Student Involvement

Overview

The Student Involvement category looks at the level of student participation in sustainability initiatives and support for these activities from the college administration. This includes:

• The existence of active student organizations that work effectively toward expanding sustainability efforts within the campus
• Sustainability competitions that challenge community members to reduce water or electricity use, for instance, and help to engage the broader campus population by creating incentives for behavioral change.
• Integrating sustainability policies and culture into orientation programs for new students.
• Providing opportunities for students as Eco-Reps and sustainability-related work-study jobs 

Key Findings

• More than four in five schools have introduced sustainability into student orientation. A sustainability awareness/educational component, like a zero-waste meal, discussions or speeches, or an active volunteer projet, has been integrated into an impressive 82 percent of new-student orientation programs.

• Over two in five schools have student representation on their board of trustees. Forty-one percent of the schools include at least one student representative on their board of trustees.

• Close to half of all the schools have Eco-Reps or other similar programs to promote behavioral change on campus. Forty-seven percent of the schools have instituted these programs to encourage sustainable living practices in residence halls.

• Three-quarters of the schools offer paid sustainability opportunities for students. Seventy-five percent of the schools offer paid positions to students for work on sustainability activities within the facilities department, sustainability office, or other relevant campus office.

• More than two in five schools have a green residence. A living space where students work to reduce their resource use and/or a dedicated green residence for eco-minded students is offered by 45 percent of the schools.

• The average grade for the Student Involvement category is B. For a summary of grade distribution for this category, please refer to the chart on the right.

                                                                            Leading by Example

Grade Breakdown