| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.27 |
| Liaison | Veronica Johnson |
| Submission Date | Jan. 14, 2022 |
Southwestern University
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Veronica
Johnson Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Management |
Does the institution have an active student group focused on sustainability?:
Name and a brief description of the active student groups focused on sustainability:
The Coalition for Diversity and Social Justice- an umbrella organization to the registered cultural and social identity organizations at Southwestern University. The Coalition has grown from six organizations in 2011 to currently eleven organizations. This includes SEAK, RJA, SU NATIVE, and FJA
Students for Environmental Activism and Knowledge (SEAK) - active since 1999 winner of student group leader award, engages in a variety of environmental awareness programs and projects
Reproductive Justice Alliance (RJA) - to promote an understanding of reproductive justice on campus, which includes economic justice, the environment, immigrants’ rights, disability rights, discrimination based on race and sexual orientation, and a host of other community centered concerns.
SU NATIVE - SU NATIVE (Native Americans Teaching Indigenous Values Everywhere) works to raise awareness of Native American and indigenous teachings, values, and cultures to build a connection between the SU community and native issues in the Georgetown area.
Food Justice Alliance (FJS) - Works to offer education, resources, and recipes to support a more conscientious way of eating and buying food.
Garden Club - active since 2009, winner of student group leader award, keeps campus gardening and composting going, reaches out to community with gardening programs.
Human, Animal, Environment Team (HEAT) - active since 2016, focuses on positive activism and fundraising efforts for sustainable organizations locally and internationally.
Does the institution have a garden, farm, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or an urban agriculture project 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:
There is a 1-2 acre area of campus that is a community garden and includes a greenhouse. Garden Club has outreach programs to the university and broader community that allow students to work in the garden, learning how to grow food, compost, and do restorative work in the area. The garden is completely organic, so students are able to learn about food systems that do not utilize industrial practices of harsh chemicals and monocropping.
Does the institution have a student-run enterprise that includes sustainability as part of its mission statement or stated purpose?:
A brief description of the student-run enterprises:
Korouva Milk Bar is a student-run cafe on campus. The building hosts a variety of organizations for their meetings and holds events such as open-mic nights and movie nights. The mission statement of Korouva is: "To provide sustainably-made, ethically sourced beverages and unique social experiences to the campus community as well as valuable democratically owned-business experience to its employees."
In the academic year of 2019-2020, the Office of Sustainability established the Treasure Chest, a free store run on campus. The Treasure Chest stocks clothing, shoes, accessories, and household goods and promotes the normalization of second-hand usage, an important aspect of creating a sustainably-minded community.
Does the institution have a sustainable investment fund, green revolving fund, or sustainable microfinance initiative 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:
Sustainable Advancements Funding Endeavor (SAFE) is available to students and faculty for grants centered on sustainable initiatives on campus. $15 of every student's tuition goes towards this fund, resulting in roughly $22,500 each semester available to be awarded to proposals.
Has the institution hosted a conference, speaker series, symposium, or similar event focused on sustainability during the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia, or similar events focused on sustainability:
The Brown Symposium is hosted by Southwestern University on a biennial basis. The symposia are designed to enhance the effectiveness of the work for which the endowed professorships were established. Each symposium presents topics in one of the broad areas of study represented by the chairholder. These symposia may cover sustainability, such as the most recent one in 2019 which discussed the sixth great extinction and the environmental impacts humanity has inflicted upon the environment. Previous sustainability-themed Brown Symposium occurred in 2012, 2008, and 1994.
Has the institution hosted a cultural arts event, installation, or performance focused on sustainability with the previous three years that had students as the intended audience?:
A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations, or performances focused on sustainability:
The Georgetown Green Film Series was established to bring awareness to the environmental crisis through the visual arts by presenting films with an environmental focus. In addition to showing an environmental film, a panel of experts is invited to lead a proactive discussion with the audience about the topic at hand. Topics have included fast fashion (The True Cost), food waste (Wasted!), climate change (2040), and sustainable eating practices (The Game Changers).
Does the institution have a wilderness or outdoors program that follow Leave No Trace principles?:
A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Southwestern Intramural & Recreational Activities (SIRA)'s Outdoor Program offers a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities to the SU community.
Has the institution had a sustainability-focused theme chosen for a themed semester, year, or first-year experience during the previous three years?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
First-Year Seminars (FYS) are half-semester courses offered to students in their first year at Southwestern - each students must complete an FYS (or AES as a transfer student) in order to graduate. FYS topics are chosen by semesters and are usually creative and unique courses that aren't seen in regular curriculum. The current FYS courses that include focuses on sustainability are Food, Health & the Environment; Wake Up! The Science, History, and Culture of Coffee; and Cancer, Covid, and Health: Fact and Fiction.
Does the institution have a program through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:
A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
Various student-led organizations on campus host workshops and programs for students to learn sustainable life skills. The Office of Sustainability has published resources promoting sustainable life skills, such as a social media guide on how to make beeswax food wraps using raw materials to replace cling wrap or aluminum foil. Sustainability Ambassadors have also hosted a number of webinars promoting sustainable living.
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
The Office of Sustainability employs Sustainability Ambassadors during the academic year who focus on student outreach concerning sustainability and work on creating sustainable projects for Southwestern University to implement. The Office of Sustainability also employs interns who work on aiding data collection, event coordination, and social media outreach.
Does the institution have a graduation pledge through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:
A brief description of the graduation pledge(s):
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that do not fall into one of the above categories:
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.