Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.88
Liaison Amy McElhinney
Submission Date Oct. 2, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Mount Union
EN-3: Student Life

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Lindsey Laret
Assistant Director
Residence Life, Student Involvement & Leadership
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 No
Sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills No
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 Yes
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 Yes

The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:

We have two sustainability-related student organizations on campus. Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA) focuses on environmental issues and is an active organization, co-sponsoring such events as RecycleMania and Earth Hour. Janus is a social justice-oriented club that was inactive for the past two years.


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 facilities at the University's Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center include an educational garden that provides limited organic produce to friends of the Center and a living classroom for the student volunteers that contribute to its maintenance.

North Webb Community Garden provides students with volunteer opportunities and follows organic practices.

The Veccitable Farm/CSA, a local organic farm that started a CSA in 2013, served as a host for student volunteers, did on-campus cooking demonstrations in partnership with the student-run programming board, and welcomed academic classes for tours.


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:

NA


The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
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A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:

NA


The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
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A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:

Members of the Sustainability Management Advisory Committee (SMAC) presented at the annual Leadership Conference organized by Student Senate. The presentation was entitled "Live a Better Story" and focused on helping students see the bigger picture of which they are a part and which they impact through their decisions and actions. SMAC will be regular contributors to the Leadership Conference moving forward.

The Not Another Statistic Conference, hosted annually by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, offers several sessions on social-justice-related topics to promote peace building and non-violence.


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 2014 Heffern Lecture featured Shawn Seipler, executive director and co-founder of Clean the World. This lecture series focuses on ethical business practices and Seipler discussed social entrepreneurship, which he practices through an organization he created to recycle wasted cleaning products from large hotel chains and provide them to citizens of developing nations.

The student-run Raider Programming Board contracts external performers, including comedians, musicians, and spoken word poets, who often include sustainability-related topics in their sets. Through these performances, students have learned of such issues as about genetic modification of food, climate change, over population, green washing, chemical fertilizers & pesticides, monocrops, and many other relevant, current issues.


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:

PL 290 Environmental Ethics. This course introduces students to ethical issues associated with the relationship between humans and the natural world. An aspect of this course is a wilderness trip to the Adirondack Mountains.

PY 350 Social Responsibility and Personal Well-Being. This is an experientially-based course that looks at the effect of service and other forms of helping behavior on ones’ sense of well-being. This involves a week-long Spring break service project in Latin America. Students most commonly have traveled to El Salvador to dig latrines for communities in rural villages as arranged through the organization ASAPROSAR - Salvadoran Association for Rural Health. In 2014, however, students traveled to Guatemala to lay foundations for two houses through the Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Maya (ODIM),

BI 226 Tropical Biology Field Experience. An intensive, three week study of tropical biology. Students will explore and conduct field studies in major tropical ecosystems in Costa Rica.

EGE 498: Internship in Engineering.


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 the 2014-2015 academic year, training for the Student Affairs Student Staff, consisting of approximately 120 students across three leadership positions, will be themed around a book entitled Thirteen Reasons Why. The book explains interconnectedness and the rippling, often unknown, effects of our actions. These ideas will be applied to teach sustainability concepts and skills such as systems thinking, planning for unintended consequences, tragedy of the commons, hidden connections (between natural, social, and economic systems), and so on.

The following courses are First Year Seminars, interdisciplinary semester-long classes designed to engage first-year students in critical thinking and experiential learning on topics related to social and/or environmental justice:

FYS/05 One Person Can Change the World. One person can make a positive difference in the world. This seminar shows how that’s happening through a series of readings, Ted Talks, inspired lectures and guest speakers. By the end of the semester you will develop your own idea and have a plan for changing the world around you.

FYS/08 Nature: Past, Present & Future. With the publication of Bill McKibben’s The End of Nature, the concept that humans could be separated from the ecosphere of the earth is also ended. McKibben argues – convincingly -- t that we are major shapers of the ecosphere; our actions impact every square inch of the planet. And yet, for most of western cultural history we have operated as if humans were separate from the natural world, unable to shape or impact it in any lasting way. In this seminar we will explore the western tradition of separation from Nature and its consequences for humans and the environment. Students will read seminal, original works that had an impact on the perception of relationship between humans and the biosphere. They will use these works, contemporary writings, and personal experiences to construct statements about their relationships to the environment and their own ethical perspectives about how humans should interact with it.

FYS/12 Martyrs or Fools? Heroes of Faith Based Social Justice. This course investigates the lives and work of individuals who, based on religious values and commitments, have worked for social justice and change in their particular contexts. Through the use of both primary and secondary resources, students will consider some of the “greats” in this area: Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Archbishop Oscar Romero, William Wilburforce, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and others. The course will also pay some attention to the work of more local individuals who likely will never be famous for their efforts but who nonetheless have dedicated their lives to the work of social justice and change. The course will include a service-learning option and a site visit to an appropriate venue(s).

FYS/26 You are What You Eat: Understanding Our Food Supply. Despite major advances in medical science, Americans have increasing rates of obesity and related rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases. Some say this may result in the first generation of Americans who may not live as long as their parents. Processed foods and reliance on “junk” food is a major reason for the increases in obesity. This seminar will examine how our food is made and marketed. Students who take the seminar will be become better lifelong consumers of food, leading to a healthier lifestyle.

The following themes are comprised of junior-level course clusters that are available to students to meet core curriculum requirements. While other themes are also options, the following are those related to sustainability:

Cluster 4 – Ethics, Justice, and Society
Cluster 6 - Food Ways
Cluster 11 - Resource Systems
Cluster 14 - Culture and Global Society
Cluster 15 - Globalization: Competition vs. Cooperation
Cluster 19 - People and Place: Culture and Environment of the Appalachians

See Notes section for links to complete lists of FYS and Themes courses, and for course descriptions.


The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

Students taking LDR 250 (Practicum in Leadership) and students involved in the campus-wide programming board learn sustainable food behaviors through a program called Good Eats Dinners. This program brings together students of RPB, guest performers, and a guest chef for a locally-sourced, sustainably-produced meal. Students assist with harvesting, grocery shopping, and food preparation.

In addition, the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center offers regular skills-based workshops to the full campus community. These have included herb gardening, soap-making, cooking with local fruit, repurposing, woodcarving, and other topics that encourage local, self-reliant living.


The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:

Each year the sustainability leaders recruit 8 to 10 Green Raiders (formerly Eco-Reps). Recruitment efforts include upperclassmen but also intentionally target first-year students during the summer orientation programs so as to hopefully cultivate interest and awareness early on in students' tenure at the University.

Student employment opportunities are also available at the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center where students have the opportunity to work directly with sustainability-related outreach programs (such as seminars on how to compost or build your own rain water collection system) and tools (such as a biodiesel converter).


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:

NA


The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
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A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:

Help the Way You're Needed is a seminar and scholarship competition geared toward teaching students that the purpose of service is more about meeting a need and less about dedicating a minimum number of hours to doing activities they find enjoyable in order to be able to add community service to their list of involvements on their resume.
The skills/competencies we are working to cultivate include listening, needs assessments, careful use of resources, consideration of the long-term impact of one’s decisions, building relationships, a spirit of service, and so on. In essence, this is an effort to cultivate responsible citizenship and an orientation toward social justice.


The website URL where information about other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Not Another Statistic Conference: http://www.mountunion.edu/nasc
Raider Programming Board: http://www.mountunion.edu/raider-programming-board
First Year Seminar courses: http://www.mountunion.edu/fys
Themes courses: http://www.mountunion.edu/theme-courses


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