Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 59.32
Liaison Lindsay Walker
Submission Date Oct. 14, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Humber College
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Lindsay Walker
Sustainability Manager
Facilities Management
"---" 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:

HSF: Sustainability Club (varied participation each year). The purpose of this group is to incite sustainability-related discussions among members. The club also organizes events such as clothing swaps.

Club Humm-PIRG (Public Interest Research Group). The group's goal is to get Humber students involved and compassionate about local and global issues


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:

The college has an organic garden and greenhouse that use organic gardening techniques. Plants are raised without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers and biodegradable waste is composted. The garden and greenhouse serve as a learning lab for students in the horticulture and landscaping programs. Students from any program that wish to pursue projects that require the use of the garden and/or greenhouse are welcomed to go through an open application process to gain access to the facility. The school also recruits students from the college-at-large to work in the maintenance of the vegetable and ornamental gardens.


The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):
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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:

The School of Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism runs Gourmet Express, a student-run café that features freshly made soup, salads and meals prepared by students at the culinary school. Made up of 80% students, the staff learn about the importance of resource management and waste reduction. The enterprise focuses on reducing waste by offering recyclable & compostable disposable containers and utensils and by having a pre- and post-consumer food waste composting program. The staff also promotes the reusable mug and soup bowl program at the beginning of each semester.


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?:
No

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

The college holds a week-long sustainability outreach campaign celebrating Earth Week to raise awareness and appreciation for the environment.

In 2014 Humber hosted a panel discussion including David Suzuki which highlighted the impacts of our current food systems. The event was attended by over 500 people in person and approximately 10,000 senior highschool students across Canada by live stream.

Humber students run a Fairtrade Week full of events engaging the campus community around Fairtrade products.

In Spring 2016 Humber Public Relations students ran an inaugural event to raise awareness about environmental issues and provide information about sustainable practices. The event is vendor fair that is organized and executed by second-year PR students under direction from the Student Success & Engagement department. The students’ roles and responsibilities for the event include developing the theme and slogan; marketing and promotions; décor and entertainment; menu selection; budget management; logistics; as well as event set-up and tear-down.


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:

Exhibitions:
L Space and North Space, Feb 2, 2016 to Feb 11, 2016
This exhibit will explore water as it relates to international development, with specific focus on exploring the idea of water as a human right, threats to the Great Lakes and the effects of climate change on the world’s water resources. Not only will this exhibit be informative and educational, but it will also aim to wake up the senses (touch, sound, sight) by presenting different water-themed installations at each campus.

L Space, Aug 24, 2015 to Sep 27, 2015
The SITUATE | DESIGN | BUILD studio at Humber is working with the WARD 6 community to design a series of PUBLIC | GARDEN spaces. Our approach is to create equal part public spaces and community gardens for growing food while emphasizing the social, economic and environmental considerations. PUBLIC | GARDEN sets into tension the mythic idea about nature as pristine space and the urban environment. By using the infrastructural possibilities of mobility of the adjacent train tracks and food terminals, this project creates a constructed nature for the growing of food and social interaction.

L Space, Aug 26, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013
The MIGRATION project is an invitation to transform the L Space gallery into an active area where anyone can mould their own clay bird and add to the flock. Migration is an act of movement and like the changing ecology along the Lakeshore; participants will occupy the gallery space with their creations becoming part of the installation and Humber's continually evolving creative, social, and physical environment. People are invited to post their photos of birds around the gallery as inspiration.

Programming:
L Space, Tuesday Mar 31, 2015
Creative Panel - Creativity in Space & Design

L Space - Friday Sep 27, 2013
Eco Walk takes participants across the Lakeshore in conjunction with the Culture Days movement! This walk and discussion will explore the importance of urban green space for the local and community and give people a chance to look at some of the amazing bird species that exist down at the Lake. Along the way you guide will also talk about the importance of parks like Colonel Samuel Smith Park in relation to migratory fly zones.


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:

Humber’s Outdoor Education Certificate program combines seminars on outdoor education with excursions and trips that follow the 'Leave No Trace' principles.


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)?:
No

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):
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Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
No

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
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Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

2014-2015 Academic Year: Sustainability Ambassadors and Leaders educate the Humber community about sustainability and in particular how to properly recycle on campus.

Humber's Office of Sustainability employs 2-3 students throughout the year to assist with social media, communications, events, graphic design.


The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:
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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:

The Co-Curricular Record (CCR) is a program designed to help students find skill development opportunities at Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber and have them recognized on an official record.

Experiences range from:
-paid positions,
-volunteer opportunities,
-workshops,
-conferences,
-athletics and more.

Students are then able to present their official record to future employers and other post-secondary institutions to highlight the out-of-classroom skill development they have engaged in during their academic career.

When CCR experiences are put into the program, the lead staff member must identify what competencies are learned/used during that experience. There are three competencies that have a sustainability focus:
- Sustainability
- Global Citizenship
- Social Responsibility & Civic Engagement

During 2015/2016 there were 323 experiences within the CCR that included at least one of the above three competencies related to sustainability.


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available (optional):
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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:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.