| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.90 |
| Liaison | Connie Norton |
| Submission Date | Oct. 5, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Simon Fraser University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Pegah
Djamzad Analyst Sustainability Office |
Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:
A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:
Embark (http://www.embarksustainability.org/)
Embark is an independent, student-led not-for-profit based out of Simon Fraser University that empowers the next generation of student sustainability leaders. Their mission is to engage SFU student members in change making and inspire their sustainability leadership through grant, advocacy, and student-designed programming.
SFU 350 (http://www.sfu350.com)
Raises awareness among students, faculty, and alumni about SFU’s role in mitigating climate change.
Change SFU (https://www.facebook.com/ChangeSFU/)
ChangeSFU is a student-run environmental activism group. As an activism group, we believe that one of the best ways to address the most important issues of today is head on. To that end, we aim to educate and engage the students of SFU through tenacious petitioning, eclectic lecture series, and passionate rallying.
Net Impact (Beedie Chapter - http://beedie.sfu.ca/netimpact/)
Strive to make a positive environmental, social, and economic impact in the Vancouver Community (and beyond) by advocating responsible and sustainable business practices.
Team Phantom (https://www.teamphantom.ca/#team)
We are a team that strives not only to innovate but also to be inclusive towards all faculties across SFU. With the help of our talented, multidisciplinary team, we work towards bringing fun and exhilaration into the sustainability world.
Wildlife Conservation - SFU (http://www.facebook.com/groups/177292665669188/)
We are group of students dedicated to the education, promotion and conservation of wildlife. We provide connections to volunteer and job opportunities and host events related to biology and the environment.
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?:
A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:
Embark Learning Garden
The Learning Garden is a garden facility at SFU Burnaby, located on the south side of TASC1. This garden space is a community-centred learning, social and event space. SFU students can learn how to grow, eat, and share campus-grown food while making SFU Burnaby more sustainable.
Each season, plots are rented to student groups such as clubs, departmental students unions, and graduate caucuses, as well as SFU departments, labs and instructors. The plots may be used as part of a class, as was recently done with EDUC 454. Embark hosts events and workshops about growing and using local food, garden management, and business development in our region’s local food sector. The garden space is also available for students, staff, and faculty to book outdoor meetings and events at no cost.
Embark recently expanded its garden program to the SFU Surrey Campus.
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)?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
Enactus
Enactus is a global organization that uses entrepreneurial action as a catalyst for progress, taking the concepts of social entrepreneurship and the triple bottom-line to heart. Enactus teams develop innovative programs that address social, environmental and economic needs in the community, in an attempt to improve the livelihoods of others.
Enactus SFU's mandate is to encourage social entrepreneurship at Simon Fraser University and in the community. To consider the relevant economic, social, and environment factors to effectively empower people in need by applying business and economic concepts and an entrepreneurial approach to improve their livelihoods.
Enactus SFU has more than 120 active members running 9 sustainable programs. It helps students develop new skills and empower them to become future leaders all while making a positive impact in the community. In the past 5 years, Enactus SFU has dedicated over 73,000 hours to improve the lives of over 6,600 individuals.
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?:
A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:
Count on Me (http://enactussfu.com/count-on-me/)
Count on Me strives to instill both financial literacy and employability skills in disadvantaged youths, empowering them with the tools necessary to build their own secure and fulfilling futures. It partners with youth programs to teach students at-risk of financial problems due to troubling economic and social backgrounds.
Count on Me program covers ten financial and employability topics that are essential for sustainable living but are not taught effectively in regular classrooms. Through the course of eight weeks, we cover the topics of Goal setting and Budgeting, Resumes and Cover Letters, Banking & Saving and Credit, Income & Taxes, and Job Interviews. Each workshop is 90 minutes and is led by two trained youth leaders through interactive discussions, hands-on activities, and PowerPoint presentations.
Embark's Social Innovation Seed Fund (http://www.embarksustainability.org/grant)
This fund provides financial support ranging from $200 to $1,500 to help student projects off the ground. Student Social Innovation Projects are initiatives, ventures, products, programs or processes intended to create positive social, economic or environmental transformation for SFU and/or its communities.
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?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:
Sustainability Career Night (http://www.embarksustainability.org)
Organized by Embark, Sustainability Career Night is an opportunity for SFU students to learn about opportunities to work in the area of social sustainability, with a focus on the health of our communities and environment. The event features a handful of different sustainability professionals ranging from non-profit start-ups to large-scale organizations. Students hear about their background and career path, as well as have a chance to network and talk with them one-on-one.
SFU Public Square (http://www.sfu.ca/publicsquare.html)
SFU Public Square, a signature initiative designed to spark, nurture and restore community connections, establishes Simon Fraser University as the go-to convener of serious and productive conversations about issues of public concern.
SFU Public Square hosts an annual Community Summit to investigate—and recommend practical solutions to—pressing issues in B.C. and Canada. Topics explored in the past include: isolation and disconnection in the urban environment, BC's economic future, innovation from the economical, educational, environmental, and healthcare perspectives, city building and the power individuals hold to shape their communities, and the role of Canada in the world today.
2018 Community Summit: Brave New Work, invites the community to consider how we can all thrive in the changing world of work. This two week summit comprises of various paid and free events that students are encouraged to participate.
FCAT Undergraduate Conference (http://www.sfu.ca/fcat/ugc.html)
The FCAT Undergraduate Conference (UGC) is a celebration and exploration of the diverse range of student work produced within the faculty of communications, arts and technology. Students from each of the schools and programs have the opportunity to showcase performances, papers, installations, and displays related to a particular theme. It is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff and industry members to come together, share knowledge and build meaningful connections.
The theme of this year’s conference is ‘sustainability’ - a complex concept that can be applied to economic, ecological and even social issues. In theory, if something is sustainable, it should be able to continue forever without any harmful consequences. It’s as much about innovation as it is about responsibility.
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?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:
At SFU Woodwards, there are diverse events offered, often for free, curated and put on by SFU's School for the Contemporary Arts.
Between October 25 - November 10 2017, SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement is welcomed back the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival for a variety of exciting events including screenings of of Aabiziingwashi: Angry Inuk - where Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril joined her fellow Inuit activists as they challenge outdated perceptions of Inuit and present themselves to the world as a modern people in dire need of a sustainable economy
(http://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/events/events1/2017-2018-fall/HeartoftheCityFestival2017.html)
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?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Outdoors Club
The Outdoors Club is a group of SFU students who love to be outside and are passionate about outdoor sports. Our members enjoy hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, snow shoeing, skiing, and pretty much anything that gets us out in nature and having fun.
Hiking Club
To be up on a new mountaintop or leave footprints on a new hiking trail every chance that we get. And once we’ve exhausted every trail, park, terrain, peak, and forest in BC, we’ll wake up one day and do it all over again.
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)?:
A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
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?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Embark's Community Kitchen (http://www.embarksustainability.org)
At a Community Kitchen event, you will learn to cook a four-course vegetarian meal with fellow students that incorporates fresh produce grown at our Learning Garden. With Community Kitchens, we are able to help address concerns regarding food security and sustainability.
SFUPIRG's Bike Tool Co-op (https://sfpirg.ca/resource/bike-tool-co-op/)
The SFU Bike Tool Coop is a shared tool and work-space program run by students! Being a co-op, the workshop and tools are open to everyone to use. Use it to maintain your commuter bike or for a quick tune-up before going off-road on Burnaby Mountain! Join us and help promote do-it-yourself bicycle repairs and maintenance, and, in turn, cycling at SFU!
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Student Sustainability Educators Program (https://www.sfu.ca/sustainability.html)
Student Sustainability Educators assist the Sustainability Office in promoting and monitoring the progress of SFU’s flagship Zero Waste Initiative at the start of the fall, spring and summer semesters. They educate the SFU community on the four waste streams, their signage and symbols, and conducting audits of the stations. Educators receive an honorarium at the end of their 12 week commitment.
Embark (http://www.embarksustainability.org)
Embark offers its members long term and short term volunteer and paid employment opportunities. Types of positions available include: program management, communications and marketing, and various project coordinator positions.
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?:
A brief description of the graduation pledges:
The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):
Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:
A brief description of the other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
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):
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.