Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.69
Liaison Rochelle Owen
Submission Date April 6, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Dalhousie University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
Yes

A brief description of active student groups 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.

Dal Bike Center offers a space to learn about cycling maintenance and promotes cycling. Their mission is to establish Dalhousie University as a community leader in active and sustainable modes of transportation. They also offer free bike loans for up to a week for all Dalhousie students.

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. Carbon Consultancy: The Carbon Consultancy is a sub-initiative of the Environmental Law Students' Society at Dalhousie. They enable individuals, organizations and businesses to participate in funding renewable energy projects at Dalhousie University by making contributions to those projects reflecting their own emissions.

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. Divest Dal is a working group of NSPIRG urging Dalhousie University to divest its endowment fund from the fossil fuel industry.

Your Environment Sustainability Society (YESS) is a student society for people in the Environment, Sustainability, and Society undergraduate degree program.

The Society of Undergraduate Planners (SUP)is the student society for the Community Planning major at Dalhousie. The group organizes or supports events that promote sustainable, liveable, vibrant communities.


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:

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 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:

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 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 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?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:

The Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office (DSUSO) offers grant funding to student sustainability initiatives. DSUSO also provides a green events fund that helps to offset additional costs incurred by student event organizers who choose socially and environmentally sustainable products or services.


The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):
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:

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.
https://www.dal.ca/faculty/science/emaychair.html

Other sustainability related conferences and events includes:
Dalhousie sustainable oceans conference, Environment, Sustainability and Society lecture series, Green Week events organized by Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office
http://dsu.ca/dsuso


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:

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.)

Green Wall inside of the Student Union Building, this scenic and air purifying wall found in the newly renovated section of the SUB, hosts a wide variety of different plant species.

AC Green Wall hosts over 200 plants of differing varieties. This wall has many potential uses for students and faculty alike. Students will become involved with the Living Wall through various course work, and can be enjoyed by all on campus.


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:

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 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 Dalhousie College of Sustainability hosts a weekly lecture series thoughout the semester on various sustainability-related themes.

The Residence Ecolympics is a first year experience focused on the sustainbility-related theme of resource reduction (heat, electricity, and water) as well as general sustainability goals.


The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

The 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 programs is available (optional):
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 Office of Sustainability offers sustainability-focused student employment opportunities throughout the academic year and summers.

Research assistants: Students who work as research assistant on sustainability focused research.

Dalhousie Student Union Sustainability Office: http://dsu.ca/dsuso


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?:
No

A brief description of the graduation pledges:
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The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
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Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
Yes

A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:

Other co-curricular programs include Earth Week, Bike Week, Commuter Challenge, Brightest Idea Competition, Instant Sustainability Awards and Ecolympics. All these programs are geared towards promoting sustainable behaviors on campus


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
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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