University of Washington, Seattle
ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation

In new student orientation, students are introduced to issues of sustainability through a vignette (skit) in the portion of the program that addresses the culture at the UW. The skit addresses reducing waste, how recycling works at the UW, the culture of thinking sustainability, the institutional efforts of the campus to reduce energy consumption and waste, and information about student organizations dedicated to educating the community around these issues. The University also uses the freshman and transfer orientation programs to promote the U-PASS and alternative modes of commuting to the campus. In addition, there are two sustainability-related events scheduled during the annual week-long event that welcomes students to campus: Campus Sustainability 101 and Environmentalism and Our Residence Halls. These events are offered at multiple times throughout orientation to enable more students to attend. Campus Sustainability 101: Learn about the University of Washington's Climate Action Plan and how students can get involved with sustainability at the UW. Students can also meet representatives from the Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) a student-led green fee that is solely dedicated to funding student projects on campus. Environmentalism and Our Residence Halls: Students Expressing Environmental Dedication's (SEED's) shares how they works within the Residence Halls to enact meaningful, lasting change.