| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 45.27 |
| Liaison | Meghna Tare |
| Submission Date | July 12, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Texas at Arlington
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.50 / 2.00 |
Meghna
Tare Director Office of Sustainability |
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 | --- |
| 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 | --- |
| 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 Environmental Society is a student organization at the University of Texas at Arlington dedicated to making the university and its community a healthier and safer place and promote sustainability. The Society works closely with the Office of Sustainability on various projects like organizing the Climate Summit, educational sessions on recycling, celebrating earth day, etc.
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 Community Garden at UT Arlington Campus supports the University’s commitment to sustainability and preserving green space. The garden offers a place where all people can gain ideas for their own gardens, volunteer, or just sit, relax and enjoy the gardens. The 0.5 acre garden is located at UTA Blvd and Summit (next to the SWEET center).
The garden enriches our learning about the natural world, and educates our community about sustainable choices. The community garden also compliments the UT Arlington compost site and incorporates rainwater harvesting techniques to promote water conservation.
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:
1) To encourage students to make environmentally friendly decisions in their daily lives and
raise awareness about environmental issues in our community and around the world
2)To foster collaboration among student groups on campus and between students, staff and
faculty working on environmental issues
3) To work in collaboration with Office of Sustainability in promoting green initiatives around
campus
4) To plan and execute projects that encourage environmental stewardship on campus and in the
UT Arlington community
5) Provide an arena for students to create lasting networks, which will help further students’
future professional goals, focus on environmental public policy and problem solving
occurring locally and globally, enhance students’ understanding and participation in the
environmental policy process, and increase students’ knowledge of environmental issues
through events, panel discussions and social activities.
The website URL where information about the student-run enterprise(s) is available:
A brief description of the sustainable investment or finance initiatives:
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:
1) On October 28th, 2009 UT Arlington hosted the North Central Texas Campus Climate Summit. The event was co-sponsored by the University of Texas at Arlington, the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program and the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability. The student groups involved with bringing this event to campus were:
Air & Waste Management Association at UTA
Environmental Society at UTA
International Business Society at UTA
Student Planning Association at UTA
UTA Volunteers
The first-ever North Central Texas Campus Climate Summit brought together over 50 participants from 15 different universities and colleges in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The summit provided opportunities for faculty, students, staff and administrators from the region to get together to share ideas, best practices and resources to accelerate climate change and sustainability solutions. The main themes explored were 1) Transforming the Curriculum to Address Eco-literacy 2) Green Workforce Development and 3) Comprehensive Greening of Campus Operations.
2) The institution also hosts The Annual Celebration of Excellence by Students (ACES) symposium. ACES is a university-wide, daylong event that occurs in late March. ACES showcases the best of our students' research and creativity. Undergraduate and graduate students work with faculty mentors in their disciplines to write and submit abstracts for the competition. The approved abstracts are then turned into oral presentations or posters to be presented at the symposium. In addition to the standard ACES awards, presentations and posters that students submit as being relevant to sustainability are also eligible to win additional sustainability awards through the University's Sustainability Committee.
3) UTA also hosts the annual Earth Day Celebration event called "Celebrating People and Planet". Free herb plants are given away, there is a $1 compostable lunch with baked potato and fruits. A variety of vendors show case their green products and services during this event.
4) One Book Program- Shares an intellectual experience with other freshmen as they read and discuss a chosen book in first-semester English class.
Faculty, departments, and student groups sponsor events that complement the program. The result is an exchange of ideas and insights that crosses academic disciplines and embraces different perspectives. A theme taken from the book serves as an anchor for a broad array of events that are open to the entire community. In 2009-10 Sustainability was chosen as the topic for this book discussion and the book " Deep Economy" was selected. Deep Economy offers a new vision for the economy that seeks to revitalize communities and produce real human satisfaction while promoting sustainability. McKibbin's premise is one that rejects the view of a world economy based on growth and unquenchable accumulation and instead proposes pursuing prosperity on a more local and regional level.
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 purpose of The Big Event at UT Arlington is to plan and implement a day of community service and outreach involving UT Arlington students, faculty, staff, and community members in an effort to engage, educate, and mobilize volunteers throughout the community. The Big Event impacts the community by bringing the campus together with the surrounding community in an effort to show gratitude to those who help others. Numerous community-based and non-profit organizations and agencies benefit from volunteer efforts, as well as local residents, including those that provide services to children, senior citizens and low income families, or those that promote the quality of life, such as the Science Center at River Legacy Park, Arlington ISD, and other various project. Volunteers are proud to help others improve the lives of the people who rely on these important services and facilities.
ABOUT THE BIG EVENT
The Big Event at UT Arlington is a prominent UT Arlington tradition and continues to grow each year. The Big Event at UT Arlington 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2016. The Big Event at UT Arlington has seen tremendous growth over the past 16 years since the first event in 2000. Participation grew in 2012 to reach more than 960 volunteers completing projects at more than 50 different agency project sites and donating thousands of hours of community service.
The event continues to gain momentum by attracting more volunteers and providing more assistance to our community. Enthusiastic volunteers participate in various service project sites such as painting, landscaping, youth development workshops, and facility cleanup all on one BIG day.
On April 11, 2015, a total of 800 UT Arlington students, faculty, staff, and community members performed community service throughout the Metroplex. The event's theme for 2015 was "Build Impact and Give"
In 1982, The Big Event began at Texas A&M University as a way to say thank you to Bryan-College Station — a community continuously supporting the university. Thirty years later, The Big Event has grown to become the largest one-day student-run service project in the United States, presently occurring at 72 universities, including UT Arlington
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:
Taking advantage of the many courses on sustainability and the environment offered throughout the university, this broadly interdisciplinary program provides students a powerful way to enrich their education and more effectively apply their major field of study to some of the most complex and crucial problems of the new millennium. In an era when concerns about the atmosphere, oceans, biodiversity, energy, urban sprawl, toxins, human health, and environmental justice are dramatically intensifying, the ESS program opens important new career paths and responds to the need for environmentally savvy citizens in all areas of contemporary society. Prof Morris (chair of the Academic Work group of the University Sustainability Committee) takes the students out on a Canoe Trip in the Trinity River
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:
OneBook Program
Each year this program selects a book and a theme for incoming first-year students to explore in the English 1301 classes. Having this one book in common means that they will be able to share ideas with other students and learn together, regardless of the intended major, residential situation or personal interests. Throughout the year, the OneBook program sponsors events and activities designed to help you understand and discuss the book and its related theme.
In 2009-2010, Sustainability was selected as the theme for this conversation. The book "Deep Economy" was chosen for this program.
The website URL where information about the theme is available:
A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The purpose of The Big Event at UT Arlington is to plan and implement a day of community service and outreach involving UT Arlington students, faculty, staff, and community members in an effort to engage, educate, and mobilize volunteers throughout the community. The Big Event impacts the community by bringing the campus together with the surrounding community in an effort to show gratitude to those who help others. Numerous community-based and non-profit organizations and agencies benefit from volunteer efforts, as well as local residents, including those that provide services to children, senior citizens and low income families, or those that promote the quality of life, such as the Science Center at River Legacy Park, Arlington ISD, and other various project. Volunteers are proud to help others improve the lives of the people who rely on these important services and facilities.
ABOUT THE BIG EVENT
The Big Event at UT Arlington is a prominent UT Arlington tradition and continues to grow each year. The Big Event at UT Arlington 2016 will be held on Saturday, April 9, 2016. The Big Event at UT Arlington has seen tremendous growth over the past 16 years since the first event in 2000. Participation grew in 2012 to reach more than 960 volunteers completing projects at more than 50 different agency project sites and donating thousands of hours of community service.
The event continues to gain momentum by attracting more volunteers and providing more assistance to our community. Enthusiastic volunteers participate in various service project sites such as painting, landscaping, youth development workshops, and facility cleanup all on one BIG day.
On April 11, 2015, a total of 800 UT Arlington students, faculty, staff, and community members performed community service throughout the Metroplex. The event's theme for 2015 was "Build Impact and Give"
In 1982, The Big Event began at Texas A&M University as a way to say thank you to Bryan-College Station — a community continuously supporting the university. Thirty years later, The Big Event has grown to become the largest one-day student-run service project in the United States, presently occurring at 72 universities, including UT Arlington
The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
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 ISGI offers fellowships and internships to students who are interested in working in the area of sustainability.
The website URL where information about the graduation pledge program is available:
A brief description of other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives:
The Leadership Honors Program is a flexible leadership development program that emphasizes and facilitates involvement on-campus and leadership growth.
The program ensures that students have a comprehensive leadership experience that prepares them to be ethical, global-minded leaders.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Leadership Honors Program is a self-paced, four-tiered program, which helps facilitate your involvement at UTA and allows you to make the most of your college experience. By following the curriculum of the program, students stay in the know regarding key events and programs on campus that enable them to become well-rounded individuals, personally and professionally in leadership development. The Leadership Honors Program promotes a student’s success as they progress through each tier of the program within their time at the University. The program is a great add-on to any other organizational involvement, as most activities done with other student or department organizations can be transferred for credit in the Leadership Honors Program as well.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE LEADERSHIP HONORS PROGRAM?
Work with a Student Director to develop an individualized leadership plan
Access to leadership skills training and activities with other members
Receive updates on upcoming events around campus
Graduate with Leadership Honors regalia
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.