Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.78
Liaison Amber Saxton
Submission Date Sept. 9, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

George Mason University
IN-1: Innovation 1

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Giulia Manno
Outreach Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Title or keywords related to the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Sustaining the Sustainer Retreat

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome :

The Sustaining the Sustainer retreat was a unique collaboration between George Mason University’s Office of Sustainability and Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. The goal of the weekend retreat was to empower sustainability leaders within the Mason community by helping them develop resiliency. This is aligned with Mason's Strategic Goal of being a model well-being university. Mason strives to strengthen its students, faculty, and staff to live a life of vitality, purpose, and resilience.

The thirty-one students, faculty, and staff participated in yoga, hiking, meditation, discussions about nature and spirituality, and volunteered at a local farm. These experiences allowed them to explore well-being, personal connections with nature, learn how to sustain themselves through bad news, manage stress, and develop resiliency and mindfulness.


A brief description of any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation (if not reported above):

While still being calculated, the pre- and post-surveys seem to indicate an improvement in resilience indicators such as hopefulness and self-efficacy.


A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise:
Which of the following STARS subcategories does the innovation most closely relate to? (Select all that apply up to a maximum of 5):
Yes or No
Curriculum ---
Research ---
Campus Engagement Yes
Public Engagement ---
Air & Climate ---
Buildings ---
Dining Services ---
Energy ---
Grounds ---
Purchasing ---
Transportation ---
Waste ---
Water ---
Coordination, Planning & Governance ---
Diversity & Affordability ---
Health, Wellbeing & Work Yes
Investment ---

Other topic(s) that the innovation relates to that are not listed above:
---

The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Data submitted for FY2014.


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