Texas A&M University
EN-3: Student Life

As a representative of Texas A&M, the Environmental Issues Committee (EIC) actively strives to provide and support: programs which enhance environmental education and awareness, programs which reduce the community's impact on the environment, and promote sound environmental legislation on and off campus, in order to improve quality of life. One Love (onelove.tamu.edu) is a student group dedicated to environmental and social sustainability. One Love's Mission Statement: "We are a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to finding and showing others the beauty in life every day through loving others, yourself, and the world around you. We put on events and programs that enhance the overall wellness and satisfaction of life as well as help people learn to care for and respect the world we live in. We want to help people weave a common thread of love throughout all aspects of their life." A few of One Love’s sustainability successes include: One Love's Environmental Committee helped to pass the Green Fund Initiative on Texas A&M's campus as a contributing member of Texas A&M's Sustainability Council. This initiative provides funding to all students, faculty, and staff who wish to start a program on campus that will help the environment; One Love's Community Outreach Committee has helped to raise awareness of social injustice and has helped to mitigate these issues by volunteering in the community. The Sustainable Agriculture Student Association's (SASA) (studentfarm.tamu.edu) mission is to create a means for Texas A&M students to experience, explore, share, and learn about issues relating to sustainable agriculture. The purpose of the organization is to help develop a student farm program to supply cafeterias on campus. SASA will serve as a vibrant network of individuals interested in sustainable agriculture. We want to attract talented and bright individuals to pursue careers in sustainable agriculture. Students involved with SASA will have the opportunity to volunteer at the A&M Student Farm.

The student‐run farm project, the Howdy! Farm, began in 2009 by students motivated to create a student run facility for organic agriculture, and ultimately a more sustainable campus. The farm offers volunteer hours, internship credits, and student organization officer positions to the students. The produce grown at the farm is sold to the community at farmers markets, to local restaurants, and to the dining services on campus.

Students initiated the Texas A&M Student Organic Farm (SOF) in the fall of 2009 as an experiential education facility open to the campus and local communities. The SOF is a student and volunteer driven initiative that has created a venue where many students and community members have actively participated in their first agricultural experience. Student volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and educational concentrations, which very few agriculturally focused. The educational opportunities of the SOF go far and above exposure. For students wanting to develop a deeper understanding of organic food production, and small farm management, the SOF has the ability to give them the opportunity to experience real situations in small farm operations. The SOF has the ability to offer experiences forging skills in marketing, organization, distribution, accounting, critical thinking and public speaking. Students working on the farm will be introduced to three distinct markets: wholesale, CSA or Community Supported Agriculture, and direct sales. Since 2009 the SOF has been marketing an increasing amount of fresh, nutrient dense, sustainably grown, student produced food to University Dining. These efforts will provide greater diversity to dining hall’s menus and reduce the food miles of a percentage of their produce. It is also an ambition that in the 2011 fall season a small, on farm, composting operation will recycle a percentage of waste generated by university dining halls. The SOF will also be conducting a CSA for faculty and students as well as an on-campus, student run farmers' market.

The Aggie Green Fund is a fund that empowers our campus to take action and bring about novel and creative sustainability initiatives to the Texas A&M University campus. The Aggie Green Fund will fund projects that increase sustainability at Texas A&M. Projects are based on the following guidelines: Create visible and measurable sustainability impacts Improve campus infrastructure by funding recycling, energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation and other sustainability programs The Aggie Green Fund is administered by an advisory committee. It will review project proposals and oversee the allocation of funds. The Aggie Green Fund Advisory Committee is made up of student and faculty/staff representatives that are selected by a committee consisting of students and staff.

This is the 16th year of Texas A&M University’s nationally-recognized Ecological Integration Symposium. It features cutting-edge scientists who are at the forefront of ecological research, attracting faculty, students, NGOs, government agencies and the public. The goal of this year’s theme was to investigate natural and human caused ecological disturbances over different scales of time and space. Various perspectives, from scientists to policy makers were incorporated in the discussion of what influences ecological recovery after a disturbance event. Texas A&M University hosted its sixth annual Campus Sustainability Day in October 2013. Sustainability Day features more than 20 organizations that represent student groups, community partners and a variety of Texas A&M departments that have implemented sustainable initiatives. Activities occurring throughout the day include “truth” displays, recycled art, signing up students for the Office of Sustainability's Sustainability Pledge, and an information exchange. The Environmental Issues Committee and The Office of Sustainability partner each year to host Texas A&M Earth Day in April. In 2014, campus and community environmental organizations hosted more than 20 tables, including free food, freebies and giveaways, as well as student, campus, and departmental organizations who shared their sustainable practices and ways in which environmental awareness could be incorporated in everyday life. In April 2013, The Office of Sustainability hosted a Sustainability Scavenger Hunt in the Memorial Student Center. The Hunt incorporated the three pillars of sustainability and took students all over campus to learn more about sustainability and how it is being actualized at Texas A&M. In February 2014, Texas A&M hosted the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS) annual summit. The summit brought together over 25 colleges and universities in Texas to network and learn from each other. The summit featured educational sessions, a professional networking event, and sustainable sourcing of food and other material. (http://texascampussustainability.wordpress.com/)

Every year the International Student Association (ISA) unites students at Texas A&M University through International Week (I-Week) by giving them an opportunity to share and showcase the unique cultures of their countries with the A&M and Bryan/College Station community. I-Week is an excellent model of social sustainability in action. The goal of I-Week is to bring the world together.

Trip staff promote Leave No Trace principles during Outdoor Adventures trips, workshops and clinics. As part of trip staff training, students complete a Leave No Trace Trainer Certification. One of the program goals of Texas A&M Outdoor Adventures is to assist participants in developing an appreciation and connection to our natural environment.

The Office of Sustainability offers employment opportunities through the Internship Program described in EN 1. Students initially earn course credit and high-performing returning interns have the opportunity to receive pay. Students are paid to serve as team leaders or for specific tasks, such as marketing.

We do not administer a graduation pledge, but we do administer a sustainability pledge that is available to all through our website. The pledge can be taken here: http://sustainability.tamu.edu/sustainability-pledge.aspx