Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 29.38
Liaison Brandon Hoover
Submission Date Aug. 31, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Messiah University
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.50 / 2.00 Brandon Hoover
Director of Sustainability
Operations
"---" 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:

"Earthkeepers: A club that promotes sustainable practices on-campus and abroad. Aiming to protect and improve the environment not only for our benefit but to honor God and the creation He has charged us with. Outdoors Club: The purpose of this organization is to provide opportunities for the outdoor lover in the college community to enjoy fellowship with others, to develop stronger outdoor skills, and to engage in community service for our environment. The Club's leadership works to integrate these three aspects with the appreciation of God's Creation through outdoor activities. Spoke N True: Spoke N’True Bike Shop provides both repair services and learning opportunities for students and faculty, creating awareness for cycling and cycling safety on campus.They work as an extension of Harrisburg’s Recycle Bicycle, another non-profit service organization.

Restoration House: Focuses on the environment by developing a strong sense of place by learning about and understanding the environment in which we live. Stimulates activities that involve the immediate community of Messiah College, the community of Grantham, and the world; raise awareness of global injustices and make intelligent decisions when consuming products and ideas in order to avoid adding to the problem. They additionally acknowledge the importance of environmentalism as an aspect of spiritual wholeness and live accordingly
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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:

Yes, the Grantham Community Garden (which produces vegetables, fruit, eggs, and honey)


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)?:
No

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):
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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 Green Revolving Fund is a financial investment that will collect funding for future projects in order to decrease the college's carbon footprint and increase its energy efficiency.


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 Green Allies Conference is an annual conference aimed at providing networking opportunities for undergraduate and high school students across the Northeast. It includes workshops and speaker opportunities, as well as the opportunity to meet with sustainably minded organizations that students' schools can partner with. Earthkeepers often hosts semester-long panel series open to the student body on topics related to sustainability, including environmental justice and ecofeminism.


The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):
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Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:
No

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
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The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):
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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:

The purpose of the Outdoors Club is to provide opportunities for the outdoor lover in the college community to enjoy fellowship with others, to develop stronger outdoor skills, and to engage in community service for our environment. The Club's leadership works to integrate these three aspects with the appreciation of God's Creation through outdoor activities.


The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):
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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:

The Office of Sustainability offers quite a few positions for employment, including Engagement Coordinator, Waste Coordinator, Compost Workers, Energy Coordinator, Biodiversity Coordinator, Grantham Community Garden Coordinator, and Communications Coordinator. The Engagement Coordinator works to bring speakers and events focused on sustainability to campus (such as the annual Sustain-A-Fest, chapel series, Service Day, and campus sustainability tours) and communicates and partners with student-led sustainability groups on campus. The Waste Coordinator helps reduce food waste within dining establishments, helps coordinate move-out efforts to create less waste, and gives out compost buckets to students. The Compost Workers pick up pre- and post-consumer food waste from the dining establishments on campus and bring them to the compost piles at the edge of campus. The Energy Coordinator records energy use on campus as well as sends out mock energy reports to get students to reduce their energy usage. The Biodiversity Coordinator helps ensure that the campus biodiversity stays intact and coordinates the efforts for the campus to remain a member of Tree Campus USA, as well as overseeing the campus rain gardens and pollinator meadow. The Grantham Community Garden Coordinator oversees the planting, harvesting, and management of the garden. The Engagement Coordinator handles all of the Office's social media and advertisement of events.


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