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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: Zach Piso
Position (in student organization): Advisor on Environmental Initiatives in Allegheny Student Government
Date survey submitted: August 5, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Allegheny Student Government
Number of active members: Around 50
Website: http://asg.allegheny.edu/
Date of last meeting: May 5
Frequency of meetings: Weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
Creating an Eco-Reps program of work study environmental workers, facilitating Recyclemania, developing a sustainability fund, establishing a partnership with the sustainability coordinator, establishing an Advisor on Environmental Initiatives within the ASG cabinet, developing a local currency system, creating an environmental entrepreneurship challenge, creating a dormitory energy consumption challenge
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
Eco-Reps has been created and expanded to a handful of students that are "employable" by student groups, Recyclemania ran smoothly yet again and has become a staple of the campus activities, new positions were created, while both challenges are in place for the coming year. The local currency idea is still in development but the recent purchase of a downtown establishment is expected to serve as a pilot project for the system.
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or with other colleges?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes.
Sorry to abandon the preset formatting, but neither program has been run though each is prepared for the coming year. The dormitory energy competition will challenge dorms to act as teams to win dining money (potentially a segue into local currency coupons). The entrepreneurship competition will encourage project proposals that will receive a portion of the sustainability fund, while the energy savings will be reinvested into the program.
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Does your student government include a specific position or committee dedicated to campus sustainability issues?
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please describe: I'm leading the student government environmental initiatives for this year, and previously had no affiliation with the student government (I believe this is a stronger arrangement, since my experience suggests many of the ASG members show little expediency when addressing new programs). I'm of the school of thought that the student groups and Env. Studies classes are better equipped to develop new project ideas, so I have stressed intergroup coordination and outside resource provision on the part of ASG. Also, large projects such as the local currency, which require involvement with student affairs and other non-student organizations, will serve as an annual emphasis by the entire ASG body (though only one such larger program will be addressed yearly to try to facilitate its completion and future continuation).
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
As a member of Creek Connections, an educational outreach group headed at campus, I have helped with tire pile clean up, fish shelter development, and general environmental awareness events on a regular basis. Our primary service is working with schools and taking the kids (usually 3rd-12th grade) into their local watersheds to learn about environmental issues from agriculture runoff to climate change. It is a strong program and serves the better part of northwestern Pennsylvania and parts of southwestern New York.
ES Club and Students for Environmental Action suffer from a lack of execution based on low membership numbers (possibly related to the diminutive size of the college, though our Env. Sci. department is formidable). They usually focus on environment consciousness and promote sustainability through recycling/composting campaigns, CFL handouts, and other participatory measures.
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:
Env. Sci. Club
Students for Environmental Action
Eco-Reps
Creek Connections
Center for Environmental and Economic Development
Sustainability Coordinator
Summer Environmental Research
We have tried a bike co-op, but alas the "college-on-the-hill" geography led to a lot of abandoned bikes. There is also weekly volunteering at a local sustainable farm, Fresh Off the Vines, that receives regular participation for much of the year. This has led to an emphasis on local agriculture, which provides much of our produce. I'd encourage contacted these other guys about their student groups--they have been my most consistent contacts for their respective programs.
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): I'm sorry but I do not know. Kelly Boulton (kboulton@allegheny.edu) is our sustainability coordinator and would be the better individual to ask.
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