| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 49.89 |
| Liaison | Ann Drevno |
| Submission Date | Jan. 25, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Saint Mary's College of California
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Riley
Smith Sustainability Director Student Life |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
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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 | No |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | No |
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The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Up until 2014, Project Green was our only student governed club that had a history and focus on educating the student body about sustainability issues, and creating advocacy programs of impact on the campus. One of the important programs initiated and run by this group was the successful Flip the Switch program.
In 2015, two new clubs arose in Project Green's place, named the Green Gaels and the Waste Defense Team.
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The website URL where information about student groups is available:
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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:
Starting in 2009, Saint Marys College successfully nurtured a 1/2 acre Legacy Garden, which evolved out of the desire to educate students about ecology, food sources and community. The garden, built with over 1,000 hours of student labor, is the focus of a number of educational programs and provides fresh produce on a limited basis for a student-run market table as well as use in food prepared by Dining Services.
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The website URL where information about the organic agriculture and/or sustainable food systems projects and initiatives is available:
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A brief description of student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes:
Fair Trade Fridays are run by Mission and Ministry Center. The student group arranges for the sale of fair trade items, including coffee and jewelry and crafts from South America, and use the fair as a process to explain the purpose and values of fair trade. All profits go back to the organizations that gather and procure the materials.
Additional URL
http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/fair-trade-friday-3
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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:
At the Investment Group, our members will learn how to preform a stock valuation in hopes of finding companies currently undervalued in the stock market. By studying the governance of a company, their social impact, and their economic footprint, members will determine investing in a company would be responsible. If the rest of the group members agree that a company is both undervalued and responsible, then they can elect to invest a portion of the Fund into that companies stock.
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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:
The One Planet Film Festival 2014 aims to connect members of the St. Mary’s community to these problems, to stimulate discussions that can lead to awareness of Earth’s growing environmental crises and ways people can respond.
The festival featured 10 films (see link below) and averaged 35 attendees per film.
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The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
None
A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
N/A
None
The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
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None
A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
N/A
None
The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:
As a part of our First Year Experience (FYE), SMC offered a 'first-year advising course' titled the "Green Gael Experience", where students learned the basic tenets of sustainability. This includes skill sets such as systems thinking and decision-making while considering multiple perspectives.
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The website URL where information about the theme is available:
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A brief description of program(s) through which students can learn sustainable life skills:
The Green Gael Certification Manual began in Fall 2015 and is a quiz that educates and motivates students to consider various sustainable (green) living behaviors. Over a 100 have completed the quiz, with over 80% becoming certified.
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The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills program(s) is available:
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A brief description of sustainability-focused student employment opportunities:
In the Fall of 2015, two Sustainability and Waste Management interns were hired to help provide education and audits of our waste diversion efforts. In addition, SMC's Social Action Leadership Team (SALT) features one Sustainability Intern to focus on on-campus sustainability programs.
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The website URL where information about the student employment opportuntities is available:
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A brief description of graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions:
During our senior class of 2015 commencement, students took a sustainability pledge as part of there grad fair.
The pledge read: "“I pledge to explore and take into account the social and ecological consequences of my decisions and to use the knowledge I gain at Saint Mary's College to improve quality of life for all in my community and beyond.”
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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:
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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:
The following program does not fall with in the reporting year timeframe but was a notable example of symposia program:
'Against the Grain' was a student focused theme for a speaker series focused on constructive change and sustainability, as part of Saint Mary College's JanTerm. The program included provocative speakers taking on issues from politics to sustainable living.
During the intense January Term, students step out of their comfort zones, explore new intellectual territory and took classes that embody both the Lasallian tradition of social action. "Against the Grain," explored provocative speakers have taken on issues ranging from politics to sustainable living. Speakers included: Doug Fine, author of Farewell, My Subaru; Davey D, Bay Area hip hop historian; Chris Carlsson, co-founder of the Critical Mass bicycle movement; and Marilyn Wann, body image activist and editor of the magazine Fat! So?.
http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/against-the-grain-speaker-series-features-bill-ayers-and-other-leading-voices-0
he following program does not fall with in the reporting year timeframe but was a notable example of a campus wide reading:
"Feast or Famine" challenged students to think in new ways about the lives of the poor and the issues of social justice that relate to food.
One component of the theme-based learning year was reading Michael Pollan's 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' (which all first year students were required to read during the summer and was provided to them at new student orientation), followed by participation in a series of events connected to the book and the theme, including an assignment in their English Composition class.
Pollan participated in the themed year by meeting with several classes and a lunchtime roundtable discussion with students. Pollan also delivered a free public, evening lecture.
http://www.stmarys-ca.edu/michael-pollan-addresses-feast-or-famine-for-saint-marys-college-first-year-experience-program
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