<< Back to Report Card
With the publication of the
College
Sustainability
Report
Card
2010, more than 1,100 school survey responses from over 300 institutions are now available online. In total, these
surveys
offer more than 10,000 pages of data collected from colleges and universities during the
summer
of
2009
. To access surveys from other schools, go to the
surveys section
of the website. To see grades, or to access additional surveys submitted by this school, please click the "Back to Report Card" link at the beginning or end of the survey.
Name:
Paul Coraggio
Position (in student organization):
President of 1STEP
Date survey submitted:
6/26/09
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you
have a leadership role.
Name of organization: 1STEP
Number of active members: ~20
Website: http://www.ramapo.edu/ramapogreen/studentcoalition.html
Date of last meeting: 5/5/09
Frequency of meetings: Weekly (during semesters)
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
Feasible Solutions: Taking small yet effective steps towards making the college more sustainable with the
ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. Sustainability Consulting: Working with other clubs on campus to make their
events more sustainable therefore leading the campus closer to carbon neutrality.
1 Campus-wide sustainability
2 Awareness of environmental issues
3 Conservation of resources (and associated cost-savings)
4 Landfill-use reduction
5 Organic/Local foods
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
1 Sustainability initiatives have spread to various departments on campus
2 Hosted and co-sponsored sustainable events with a wide-variety of groups on campus, including
organic food/biodegradeable dishware late night dining events with Dining Services
3 Semesterly Green Facts Competitions (explained in next section)
4 Give and Go program collects slightly used items, food items, and clothing to avoid dumpsters and be
donated to impoverished people globally
5 Support of local and environmentally-conscious businesses in all club activities, working with the
Havemeyer Edible Garden Project, an organic garden on campus (at the President’s residence)
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or
with other colleges?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please list details for each competition.
#1 - Name of competition:
Energy Saving Competition (pilot)
Year initiated: 2008
Frequency of competition: Once, 1 month long
Participants: Two residence halls
Incentives: Pizza party
Goal of competition: Reduce electricity use
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: 23% in Linden Hall, 17% in Pine Hall
Lasting effects of competition: Heightened awareness
Website: N/A
#2 - Name of competition:
Green Facts Competition
Year initiated: 2008 (April 2008, November2008, April 2009)
Frequency of competition: Semesterly
Participants: All residence halls (~3,000 students)
Incentives: Varies based upon funding and semester.
Goal of competition: Reduce use of electricity and natural gas; Recycle;and Have a sustainable attitude.
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: In total (not including April 2009), 171.1 metric tons of carbon (from
utilities conservation), waste cannot be determined, water cannot be determined, totaling nearly $48,000 dollars.
Lasting effects of competition: Reduced use of resources in other months as well.
Website:
http://www.ramapo.edu/ramapogreen/greenfacts.html
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Does your student government include a specific position or committee dedicated to campus
sustainability issues?
[ x ] No- HOWEVER, I along with three of my executive board now reside on Student Government and
will be creating this very shortly.
[ ] Yes. Please describe:
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your
group has initiated at your school:
- Current activities include a petition for Green Initiative Fund, a student-based fee of $1 per
credit per semester that will become a revolving green energy initiative for tangible renewable energy or
energy conservation additions to campus; this will be worked on through Student Government.
- Currently working on Sustainable Living Facilities (SeLFs) debuting in Fall 2010 where ~50
students will act as pioneers and stewards to their local, regional, and global environment in regards to
sustaina ble practice and environmental awareness. 2 residential buildings will be selected as these
‘green dorms’. Details pending.
5) Please list and briefly describe any other student-run organizations related to campus
sustainability at your school, and provide URLs if available (e.g., student groups; student
government committees; student-run food co-ops, gardens/farms, bike co-ops) and provide contact
information of the student leaders, if possible:
Ramapo Outdoors Club (ROC), Environmental
Alliance, R-CORE (Ramapo Community Organizing for Radical Empowerment).
Questions 6 is for informational purposes only; your response will NOT be included in the Report Card
evaluation process.
6) Please list any regional or national networks with which your group is affiliated (e.g., Energy
Action Coalition/Campus Climate Challenge, Sierra Student Coalition, a state PIRG, a state
student sustainability coalition):
Not directly, but we work with Energy Action Coalition, AASHE,
NJHEPS.
-----
Name:
Jessica Roffe
Position (in student organization):
President of Environmental Alliance
Date survey submitted:
6/30/09
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you
have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Environmental Alliance
Number of active members: 10
Website: none at this time
Date of last meeting: May 28 2009
Frequency of meetings: Once a week during the academic year
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: Our organization raises
environmental consciousness on campus and in the community through social and educational programming.
This year we aimed to encourage student engagement in environmental issues through political advocacy;
increase student understanding of the concept of sustainability as it relates to all disciplines; raise awareness
about climate change and teach students how to reduce their own carbon footprint; and showcase environmental
careers as they relate to all disciplines.
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
We encouraged political advocacy by sponsoring training for thirteen student leaders at PowerShift ’09, a
weekend-long conference held by Energy Action Coalition in Washington, DC. We also held an on-campus event
called “The Politics of Our Environment”, at which student volunteers and an environmental studies class
researched and debated issues pertaining to sustainability and society.
We cosponsored an event called “Vegan Thanksgiving”, an alternative thanksgiving to reconnect students
with where our food comes from and how it relates to sustainability. We helped to organize a Fair Trade Day,
where students had the opportunity to obtain information about fair trade through presentations, and purchase
goods from organizations that sold such products.
We cosponsored films about global warming and climate change, alternative energy, and our natural
resources as part of a film series run by Communication Arts.
We cosponsored a Water and Climate Change Film Festival with a Communication Arts class, which
showcased water scarcity in India. It included a workshop that empowered students to take action to ensure clean
and accessible water around the world. Students participated in games and activities organized around the
principles of reducing, reusing and recycling; and a “Green Fair” where they could sample eco-friendly products
and services donated by local businesses. The festival also included a presentation by an owner of a local
sustainable business, and students had an opportunity to calculate their carbon footprint and learn ways to reduce
their consumption of energy and water resources.
We cosponsored trips to the Climate Change Exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in NYC, and to the
Green East Expo in NYC, where students had an opportunity to learn about sustainability and its relationship to
both ecology and business practice.
We cosponsored a presentation about careers in environmental education and sustainability in higher
education. We also cosponsored select presentations in an interdisciplinary colloquia and teach-in, “Economic
Crisis and the Worker”, which showcased the relationship between sustainability and other ecological, political,
economic, and social issues around the world. We also had a large celebration on Earth Day featuring fun outside
events, activities, giveaways, and information about Ramapo’s sustainability initiatives. We brought in a local
energy consultant who talked about alternative energy in its relationship to residential consumption and
possibilities for Ramapo.
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or
with other colleges?
[X] No
[ ] Yes. Please list details for each competition.
#1 - Name of competition:
Year initiated:
Frequency of competition:
Participants:
Incentives:
Goal of competition:
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced:
Lasting effects of competition:
Website:
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Does your student government include a specific position or committee dedicated to campus
sustainability issues?
[X] No
[ ] Yes. Please describe:
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your
group has initiated at your school:
5) Please list and briefly describe any other student-run organizations related to campus
sustainability at your school, and provide URLs if available (e.g., student groups; student
government committees; student-run food co-ops, gardens/farms, bike co-ops) and provide contact
information of the student leaders, if possible:
1STEP
-
http://www.ramapo.edu/ramapogreen/studentcoalition.html.
President: Paul Coraggio, pcoraggi@ramapo.edu
Student group liaising with/working ‘for’ Climate Commitment Task Force – to provide student leadership and
awareness to the goal of campus carbon neutrality.
6) Please list any regional or national networks with which your group is affiliated (e.g., Energy
Action Coalition/Campus Climate Challenge, Sierra Student Coalition, a state PIRG, a state
student sustainability coalition):
Campus Climate Challenge
<< Back to Report Card