| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.07 |
| Liaison | Andrew Horning |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Michigan
EN-3: Student Life
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Donald
Scavia Director Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute |
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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 | Yes |
| Wilderness or outdoors programs that follow Leave No Trace principles | Yes |
| Sustainability-related themes chosen for themed semesters, years, or first-year experiences | --- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Other co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives | --- |
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The name and a brief description of each student group focused on sustainability:
Student Sustainability Initiative: Student governed- The UM Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI) is a collaborative group of students and student organizations promoting environmental sustainability on the University of Michigan campus. Sponsored by the Graham Sustainability Institute, SSI helps connect students seeking to pursue strategic sustainability-related actions with the university administration, and vice versa. We also hold monthly roundtables to discuss sustainability-related news, events, and initiatives at the University.
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The website URL where information about student groups is available:
http://sustainability.umich.edu/ssi
Date Revised: Aug. 26, 2015
Date Revised: Aug. 26, 2015
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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:
The Campus Farm at Matthaei Botanical Gardens- Not student governed- As much laboratory as classroom, the Campus Farm connects students with nature in ways they might never have experienced before. Such hands-on experience provides invaluable lessons in small-scale food production for students who—even if they don’t go on to be farmers—will play a role in food production and delivery systems in many of their future careers.
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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:
EcoValuation- Student governed- EcoValuation is a multi-disciplinary student run working group based at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment that seeks to educate the student body about market-based approaches to environmental conservation. We provide educational programs about ecosystem service valuation, markets, and policy through speaker panels, workshops, and treks.
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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:
Social Venture Fund- Student governed- The Social Venture Fund (SVF) is an impact investment fund that invests in sustainable, innovative, for-profit companies that place the generation of a significant social impact at the heart of their mission and way of doing business. SVF aims to support the expansion and proliferation of enterprises that respond to societal needs that would otherwise not be met as effectively or at all by other market players. The fund is organized into five smaller portfolios - Education, Environment, Finance, Food & Nutrition, Health and Urban Revitalization – and is currently focused geographically on Detroit and Southeast Michigan. As the premier student-run social venture fund, SVF aims to optimize the blended value of financial and social returns on investments and to provide students with a hands-on educational experience that aligns with the educational mission of the Ross School of Business.
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The website URL where information about the sustainable investment or finance initiatives is available:
None
A brief description of conferences, speaker series, symposia or similar events related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
The Dow Sustainability Symposium - not student governed. The symposium provided several opportunities for students to feature their work and included other activities to encourage interdisciplinary engagement. The afternoon session featured small group discussions on nine topic areas as far-ranging as sustainable megacities, water as a human right, sustainable energy, and trade-offs between climate adaptation and mitigation. The symposium was also a zero-waste event, with at least 90 percent of potential waste (food, paper, etc.) having been diverted from a landfill.
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The website URL where information about the event(s) is available:
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A brief description of cultural arts events, installations or performances related to sustainability that have students as the intended audience:
Green Opera: Associate Professor of Music and Opera Director Robert Swedberg began experimenting with green opera at U-M in 2009, and has produced a green opera every year since then. Collaborating with other U-M departments (Engineering, Environmental Science, Physics) has enabled an approach to opera production (and by extension other theatrical endeavors as well) that can be as much as 95% more efficient than traditional productions in terms of energy consumption. Another example is the Art and Environment working group through the School of Natural Resources and Environment. This interdisciplinary group explores the intersection between art, nature and place in support of the practice, study and awareness of creative interactions between people and their environments. The group is dedicated to bringing creativity to SNRE through art projects, music, creative writing, trips to exhibits and discussions. We hope to explore the creative process with students and faculty from all disciplines. No prior experience or expertise is required.
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The website URL where information about the cultural arts event(s) is available:
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A brief description of wilderness or outdoors programs for students that follow Leave No Trace principles:
Outdoor Adventures- Not student governed- Outdoor Adventures provides a variety of opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to explore, adventure and recreate in the outdoors. One program is the Michigan Outdoor Leadership Semester. Open to everyone, MOLS clinics provide participants with the opportunity to learn wilderness skills and gain confidence in leadership situations. Each clinic teaches the fundamentals of Leave No Trace travel and camping skills, technical outdoor skills, and offers the experience to receive instruction in a hands-on workshop setting. These clinics are designed to be an introduction to outdoor skills for those wishing to gain experience in outdoor recreation.
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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:
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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:
Planet Blue Ambassador Certification & Planet Blue Room - Not student governed - The Planet Blue Ambassador Certification consists of five training modules directly connected to U-M’s sustainability goals in energy, food, waste, water, and community. This program trains U-M community members in sustainable culture and behavior. Each 5-10 minute module includes an interactive game with suggestions to get involved, as well as information about U-M’s goals and progress to date. Once certified, Planet Blue Ambassadors will have access to a personal online dashboard where they can track their progress and access resources about sustainable behaviors. Planet Blue Ambassadors will also be invited to bi-annual meetings to share best practices and experiences, as well as other events to receive further sustainability training, discuss issues, share ideas, and discover resources. Students in university housing can certify their room as a “Planet Blue Room” by committing to live sustainability on campus.
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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:
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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:
Ginsberg Center Social Responsibility Graduation Pledge- Not student governed- Pledge: I pledge to actively work toward a more socially and environmentally responsible world. I will continue to honor these words long after graduation in my career, relationships, and all other pursuits, and encourage others to embrace this message as well.
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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:
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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.