businesses. Throughout this process students are taught about corporate responsibility, and life cycle analysis of a product.


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
No

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
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Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:

Babson's eighth annual Sustainability Fair (Changemaker Marketplace) was held in October 2017 and attracted more than 400 students as well as over 100 faculty, staff, administrators, and community members. The zero-waste fair showcased sustainability efforts at Babson and beyond, and featured student groups, sustainable alumni businesses, and sustainable food.

The annual Babson Energy and Environment Conference provides a forum for leading professionals and companies to discuss how clean energy innovation will drive a new era of energy, economics and policy.

Babson Social Innovation Summit explores how the for-profit sector can leverage social innovation to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Sustainability Office also regularly partners with other departments on campus to bring in sustainability speakers, ranging from Naomi Klein to a group of the founding farmers from Organic Valley.


The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:

Chasing Ice: Directed by Jeff Orlawski, Presented by the Global Film Series
A solitary quest with global implications. This Emmy-Award winning documentary tells the story of environmental photographer James Balog, who publicized the effects of climate change by capturing the historical polar ice melt on camera. Both chilling and awe-inspiring, Chasing Ice delivers visual evidence of climate change that’s more powerful than scientific and governmental papers can communicate. It also opens up discussions about technology’s role in mediating between humans and nature, and the responsibility of the audience for witnessing such a catastrophic event.

Naomi Klein's film, 'This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate' was shown on campus, followed by a presentation by Naomi Klein.

Cast: New Work by Pat Falco
Artist Talk and Reception: Thursday, February 2, 5:00 P.M., Exhibit on View: February 2–March 30, Hollister Gallery
A keen observer of the world around him, Pat Falco uses a street art graphic drawing style and hand-printed text to reflect with honesty and wit on both social and personal issues. He chooses mis-tinted paints and found objects for his art surfaces, because, as he says, “I’d like not to make more waste than is already here.” Consumer culture, interpersonal relationships, the art world, our current political climate, heartbreak, gentrification, socioeconomic stratification, and fear of failure are a just a few of the themes where he mines incongruities for humor and pathos.

Breaking Prairie: Sculpture and Installation by Andrea Thompson
Artist Talk and Reception: Thursday, September 15, 5:00 P.M.
Exhibit on view: September 15–October 20
How do we value the land? In the early 20th century, vast areas of prairie grasslands in the American Great Plains were converted to farmland, forever altering the landscape. The bushels-per-acre accounting of agriculture came at the cost of native plant species, which are superior at capturing carbon, preventing erosion, and supporting a thriving ecosystem. The hubris of westward expansion becomes evident when contrasted with scenes from the day-to-day reality of farming life. Sculptor and installation artist Andrea Thompson explores these themes in Breaking Prairie, a new artwork series that questions how we measure the worth of wild and cultivated landscapes.

Clybourne Park
A Play By Bruce Norris, Directed by Professor Beth Wynstra (with student actors)
Real estate and racism collide in this Pulitzer Prizewinning play that returns to the neighborhood portrayed in the classic A Raisin in the Sun and explores a half century of life in urban America. Wickedly funny, the play looks at modern gentrification and asks us to reconsider our notions of privilege, race, and neighborhoods.


The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

The Babson Outdoors Association advocates participation in outdoor activities. The association organizes several outings to go white water rafting, rock climbing, etc. for the entire Babson community and follows Leave No Trace principles in its outings.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

The First Year Seminar, an introduction to Babson course, has a sustainability-focused option. It is a semester-long orientation for students, and the sustainability-focused section was the first section to fill all enrollment slots.


The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
No

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

The Sustainability Office hires several student interns every year. This group of interns evaluates the priorities of the campus and designs projects that use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely) goals to drive towards a more sustainable campus.


The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
Yes

A brief description of the graduation pledges:

Yes, Babson has had a pledge since May 2012. This pledge is offered to all graduating students who will wear ribbons on their graduation gowns letting people know of their pledge.

Graduation Pledge -
“Through the application of entrepreneurial thought and action, I pledge to integrate social, environmental and economic sustainability concepts into the business practices in which I partake, in order to create resilient, sustainable prosperity.”


The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
No

A brief description of the 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 (optional):
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Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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