Portland State University
EN-3: Student Life

PSU has a strong student sustainability movement. Students are engaged in sustainability leadership on many levels, and this is reflected in the broad range of student groups and organizations working on sustainability issues. Here are some of our most active groups:

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
ASHRAE's Mission and Vision Mission: To advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world. Vision: ASHRAE will be the global leader, the foremost source of technical and educational information, and the primary provider of opportunity for professional growth in the arts and sciences of heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigerating.

Community Active in Resources, Environment and Society (CARES):
The purpose of this organization is to unite students in the common interest of exploring the sustainable use of natural resources. Our purpose is to promote solutions that foster healthy communities and enduring ecosystems through an interdisciplinary forum for the open discussion of environmental, social, and natural resource issues. We will promote ecological literacy and stewardship, provide opportunities for service to the community, and a forum for individuals to present research. We will facilitate networking between undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and practicing professionals.

Community Development Student Group (CDSG):
Our group's mission is to enhance the student experience for majors of the Community Development program at PSU. We seek to accomplish this by facilitating fun community building, seeking out collaborative learning partnerships, and providing service opportunities that encourage inclusion, leadership, and empowerment.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB):
In a nutshell, Engineers Without Borders is about helping people help themselves, improving people's lives with engineering solutions and developing cultural understanding and communication. Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization established to support community-driven development programs worldwide through partnerships that design and implement sustainable engineering projects.

Planning Club (Planning):
Planning Club's purpose is to: 1. Create a forum for discussion on current planning issues 2. Encourage and facilitate communication between current students and faculty in the School of Urban Studies and Planning, alumni, PSU and the greater Portland community 3. Generate opportunities for professional development for students and the community. Keywords: Planning Club Urban Planning Urban Studies Community Development Sustainability professional development Transportation Equity Social Justice

Bike PSU (Bike PSU):
We are a bicycle advocacy organization. Our mission is to grow the number of students biking to and within campus. We hold a variety of events and group rides to put biking in the spotlight as a means of transportation. Bike PSU empowers students to voice their opinions on improving bicycle infrastructure connecting to campus. Bike PSU coordinates with the PSU Bike Hub and Transportation & Parking Services to promote services such as: -VikeBikes bike rental program -Bicycle repair facilities at the Bike Hub and throughout campus -Several bike rooms for secure bike storage throughout campus

Counseling Studetns Advocating for Cultural Humility (CSACH):
We are counseling students committed to social justice through the continued practice of obtaining and maintaining cultural competence along all intersections. Our goal as future counselors is to seek the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to address both personal and institutional barriers in the counseling room as well as in our broader communities. We hope to act as a resource team providing information on multicultural sensitivity, humility and privilege. We intend to create space for all voices while advocating for growth and positive change in the counseling profession and beyond.

Enivronmental Club (Environmental):
The purpose of this organization is to unite students in the common interests of a variety of environmental issues and projects, promote sustainability, and make long lasting connections within and outside the PSU community.

Global Medical Brigades (GMB):
Global Medical Brigades provides a holistic model for sustainable health care in under-served rural communities by conducting preliminary needs assessments, treating patients to the highest ethical standards, sponsoring referrals to those with needs beyond our capability, recording data for the production of quantitative reports, and working with other GB programs to improve the water, sanitation, and economic infrastructures.

MindfulPSU (MPSU):
Mindfulness is described by Jon Kabat-Zinn as “paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” MindfulPSU is a student group dedicated to the use of Mindfulness Meditation to promote compassion for the self, empathy for others and overall well-being. We are a secular organization, open to all who wish to experience the benefits of Mindfulness. We strive to create a community of shared interest in the practice of Mindfulness with regular group meditation practice and discussion of emerging scientific research in Contemplative Psychology. Our goal is to encourage the free-exchange of thoughts and ideas that our experiences in Mindfulness bring to our lives. Mindfulness practice does not require any prescribed beliefs, or special knowledge or abilities: it simply requires one to stop and pay attention to the present moment. Whether you are a beginner or an expert; as Rumi says: “Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond” Research in behavioral psychology has shown mindfulness practice can boost the immune system, significantly reduce stress, increase attention and focus, and control emotional reactivity; with the end benefit of reducing anxiety and depression, help with moderating ADHD symptoms, and fostering overall well-being. Research in neuroscience has shown that regular mindfulness practice can create more expansive connections in the areas of the brain involved with decision making, emotional control and empathy.

Radical Education PSU (RAD EDU):
Radical Education is a newly formed organization at PSU looking to encourage members and fellow students to push the boundaries of Leftist advocacy and dialogue. Having just started, we are looking to others to help build the foundation for this new club. Keywords: Social Justice Politics

Sustainability Leaders Network (SLN):
We are students who strive to create a supportive action learning community in order to improve our leadership skills, gain organizing experience and network with organizations both on campus and the larger community in order to create environmental and social change.

Net Impact Chapter (Net Impact):
Mission Statement: To serve PSU and the Portland community by enabling emerging leaders and entrepreneurs to make a positive impact towards a sustainable future through business. To improve the world by growing and strengthening a network of leaders who use the power of business to make a positive net social, environmental, and economic impact.

Other Sustainability Student Organizations:
-Resorative Justice (REJust)
-Women in Business (WIB)
-Student Alliance For Sexual Safety (SASS)
-IHI Open School Chapter (PSU/OHSU Open School)
-Camions of Care PSU (COC-PSU)
-Student Animal Liberation Coalition (SALC)
-Planned Parenthood Generation Action Team (GAT)
-American Indian Science and Engineering Society
-American Institute of Architect Students (AIAS)
-American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
-Biology Investigation and Outreach
-Wildlife Science and Conservation Club
-Student Homelessness Advocates, Resources & Education (SHARE)
-Student Addressing Urban & Community Issues (SAUCI)
-Students in Transportation, Engineering & Planning (STEP)

Science Research Teaching Center Native Garden – The Environmental Club has managed this native garden since the 1990s. The garden strip runs along an entire city block and is located next to a well-used sidewalk. The garden features plants that are found in Oregon, signage indicating the names of most plants, a dry streambed, and a nurse log with mosses.

Community Orchard - Stroll through 30+ species of fruit trees or study at the cob bench in our Orchard. This space utilizes permaculture principles to mimic the processes of natural systems. Each year, the Orchard is one of many placemaking sites activated during the city-wide Village Building Convergence. This spring placemaking festival combines community building, art and ecological design. The Orchard is maintained through a partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). *STUDENT GOVERNED*

Learning Garden – The Learning Gardens Laboratory (LGL) is a 12-acre garden education site located in Southeast Portland that provides K-12, university students and community members hands-on and place-based education in sustainable gardening, healthy nutrition, and permaculture. Education at LGL supports improved academic achievement, leadership development, and the development of sustainable local food systems. Established in 2005, LGL exists as a unique partnership between Portland State University, Portland Public Schools, Portland Parks and Recreation, and Oregon State University Extension Service. The Learning Gardens Lab serves as model of community-based education focused on a hands-on and practical learning tool: the garden. Through garden-based education and outreach, this site serves Lane Middle School students, PSU students, SUN Program participants, Community Transition School students, OSU Extension Service horticulture students and Master Gardeners, and more. Graduate Assistants from the LSE program also coordinate a Multicultural Family Learning Garden for Lane Middle School families who are learning to grow their own food. In addition, PSU Graduate Assistants and interns harvest produce from LGL and deliver it to Lane Middle School where it is distributed to families who need it through our partnership with the Lane SUN (Schools Uniting Neighborhoods) School. PSU also offers senior Capstone service-learning classes in partnership with LGL including Environmental Education through a Native American Lens, Grant Writing for the Environment, Sustainable Food Systems, and Learning Gardens and Civic Affairs. Additionally, many PSU courses require Community-Based Learning and our site is one where these volunteer hours can be fulfilled. In addition to these educational opportunities, our partners from Oregon State University’s Extension Service demonstrate sustainable, organic gardening techniques at LGL through the Organic Gardening Certification Program, and train and mentor students from the Community Transition Center, a Portland Public School on site, in horticulture.

Permaculture Demonstration Garden – Along the west side of Smith Student Union, students maintain a demonstration garden which shares ecologically-sustainable land management practices. The garden includes groundcovers, native plants, a pathway, and other ""permaculture-friendly"" plants.

Native American Student and Community Center (NASCC) - This rooftop garden highlights native medicinal plants with ethnobotanical significance to the Pacific Northwest's indigenous communities. Signage highlights historical and contemporary uses of native plants.

Oak Savanna - South of Science Research and Teaching Center, the Savanna includes 5 oak trees and one pine tree. Additionally, the space is home to native plants which include camas, lupine, grasses, poppies, and yarrow. The space is used as an educational classroom and includes a meeting area comprised of 28 tree stumps. Staff in the Student Sustainability Center have created a learning module that is available to the campus for use in their learning activities.

Fifth Avenue Cinema:
The 5th Avenue Cinema exists to operate and promote the 5th Avenue Cinema; the only operating college cinema in Oregon and a very beloved part of the PSU community. It is our mission to be a center of film on campus and within the city of Portland.Our central functions are: To host weekly screenings of historically and/or artistically significant films; To foster community for students interested in film; To support student filmmakers and show their work at the cinema; To provide a free venue for student groups and non-profits that wish to show a film; To collaborate with other local film organizations; To provide a valuable educational experience for the students that staff the cinema; To continually improve the 5th Avenue Cinema which has been existence since the 1970s.

Littman and White Galleries:
The Littman and White Galleries are student-run exhibition spaces at Portland State University. Our mission is to provide the tools for a critical experience of visual culture through direct exposure to a comprehensive program of contemporary art for students and community members. We envision the Littman and White Galleries as centers for cultural enrichment where an indispensable art experience is accessible to all perspectives and levels of education. We value the educational experience made available to Portland State students and the broader community by the work of this organization. This includes the invaluable vocational opportunities available to the members of this organization. We value diversity in artists, media and opinions. We value sustainable work practices to ensure maintenance and security for the future of this organization. We also value the relationships built between the gallery, the university, and the regional creative community. Our aesthetics are focused on contemporary art practices. Our programming reflects the contemporary art community by incorporating guest curators, auxiliary exhibitions, and large events taking place on campus. Our goal is to present work that challenges our audience both conceptually and visually. By focusing on emerging and mid-career artists, we aim to present burgeoning trends in contemporary art that can be accessible to anyone. We see our exhibitions as educational, timely, and contextually relevant. Littman and White Galleries are on the second floor of Smith Memorial Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway Avenue. Littman Gallery is in room 250 of SMSU, while White Gallery is located in room 289 of SMSU, situated between rooms 238 and 232.

Portland State Professional Sound:
The purpose of this organization is to provide sound reinforcement, lighting, and production assistance for on-campus events that enrich the greater PSU community. In addition to this, we promote music and music technology education, and bring free musical performances to the campus that are representative of the diverse tastes and experiences of the community. We achieve this goal in the most financially, socially, and ecologically sustainable manner possible within our means.

The Divest PSU campaign is in the process of participating in PSU's Environmental and Social Governance strategy with the PSU Foundation. PSU is still in the process of identifying how its investments can be more sustainable, but we are making progress.

President's Dviersity Mini-Grants Program:
The Office of Global Diversity & Inclusion and the Diversity Action Council (DAC) seek to promote a positive campus climate for diversity, support the development of diversity curriculum, enhance communications, and assist in the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body, faculty, staff, and administration. Support may be requested for diversity-­related curricular development projects, campus events and programs, or research, including but not limited to the evaluation of campus diversity programs.

PSU hosts many events related to sustainability each year. Events with an asterisk are student-governed.

- Social Sustainability Colloquium
- Social Sustainability Month*
- PSU CleanTech Challenge
- Solutions seminars with experts from around the world (throughout the year)
- Urban Ecological Research Symposium
- Research to Action Symposium
- Weekly transportation seminars
- Bicycle workshops
- Regional Livability Summit
- Multnomah Food Policy Summit
- Portland State of Mind events
- Elevating Impact Summit
- Seminars are held in Environmental Science and Transportation Departments
- Ecosystem Services Partnership Conference
- Village Building Convergence*

Social Sustainability Month
Village Building Convergence
Native American Heritage Month
Earth Days
Earth Day of Service*
Alternative Spring Break*
Campus Conservation Nationals*

PSU's Outdoor Program was established in 1966 and offers a wide variety of programs, including trips and equipment rentals. Through the Outdoor Program, students have the chance to enhance their academic careers through leadership development opportunities and through finding affordable ways to escape and meet fellow students. In addition to providing outdoor trips, the Outdoor Program also manages PSU's climbing center, an equipment rental center, and a volunteer program.

Trip leaders are trained and follow Leave No Trace principles.

PSU has a year-long, interdisciplinary, first-year experience course called Freshman Inquiry. Sustainability is currently 1 of 8 themes that Freshmen can choose among to fulfill this portion of their general education requirement. Sustainability is also a learning outcome for all undergraduate students.

Sustainability Honors Program
Sustainability Volunteer Program
EcoReps
Student Sustainability Leadership Council
Campus Conservation Nationals
Social Sustainability Month
Village Building Convergence
Community Skill Share
others...

PSU offers many opportunities to prepare for a sustainability-focused career. These include:

Career counseling with a sustainability focused career counselor - http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/pathways-to-sustainability-careers

Careers in Sustainability page - http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/pathways-to-sustainability-careers

Current opportunities page - http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/current-opportunities

Internship program - http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/sustainability-internship-program

Off-campus opportunities - http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/off-campus-opportunities

Graduate Assistant positions - http://www.pdx.edu/ogs/graduate-assistantships

PSU has offered the graduation sustainability pledge since 2009-10. Students can sign via the online form or in person during the commencement ceremony.

"Join more than 4,000 PSU graduates who have taken the Graduation Sustainability Pledge. Together, we can make a positive difference in our communities and create a better world."

Student newsletter: Sent to over 2,000 students each month, the newsletter shares opportunities, news, interviews, and other great resources.

Chinook Book mobile app: Available to all students, staff, and faculty, the app shares 60 great coupons to local and sustainable businesses. The app also shares sustainable living information that includes city bike maps, articles, videos, sustainable living tips, and more.

Reuse communities: Through Facebook and the PSU Switchboard, students can post and respond to opportunities and physical items. This builds a community of reuse.

ReUse Room: Located in Cramer 180, this is a free office supply exchange program. Items are donated from departments and can be taken by students, staff and faculty. The ReUse Room also includes reusable mugs and other valuable items.

ISS offers several opportunities for students to receive funding to attend conferences or to help advance student research.

http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/sustainability-education
https://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/solutions-blog/introducing-a-new-outdoor-classroom-at-psu-the-oak-savanna