| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.82 |
| Liaison | Rochelle Owen |
| Submission Date | Jan. 7, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Dalhousie University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
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 | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
| 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 | Yes |
The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office : Is a student-run organization that strives to create a culture of sustainability within Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) operations thereby improving our university community by making the DSU an ecologically aware, economically responsible, and socially equitable institution
Sustain Dal: SustainDal a student-run group that works with students, faculty, staff, administration and the community to make our campus more sustainable by moving towards environmentally sound practices that are economically beneficial, and socially just. We focus on institutionalizing change through university operations, curriculum, and culture.
Dal Bike Center: offers a space to learn about bicycle and how to ride it safely and comfortably around Halifax. Mission is to establish Dalhousie University as a community leader in active and sustainable modes of transportation.
The Loaded Ladle Food Co-op: The Loaded Ladle is a non-profit, open cooperative of students and community members dedicated to providing affordable, diverse, fresh, and healthy food to as many people as possible. They aim to tackle the unjust global food system by providing a local alternative
Dal Environmental Law Society: The ELSS is a student-run society that focuses on environmental issues as they relate to the law.
Green Residence Forum: The Dalhousie GRF is a group composed of students who are interested in living more sustainably on residence and want to promote earth friendly initiatives/activities.
Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group (NSPIRG): NSPIRG mandate is to link research with action for social and environmental justice within an anti-oppression framework
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:
Dalhousie Urban Garden Society : The garden operates as an educational space for students, staff, and community members to learn about the possibilities of urban agriculture, with the produce going to volunteers and the Loaded Ladle.
School for Resource and Environmental Management Student Society and the Loaded Ladle have plots in the Common Roots Urban Farm. The garden is a pilot project to promote urban agriculture and to engage the community in growing food. other gardens where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture are the Chef's garden and the Agricultural Campus community garden.
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:
Halifax Dump and Run : The Halifax Dump and Run is an annual event, that is student-organized and community run through Saint Mary's University Environmental Society (SMUES) and Dalhousie's Office of Sustainability. Our goal is to divert waste from local landfills by collecting items people no longer have use for and selling them (cheap!) at a gymnasium-sized indoor yard sale in order to raise money for charitable organizations that support Halifax's social and environmental well-being
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
Divest Dal: is a student run campaign commited to environmental justice, transparency and sustainable investment.
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:
Elizabeth May chair research symposium : The annual Sustainability and Environmental Research Symposium (SERS) provides a forum for exchange of ideas on recent advances in research, theory and practice in environment and health research.
Other sustainability related conferences and events includes:
Dalhousie sustainable oceans conference, Environment, Sustainability and Society lecture series, Green week events organised by Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office
http://emaychair.dal.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=5
http://dsusustainabilityoffice.ca/
http://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/marine-affairs-program/news-events/news/2014/03/27/sustainable_oceans_conference_2014__transforming_a_sea_of_knowledge_into_effective_management___april_11_12th__2014.html
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:
Patch art piece in Dalhousie Mona Campbell Building: The ever-changing colours and motions of the 19 lanterns — one for each classroom in the Mona Campbell building — are a visual representation of the building’s moment-to-moment environmental conditions. Each lantern is equipped with a microprocessor linking the art installation with the building’s digital “smart” monitoring systems (carbon dioxide levels, water usage, energy usage etc.)
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:
Dalhousie outdoors society: The Dalhousie Outdoors Society promotes and facilitates adventuring and wandering in Nova Scotia’s beautiful wilderness with the aim of inspiring all to build a community that enjoys and respects nature.
Other outdoor programs for students includes:
Dalhousie kayaking club and Dal- kings sailing.
http://athletics.dal.ca/intramurals_clubs/recreational_clubs/kayaking.html
http://athletics.dal.ca/intramurals_clubs/recreational_clubs/sailing.html
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:
The Dalhousie College of Sustainability hosts a weekly lecture series thoughout the semester on various sustainability-related themes
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Green Residence Forum (GRF): is a group open to students living in any building who are interested in living more sustainably in residence. This group is also the main organizing body of Ecolympics.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
Office of Sustainability - offers sustainability- focused student employment opportunities
Research assistants: Students who work as research assistant on sustainability focused research. Example include research program such as Dalhousie Research in Energy, Advanced Materials and Sustainability (DREAMS)
Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office
http://dsusustainabilityoffice.ca/?page_id=30
http://dreams.irm.dal.ca/Scholars.htm
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:
Rethink sustainability pledge : The objective of the pledge is to get people to rethink their current actions and change unsustainable habitual behaviours. The pledge is not limited to graduate students but inclusive of graduate students.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
Other co-curricular programs include Earth week, bike week, commuter challenge, brightest idea, and Ecolympics. All these programs are geared towards promoting sustainable behaviours on campus
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.