| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 57.31 |
| Liaison | Feng Teter |
| Submission Date | Dec. 4, 2023 |
California State University, Fresno
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Feng
Teter Sustainability Analyst Office of the Provost |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
Currently, student groups that are actively focusing on sustainability:
Student Government (ASI), who are working on advancing sustainability on campus -- Sustainability Senator position who chairs the ASI Sustainability Committee
Sustainability Club -- mission is to create a conscious culture of sustainability on campus through recreational and educational activities or events.
SunDogs -- renewable energy club working on campus/community outreach projects
Plant Science Club -- working on sustainable agricultural awareness
Fresno State Food Recovery Network -- fighting food insecurity and reducing food waste
http://fresnostate.edu/academics/sustainability/opportunities-student-involvement.html
Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
The campus has multiple greenhouses, an active arboretum, along with a campus farm that serves as an agricultural laboratory.
Gardens: https://www.fresnostate.edu/adminserv/arboretum/garcol/
Arboretum: http://www.fresnostate.edu/adminserv/arboretum/
Agricultural Laboratory (Campus Farm): https://www.fresnostate.edu/agf/farmlab/
Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Fresno State students have free access to Unlea$hed, a platform offered by the Money Management Center on campus, where students can learn "everything you need to know about financially going green." Access the Unlea$hed portal here: https://unleashed.igrad.com/
Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
World Sustainability & Climate Action Days (2023): This event featured some local organizations doing sustainability-oriented work, campus clubs engaged in sustainability, as well as some stations on sustainable activities/lifestyles to educate students on the various things they can do to implement sustainable changes into their daily lives and/or careers.
World Water Day Symposium (2022): This symposium featured a keynote speech from North Fork Tribal Chair, Ron Goode, on indigineous perspectives on water and sustainability in California's Central Valley. Local organizations working on water-related issues were invited to educate the campus and surrounding community as well as network with students.
Earth Day (2021, 2022, 2023): This event, coordinated by students, is for students to come together to celebrate Earth Day and learn how to be more eco-friendly in their personal and professional career. Local organizations working in environmental- and sustainability-related issues are invited to conduct outreach to the campus community as well as network with students to advertise potential job and internship opportunities.
Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
Fresno State hosted the CSU Summer Arts Festival in 2022, in which one session featured the history and work of three visual artists' interpretation on social and environmental issues.
Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Classes and activities administered by the Recreation Administration Department teach the seven Leave No Trace Principles. When students are participating in their field activities, they are expected to practice these skills in real outdoor settings.
Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
The College of Science and Mathematics & The Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology both host their own first year experiences (named Building Opportunities through Networks of Discovery, or BOND) which consists of a brief summer experience, followed by two consecutively sequenced general education gateway courses taught using active learning strategies: CSM 10 (The Scientific Method, Fall) and CSM 15 (Evidence Based Decision Making, Spring). These courses are designed using UC Berkeley’s “Understanding Science” and case studies from the Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC, DBI #1052875 and 1639145), which reinforce a comprehensive understanding of what science is—the literature, its culture, and methods—along with how science can be used to help society and solve real world problems. The overall design of the yearlong experience can be used to teach any “wicked, unsustainable problem,” well suited to engaging students with problems relevant to unsustainable use of food, energy, and water.
Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Not at the moment - but there is some discussions on the possibility of this.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Recurring positions:
Each year, Instructional Student Assistants are hired by both the College of Science and Mathematics and the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology to provide in- and out-of-class support to the sustainability-themed first year experiences.
There are also Student Assistant Positions at the California Water Institute and Center for Irrigation Technology.
Not recurring positions:
As part of the Central Utility Plant Replacement project, paid internships were offered to provide current students with the opportunity to engage the student population in the project as a whole. Interns worked on data collection and analysis, marketing, and outreach.
The Sustainability Task Force (2020-2023) employed students to lead and support sustainability efforts across campus, including educational outreach programs, some data compilation and analysis, and capacity building within campus staff and faculty.
All positions can be found on HireFresnoState, which can be accessed through students' Fresno State portal.
Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.