University of Louisville
ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation

New student orientation is an extended, multi-phase process at UofL. In 2010 the Sustainability Council worked closely with Admissions and the Office of First-Year Initiatives to integrate sustainability into the orientation process with the following new elements: 1. Several sustainability-oriented events were integrated into Welcome Week (August 16-22, 2010): a) Transportation Alternatives Table at International Student Orientation; b) Car-Free Lunch Trip to the Gray St. Farmers’ Market at UofL's Health Sciences Center with two guided groups taking new students from Belknap campus to the market via bicycle or bus - exposing them to local food and farmers as well as car-free means of getting around the city; c) The annual Discovery Walk, sponsored by Campus Health Services and Health Advocates, included several sustainability-related stops including the new Campus Garden; and d) The Welcome Week Student Outreach Uniting Louisville (SOUL) volunteer event involved 19 different community projects, including ecological restoration and clean-up at the Olmstead Parks, establishing a food waste composting site at the Campus Garden, sustainable agriculture work at the Oxmoor Farm Food Literacy Project, and a variety of social service projects. Photos: http://uofl.me/ult-bxnTVb 2. The Sustainability Council placed ads and information about campus sustainability events and ways that students can help reduce their environmental impact and assist with sustainability initiatives into new student orientation materials, including The FRY (Your First Rate Year) and Campus Health 101 monthly online newsletters, the Mortar Board campus planner, and the Welcome Weekend and Beyond Camus Event Guide. 3. A UofL Sustainability module was added to the student engagement portion of the on-going Transfer Student Orientation program. 4. The UofL Brandeis School of Law offered all its new students reusable shoulder bags and mugs during orientation with the idea of not providing disposable cups at food/drink events throughout the year. 5. The UofL bookstore offered a new option of textbook rental to reduce costs for students and increase textbook reuse. For fall 2010, the bookstore offered more than 300 titles for rent, which translates to thousands of books reused and thousands of dollars saved. More info: http://uofl.me/ult-97Q