Overall Rating	Gold - expired
Overall Score	67.83
Liaison	Andrew Porter
Submission Date	March 10, 2017
Executive Letter	Download

STARS v2.1

University of Cincinnati
EN-3: Student Life

Status	Score	Responsible Party
	1.75 / 2.00	Daniel Hart Sustainability Coordinator Planning + Design + Construction

"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student Groups

Does the institution have one or more active student groups focused on sustainability?:

Yes

A brief description of active student groups focused on sustainability:

UC has a number of student groups which focus on various aspects of sustainability. These include: Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Protection; Students for Ecological Design; US Green Building Council Students; Garden Club; Preservation Action Network; Engineers Without Borders; Yoga for the Soul; Vegetarian Health Club; and Serve Beyond Cincinnati. These student groups come together to share knowledge and ideas as Sustain UC.

The website URL where information about the student groups is available (optional):

http://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/get_involved/committees_organizations.html

Gardens and Farms

Does the institution have gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects where students are able to gain experience in organic agriculture and sustainable food systems?:

Yes

A brief description of the gardens, farms, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery programs, and/or urban agriculture projects:

The Soiled Hands Learning Garden is an on campus collaboration between the Early Learning Center and the Office of Sustainability. Organic growing methods are used. Students and community members work in the garden and share in the harvest.

The website URL where information about the gardens, farms or agriculture projects is available (optional):

http://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/campus_initiatives/landscape/uc_garden.html

Student-Run Enterprises

Does the institution have student-run enterprises that include sustainability as part of their mission statements or stated purposes (e.g. cafés through which students gain sustainable business skills)?:

A brief description of the student-run enterprises:

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The website URL where information about the student-run enterprises is available (optional):

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Sustainable Investment and Finance

Does the institution have sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives through which students can develop socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible investment and financial skills?:

A brief description of the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives:

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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment funds, green revolving funds or sustainable microfinance initiatives is available (optional):

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Events

Does the institution have conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:

Yes

A brief description of the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability:

Each semester, the Office of Sustainability holds Sustainability lecture series. The Climate Commitment 101 lecture series was founded in April 2007 by the President's Advisory Council on Environment & Sustainability (PACES) to help educate the UC community about the Second Nature Carbon Commitment (formerly the ACUPCC). At that time, the lecture was a quarterly event and featured a variety of staff and faculty who spoke about climate change issues and their research in sustainability. The lecture series gradually expanded to a monthly format and now features several lectures each term, some organized by the Office of Sustainability and others organized by academic departments and centers. The topics and speakers are diverse, ranging from science and engineering to philosophy and the fine arts. They are a way for the UC community and Greater Cincinnati to learn about sustainability in an informal atmosphere which encourages dialogue and further exploration. All lectures are free and open to the public.

The website URL where information about the conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability is available (optional):

http://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/get_involved/programming_outreach.html

Cultural Arts

Does the institution have cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience?:

Yes

A brief description of the cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability:

In addition to hosting Sustainability lecture series, UC has a regular series of films related to sustainability. These engaging documentaries, fiction films, and shorts all capture the diverse sustainability movement in unique ways. All film screenings are free and open to the public.

The website URL where information about the cultural arts events, installations or performances is available (optional):

http://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/get_involved/programming_outreach/film_series.html

Wilderness and Outdoors Programs

Does the institution have wilderness or outdoors programs (e.g. that organize hiking, backpacking, kayaking, or other outings for students) that follow Leave No Trace principles?:

Yes

A brief description of the wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles:

The UC Mountaineering Club organizes outdoors trips of all kinds including cycling, climbing, caving, canoeing, backpacking, mountaineering, white water rafting, skiing , and skydiving. They also provide educational classes and equipment rental.

The website URL where information about the wilderness or outdoors programs is available (optional):

http://www.ucmc.org/

Sustainability-Related Themes

Does the institution have sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences (e.g. choosing a sustainability-related book for common reading)?:

A brief description of the sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences:

N/A

The website URL where information about the sustainability-related themes is available (optional):

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Sustainable Life Skills

Does the institution have programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills?:

Yes

A brief description of the programs through which students can learn sustainable life skills:

Seeing as it is integrally important to teach students sustainable living skills, the Office of Sustainability offers numerous workshops each semester the focus on hands on learning. Over the course of the Fall 2016 semester, UC Sustainability has hosted workshops in the UC Garden, where students learned valuable skills regarding organic gardening, composting, and permaculture methods, which educate and power students to be more resilient in their lives.

The website URL where information about the sustainable life skills programs is available (optional):

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Student Employment Opportunities

Does the institution offer sustainability-focused student employment opportunities?:

Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused student employment opportunities offered by the institution:

The student Sustainability Advocates help run Office of Sustainability outreach events. For example, they staff informational tables at many events on campus, help provide programs in residence halls, lead discussions after film series events, teach sustainability-related skill workshops, and encourage fans to recycle at sporting events.

The website URL where information about the student employment opportunities is available:

http://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/get_involved.html

Graduation Pledge

Does the institution have graduation pledges through which students pledge to consider social and environmental responsibility in future job and other decisions?:

A brief description of the graduation pledges:

N/A

The website URL where information about the graduation pledges is available (optional):

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Other Programs and Initiatives

Does the institution have other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives?:

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A brief description of the 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 (optional):

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Optional Fields

Estimated percentage of students (full-time and part-time) that participate annually in sustainability-focused co-curricular education and outreach programs (0-100):

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Additional documentation to support the submission:

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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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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.