| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.78 |
| Liaison | Christa Rieck |
| Submission Date | Jan. 3, 2024 |
University of Houston
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Elizabeth
Clark Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Planning |
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 Metropolitan Volunteer Program (MVP) is a student fee-funded organization at the University of Houston that creates and provides service opportunities for students by collaborating with campus and community partners. Paid student chairs lead different service areas, including Environment & Sustainability, Hunger & Homelessness, Health & Wellness, and Children & Education. Volunteering with MVP not only provides students with the opportunity to make a positive impact on our campus and community but also to gain leadership skills, build relationships with fellow students, and gain experience in their field of interest. Partners and projects are almost exclusively sustainability focused. MVP partners with the Office of Sustainability to plant trees on campus, coordinate with external partners, and host environmental events.
See notes for specific group examples. https://uh.edu/mvp/about-us/
The Horticulture Society is a student organization where students can grow plants in a ventilated and temperature controlled greenhouse on campus, from tropical plants to vegetables, herbs, and fruit. The club hosts a variety of guest speakers, from arborists to on-campus experts, and takes frequent field trips to interesting ecological sites. The Horticulture Society also helps maintain the campus green roof and hosts semesterly plant sales.
https://getinvolved.uh.edu/organization/thehorticulturesocietyatuh
Cougar Closet is a communal closet for all UH students. Students can visit the Closet to acquire free clothes for recreation or professional events. The Cougar Closet also hosts events, guest speakers, and charity drives, as well as workshops for students to learn mending and flipping skills.
https://www.instagram.com/cougarcloset/
The Energy Coalition is a student organization that works towards solidifying UH's position internationally as The Energy University. The Energy Coalition was formed to bring together students from various colleges and organizations who plan to pursue careers in the energy industry. As the largest organization at UH, the Energy Coalition hosts a variety of events, such as the Energy Career Fair and Energy Night, with guest speakers and networking opportunities.
https://www.uh.edu/uh-energy-innovation/uh-energy/about-uh-energy/energy-coalition/
The Environmental Cougar Organization (ECO) advocates for alternative energy sources and wildlife conservation, among other sustainability initiatives. This informal club offers service opportunities, guest speakers, and other events focused specifically on sustainability topics.
https://www.instagram.com/eco.uh/?hl=en
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:
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:
The Hilton College houses the ever popular student-run coffeehouse, Cougar Grounds. This campus hot spot features gourmet coffee, blended coffee drinks, deluxe teas, pastries, desserts and more in the hip atmosphere of an independent, urban coffeehouse. Cougar Grounds is the first university coffeehouse in the country to be run by students as part of a corollary education class. It serves as the laboratory for an entrepreneurship class, in which students learn all about small-business operations, including marketing and sales, price-setting, payroll, cost control, supply management and new product development.
Additionally, Cougar Grounds is committed to educating students in sustainable business practices. Examples include: no single use plastic in the shop while educating on alternative options, and providing oat milk and other sustainable milk substitutes. Cougar Grounds offers a variety of vegan and local foods, such as Sinful desserts, which are vegan pastries baked here in Houston.
https://www.uh.edu/hilton-college/About/Cougar-Grounds/
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:
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:
UH Energy hosts a symposium series focusing on issues in energy and sustainability. The topic of the 2022 symposium focused on the Energy Transition in honor of UH's Energy Transition Institute. UH Energy hosted a day-long speaker event called Net-Zero Texas by 2050. Speakers represented both sides of each energy or sustainability issue. Students were the intended audience; however, UH faculty, staff, alumni and the community were also encouraged to attend.
https://www.uh.edu/uh-energy/energy-symposium-series/netzero-by-2050/
The UH Student Centers host a monthly Sustainability Lunch & Learn to expose students and staff to a variety of environmental professionals. Attendees can register to enjoy a free lunch, usually with healthy, local, eco-conscious and plant-based options, while listening to a presentation on a relevant sustainability topic. In the last year, the Office of Sustainability has helped the Student Centers host speakers from the Houston Audubon, the City of Houston Green Building Resource Center, Chartwells Dining, and more.
https://uh.edu/studentcenters/sustainability/
UH also hosts annual Earth Week events, which focus on engaging with our campus community and educating students on the sustainability-focused resources on campus. In 2023, the Office of Sustainability hosted a variety of presentations and workshops, from sustainable dining to clothes mending to ecological restoration.
https://uh.edu/sustainability/news/earth-week-2023/
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:
In 2022, UH Energy and ECO partnered with Coca Cola to host an eco-art competition focused on conveying environmental issues. Submissions were required to include a form of reused material and an explanation of the artwork's inspiration or meaning. Art pieces included crocheted plastic bags, carved wood sculptures, and zines made of old newspapers. Winners of the competition won scholarships, and the art was displayed within the Student Centers for the month of November.
https://www.uh.edu/studentcenters/news-events/2022/
In partnership with the Student Centers, the Office of Sustainability holds occasional film screenings to highlight sustainability topics. For example, as part of Recyclemania 2020, the Student Centers screened the film "A Plastic Ocean" to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the worlds oceans. "Food Inc." was later shown at the Student Centers in partnership with a conference regarding Food Security.
https://www.uh.edu/studentcenters/special-programs/film-series/
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:
UH Outdoor Adventure offers wilderness trips, indoor rock climbing, team building and classes. All outdoor trips incorporate leave no trace principles. Trip goers receive leave no trace training before and during the trips. Outdoor Adventure also attends events hosted by the Office of Sustainability to teach leave no trace.
https://uh.edu/recreation/outdoor-adventure/
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:
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:
Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:
Within the UH Dining department, the Sustainability intern works under the Chartwells Director of Wellness and Sustainability to educate students on food waste, sustainable food offerings, nutrition information, and host cultural events. The Office of Sustainability often partners with the Director and Intern to promote environmental initiatives or upcoming programs.
https://jobs.compassgroupcareers.com/USA/job/Houston-Sustainability-Intern%2C-Chartwells-Higher-Ed-University-of-Houston-TX-77204/1073239500/
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.