| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.18 |
| Liaison | Ezra Small |
| Submission Date | Feb. 5, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Massachusetts Amherst
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Ezra
Small Sustainability Manager Physical Plant |
Does the institution have one or more co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives that fall into the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Active student groups focused on sustainability | Yes |
| Gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems | Yes |
| Student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes | Yes |
| 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 |
| Conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | Yes |
| Cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience | --- |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | Yes |
| Programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills | Yes |
| Sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution | Yes |
| Graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions | No |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | --- |
The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
The Sustainable UMass Action Coalition (SUMAC) is a new student group on campus that is invested in precipitating interest within the community about issues of environmental sustainability. SUMAC is the student voice for sustainability on campus, providing information and a forum for discussion of sustainable inititives. This group is dedicated to the research, education, and support essential to resolving issues of environmental sustainability on the UMass campus and in the surrounding communities. We hope to play an active role in making UMass a leader in sustainability.
The website URL where information about student groups is available:
A brief description of gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems:
The UMass Permaculture Initiative is a unique and cutting-edge sustainability program that converts underused grass lawns on the campus into edible, low-maintenance, and easily replicable gardens. This initiative was created by students and then adopted and funded by our administration in 2010. Students and permaculture staff work together along with UMass Dining Services, the Campus Sustainability Initiative, and many other departments to demonstrate the vision of what a sustainable community and world can look like.
There are now four Permaculture Gardens on campus:
1. Franklin Permaculture Garden
Location: Franklin Dining Commons
Groundbreaking: Fall semester 2010
The Story: The UMass Permaculture Initiative, with help from student and local volunteers, embarked on the arduous mission to transform the otherwise unproductive grass lot adjacent to Franklin Dining Commons on campus into a highly productive, aesthetically pleasing, educational, sustainable garden.
2. Worcester Herb Garden
Location: Worcester Dining Commons
Groundbreaking: Summer 2011
The Story: Chef Don Sabola started the Worcester Herb Garden in 2009 to have a fresh source for herbs right outside the Worcester Dining Commons. In 2011 after our first sheet mulch of the Franklin Permaculture Garden, the Worcester Herb Garden was given to us to transform and maintain. For this garden, the UMass Permaculture Initiative worked with UMass Dining staff to develop a dynamic herb garden adjacent to the Worcester Dining Commons. The site was designed with chefs’ needs in mind, is easy to harvest by dining staff, is aesthetically pleasing, and improves ecological diversity.
3. Class of 2012 Berkshire Permaculture Garden
Location: Berkshire Dining Commons
Groundbreaking: Fall 2011
The Story: The Class of 2012 Berkshire Permaculture Garden is our newest on-campus garden, generously funded by the Class of 2012 Senior Class Gift Fund. Before we did any work on the site, we observed signs of compaction, erosion, and nutrient depletion in the soils. We’re now in the process of converting this formally-neglected site into an ecological haven with rich, fertile soil and lots of biodiversity.
4. Chancellor's House Garden
The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
For over 35 years, the People's Market has been a student-run collective that provides the UMass Amherst campus with conscientiously purchased, natural foods. Students who work for the People's Market gain sustainable business skills. They have a strong commitment to providing customers with food products from socially and environmentally responsible companies.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
UMass Amherst established a Sustainability Innovation & Engagement Fund in August 2013. The fund started at $50,000 in available funds to allocate for the best sustainability engagement proposals on campus and is open to any campus community member. The proposals are vetted by the Student Steering Committee which includes student leaders from sustainability related registered student organizations (RSO's), Sustainable UMass, and Student Government Association.
The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Yes, UMass holds major events with a focus in sustainability multiple times a year in the fall and spring.
Each year UMass holds campus wide Earth Day events in the spring and Campus Sustainability Day events in the fall.
Other events includes seminar series such as "Designing for sustainability in the Built Environment." The seminar series discussed the difficulties and solutions when constructing energy efficient classrooms and laboratories at a public institution. The seminar series kicked off a campus-wide dialogue about these exciting and far-reaching projects. Each panel discussion featured facilities planning/design professionals and a University of Massachusetts Amherst academic researcher.
We also co-sponsored a lecture series in Spring 2011 that included Naomi Oreskes (Climate Change), Kert Davies (Gulf Oil Spill), Jerry Melillo (Global Land Use patterns) and Nat Tripp (Connecticut River).
Sustainable UMass, the Earth Day Committee, the Permaculture Initiative, and Student Affairs have recently brought (or are planning to bring) the following speakers to campus over the past two years:
Past:
Charles Mann (March 2012)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Earth Day 2012)
Francis Moore-Lappe (June 2012)
Van Jones (October 2012)
Bill McKibben (April 2013) *cancelled due to Boston Marathon Bombings
Annie Leonard (Earth Day 2013)
Majora Carter (June 2013)
Colin Beavan (September and October 2013)
Scheduled:
Dr. Robert Bullard (Earth Day 2014)
The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Since 1922 the UMass Outing Club has been organizing events for students by students. Events range from hiking, climbing, canoeing, kyaking, skiing, and caving.
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
For academic year 2013-2014, all incoming new students were asked to read the book, No Impact Man, and the author, Colin Beavan, addressed all students at the First-year Student Fall Convocation as well as revisited campus during the semester in October.
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
In August of 2013, Sustainable UMass, Residential Life, and Admissions partnered to establish the model green room in Knowlton 112 in the Northeast Residence Area. This room is also the model room that is used for all campus tours so thousands of families and potential students see this room each year. This project was originally proposed by a student in a Resource Economics class who wanted to help the University achieve a higher STARS score and build awareness amongst the student body for how to live greener on campus. The proposal was approved by the Residential Life Director in May of 2013 and opened in August.
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
Student employee opportunities range from the Physical Plant Sustainable UMass office including Minute Riders compost program positions, to UMass Dining Sustainability office working with Permaculture, Real Food Challenge, and local food procurement.
The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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.