| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.35 |
| Liaison | Mary Lucus |
| Submission Date | March 14, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Belmont University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Mary
Lucus Director, IR Provost |
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 | No |
| 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 | --- |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | Yes |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | Yes |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | --- |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | Yes |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | --- |
The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
1) Slow Food Belmont - Slow Food Belmont is a student-led organization as well as a nationally-recognized campus chapter through Slow Food USA; we have been established to "create a space of mutual learning, common work and collective experience", and by maintaining an urban garden, sponsoring various convocation events, linking to Service Learning classes, showing related films, partnering with the Dismas House and much, much more, we strive to live out and actively promote Belmont University's mission to "engage and transform the world"
2) Belmont ONE (Our Natural Environment) Club is an environmental club for students that leads efforts in student education about recycling and use of public transport.
The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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:
Meant to be circular in character and constant in repetition, the Compton Avenue Community Garden will undergo a strict five-stage agricultural pattern which outlines the life of a healthy horticulture. They are Spring Planting, Summer Harvest, Autumn Planting, Autumn Harvest and Winter Sabbath, each lasting approximately more or less than two months; this cycle will continuously be experimented with since our experience in the field of urban gardening is more of a learn-as-you-go-along process.
The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
We have created a marketplace with environmentally friendlier products which student commonly buy to bring to school. We also have geared some of our policies on appliances to be energy efficient. Residence Life sold about $150,000 worth of energy star and environmentally friendly products to students each August. They are looking to expand the product offering in the future.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Participation in Earth Hour and Earth Day events.
Teens Turning Green Annual Conscious College Road Tour to inform, inspire, and mobilize students to transition their live and school campuses from conventional to conscious.
Belmont will be hosting the 10th Annual Environmental Science Lectures.
Chapel Speakers 2015:
Frank Verdi, Heartline Ministries (healthcare in Haiti focused on maternity care for women and post-natal care for babies).
Chapel, 2016:
Earth Week Chapel—Blessed Earth TN—explicit teaching about sustainability.
The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
The mission of the Outdoor Pursuits program is to provide outdoor adventures for the Belmont University community. It is our goal to educate the students, faculty, and staff of the University about the outdoors and all the wonderful recreational opportunities that it provides. We also strive to create an environment on our trips that is conducive to building new and lasting relationships among the participants.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
Belmont's First Year Seminar regularly focuses on issues of equality, with the past year's theme being specifically about wealth and poverty. Students are asked to participate in a common reading and course work directed at understanding how they can use their passions to meet the world's needs.Belmont's First Year Seminar regularly focuses on issues of equality, with the past year's theme being specifically about wealth and poverty. Students are asked to participate in a common reading and course work directed at understanding how they can use their passions to meet the world's needs.
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Belmont University was recently honored with the 2014 Tree Campus USA® recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to effective urban forest management.
Tree Campus USA, a national program created in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation and sponsored by Toyota, honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and staff and student engagement in conservation goals. Belmont University achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus USA’s five standards including maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning projects.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
Belmont students have the opportunity to pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job they consider and try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which they work. Belmont’s Graduation Pledge Alliance (GPA) chapter and 100 other universities offer this voluntary, non-partisan, non-sectarian pledge at graduation rehearsal. Over 125,000 students in the U.S. and abroad have signed it. A student determines what his or her values are and what they consider is environmentally sustainable and socially responsible. Pledges decide the outcomes they would like to see and are mindful of the consequences of their actions.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.