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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: Maggie Knight
Position (in student organization): Environment Commissioner, SSMU; Treasurer, Greening McGill
Date survey submitted: July 14, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Environment Committee
Number of active members: 12
Website: www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/environment
Date of last meeting: early April
Frequency of meetings: weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: collaboration and coordination amongst student sustainability initiatives at McGill, institutional sustainability of SSMU, representation of SSMU to external groups, access to funding for student sustainability projects, generally support student initiatives, improve general environmental awareness of student body
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
Collaboration/Coordination: held weekly meetings (open to all, chance to update each other on progress), launched www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/environment as a hub for sustainability info at McGill, put related projects/initiatives in touch with each other in order to facilitate progress
Institutional sustainability: Collaboratively developed SSMU’s Five Year Plan for Sustainability (passed by SSMU Council in March 2009), downloadable at http://www.ssmu.mcgill.ca/environment/?q=blogs/environment-commissioners/ssmus-five-year-plan-for-sustainability. Developed new structure for Environment Committee, including 2 additional stipended positions (Green Events Coordinator, Green Building Coordinator) and 12 official volunteer positions to increase the capacity of the Environment Committee and set in motion the implementation of the Five Year Plan.
External representation: represented SSMU to McGill Office of Sustainability, Sierra Youth Coalition, Sustainable Concordia, various student groups
Access to funding: provided support/advice to students applying for funding through SSMU’s Green Fund, Generations Pact, etc.
General support: met with many students to give them support in various initiatives (e.g. explaining support SSMU can provide, explaining structures of sustainability-related decision-making at McGill, assisting in creation of logos, recommending professors to contact for research projects, etc.)
Environmental Awareness: in collaboration with McGill Office of Sustainability, coordinated McGill’s participation in the Climate Challenge; hosted events for Earth Hour and Fossil Fools Day; initiated Sustainability @ McGill: Have Your Say online survey, to assess awareness of groups/initiatives on campus and inform the strategic planning for sustainability session scheduled for Sept 13, 2009 (results are still in the process of being compiled); in collaboration with Greening McGill, organized student delegation to the Energy Action Coalition’s Power Shift conference in Washington DC (12,000 youth, mainly American, attended, making it the biggest youth climate conference ever held in North America) – many who attended are now involved in organizing Power Shift Canada, which will take place in Ottawa this October
For its achievements this year, Environment Committee was awarded SSMU’s Committee of the Year Award.
Name of organization: Greening McGill
Number of active members: 5 (hundreds on listserv, several active members recently graduated)
Website: www.greeningmcgill.org (under construction)
Date of last meeting: first week of April
Frequency of meetings: Weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: Alternative transportation, minimizing the impact of student events, local food, climate change awareness, student mobilization for change
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
Alternative transportation: in collaboration with Rethink McGill, hosted Car Free Day
Student event impact minimization: wrote Green Events Guide (to be distributed in September to over 200 McGill student groups)
Local food: collaborated on the formation of the McGill Food Systems Project (in collaboration with the Farmers Market at McGill and the Sustainable McGill Project), hosted the McGill 100 Mile Diet (and subsequently began writing guide to local eating in Montreal)
Climate Change Awareness: as part of SUS Green Week, hosted a panel discussion on Cross-Disciplinary Responses to Climate Change. Panellists were an environmental journalist, a McGill professor of Ocean & Atmospheric Science, and a McGill Law professor
Student Mobilization: in collaboration with the SSMU Environment Committee, organized student delegation to the Energy Action Coalition’s Power Shift conference in Washington DC
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: Climate Challenge / Defi Climat (A municipal initiative. The related internal McGill competition was organized by SSMU using Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=61280477690 )
Year initiated: 2008
Frequency of competition: annual
Participants: 263 staff and students in 2009
Incentives: prizes
Goal of competition: reduce GHG emissions
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: unknown (total pledge of McGill participants: CO2 reduction of 678,739 kg/yr )
Lasting effects of competition: personal individual commitment to lifestyle change to reduce GHG emissions
Website: http://www.deficlimat.qc.ca/deficlimat/
#2 - Name of competition: Power Down (Environmental Residence Council Energy Reduction Competition)
Year initiated: 2003
Frequency of competition: annual
Participants: students in residences
Incentives: pizza and beverages
Goal of competition: reduce energy and water consumption in university residences
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: Water reduction unknown. Energy reduction: 3-30%, depending on residence and year.
Lasting effects of competition: Temporary reduction in energy consumption of residences, followed by somewhat more modest long-term (post-competition) reductions. Sensitization, possible long-term adjustment in participants’ personal energy consumption habits.
Website: N/A
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: Please see description of SSMU Environment Committee above. There are two Environment Commissioners and, starting in Sept 2009, a Green Events Coordinator and Green Building Coordinator. The Environment Committee falls under the SSMU President’s portfolio. Following the passing of SSMU’s Five Year Plan for Sustainability, each SSMU executive is responsible for a number of sustainability goals.
The Arts Undergraduate Society also has an Environment Committee and Commissioner, which meets biweekly. The Science Undergraduate Society has two positions: Environmental Outreach Coordinator (in charge of SUS Green Week) and Environmental Policy Coordinator.
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:
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):
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Name: Megan Poss
Position (in student organization): President, S.T.O.P.
Date survey submitted: 15/07/09
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1. Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Shaping Tomorrow’s Organizational Practices (S.T.O.P.)
Number of active members: 25 (419 on mailing list)
Website: http://www.mcgillstop.com
Date of last meeting: 05/24/09
Frequency of meetings: once a week (during regular school session)
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
- Corporate Social Responsibility awareness and education to business students in all departments
- promoting sustainable practices in Faculty Building (Samuel Bronfman building)
- connecting and communicating with other environmental groups on campus
- promoting ethical, local consumption amongst students and faculty
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
- Held ‘Green Business Week’ in conjunction with the CBC launch of 1,000,000,000 Acts of Green campaign (October 2008) – a week open to all students, consisting of daily activities, speakers, and events to raise awareness about sustainability issues related specifically to business
- Hosted ‘Beyond CSR’ Conference in partnership with NetImpact McGill and HEC (Université de Montréal) – a day-long conference that brought together 200 participants: undergraduate and MBA students, as well as academics and professionals from the Montreal area
- Established self-sustaining reusable-cup initiative for the Faculty’s weekly “4 à 7” meetings (to be launched beginning of September 2009)
- Sensitizing professors to the environmental impact of wasteful printing – and supervising the ‘McGill Paperless course-pack initiative’: piloting with 5 courses in Faculty of Management to eliminate printed course-pack material (this program does not include courses where professors have already put all material and submission guidelines online)
- held ‘Porte ouVERTes’ – an open-house forum for members of other environmental clubs and interested students to meet and network
- promoted our I-Green-Montreal wiki (http://i-green-mtl.wikispaces.com/?responseToken=e939637ccc6ace0b5882d881e440ad0d) at various tabling events (such as annual car-free day) and involved public participation and suggestions for listings
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:
#2 - 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?
[ ] No
[x] Yes. Please describe: Please see response in SSMU document.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
- I was VP Outreach for the McGill Business Conference on Sustainability – a three day conference hosted by the Desautels Faculty of Management which brought close to 100 students from across Canada together to learn and discuss sustainability issues in the context of business.
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: Please see response in
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):
- STOP and MUS are affiliated with the Regroupement Étudiant des Facultés d'Administration de l'Est du Canada (of which I was the McGill representative on the Sustainability Table) – the table has constructed a comprehensive sustainable event evaluation system (Certification 5 Feuilles) in cooperation with Sierra Youth Coalition. This certification is in its pilot year, and has been used to evaluate REFAEC events for the 2008/2009 academic year (Eastern Canada business competitions – academic, athletic, and social)
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Name: Jonathan Glencross
Position (in student organization): Coordinator
Date survey submitted: July 15th
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Sustainable McGill Project (SMP)
Number of active members: 15-20
Website: http://sustainable.mcgill.ca/ (has not been updated in 2 years)
Contact: sm.project@mcgill.ca
Date of last meeting: May 2nd, 2009
Frequency of meetings: Weekly or Bi-Weekly during the semester
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
Issue 1: Lack of centralized space for sustainable action, lack of community participation, lack of institutional memory, but desire for all.
Action: In 2008, 3 members of the SMP were invited by the administration to sit on a steering committee to assist in the development of the McGill Office of Sustainability. They were tasked to develop a mission statement, contribute to the decisions going into the layout and design of the office & its future visioning, and to gather student support. In February 2009 - with the help of SMP and many others - the McGill Office of Sustainability officially opened.
Issue #2: Very little knowledge of the environmental and sustainability education provided to students, students not engaged or involved in curriculum, lack of applied research opportunities in the field of sustainability.
Actions: In 2009, the Sustainable McGill Project hosted the first ever “Rethink Your Curriculum Challenge”, an essay competition asking students to:
1. Provide a summary of what their faculty was doing to sensitize them to sustainability issues specific to their field of study (with specific examples), evaluate how successful it was, and indicate whether they were given an opportunity to apply the knowledge they were given.
2. Students were asked to give suggestions of courses which would benefit from the incorporation of sustainable principles & issues, how they could be implemented, and in what context. They were also asked to provide ideas for how to connect their field of study with these issues.
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: See above/below
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: 2009 Rethink Your Curriculum Challenge (see above)
Year initiated: 2009
Frequency of competition: Annual
Participants: 100+
Incentives: Small monetary awards for 1st and 2nd place by faculty, opportunity to work with profs and faculty advisors to implement the most creative and practical ideas and suggestions.
Goal of competition: To shorten the gap between students and their curriculum, to encourage and accelerate the bottom-up implementation of field-specific sustainability solutions into the curriculum, to engage students, to encourage the model of applied student research,
to re-open the age of discussion of ivory tower research in a new light, to establish a baseline of what each faculty is doing or teaching their students with regard to sustainability & the successfulness of their approach.
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: n/a
Lasting effects of competition: Over 100+ students submitted. An independent panel of judges went through over 100 submissions and gave prizes to the top 2 submissions for each department. The most interesting suggestions from all essays were compiled, and will be provided to the individual faculties to consult. Students will also be invited to take their suggestions further, and connect with recommended faculty & courses to implement these and other ideas. A faculty orientation session will also be held for faculty members interested in incorporating these ideas into their curriculum. A campus wide ‘teach-in’ may be organized in the fall, where professors volunteer 10 minutes of their class, on the same day, dedicated to sustainability in curriculum specific to their field.
Website: see our video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxVT8U5e5M8
http://ssmu.mcgill.ca/environment/?q=blogs/environment-commissioners/get-50-for-250-words-the-rethink-your-curriculum-challenge
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Please refer to response in SSMU document.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
2009 – McGill/Concordia TD Shoreline Cleanup (Laval) - Help organize & provide access to listserve & volunteers
2008 – Quebec Sustainable Campus Conference – Coordinator & Host for 2008
2008 – Fossil Fuels Day – Coordinator for McGill in 2008
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Name: Roland Wilhelm
Position (in student organization): Co-ordinator - Gorilla Compost, MacDonald Campus
Date survey submitted: July 2nd 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Gorilla Compost
Number of active members: 15
Website: http://gorilla.mcgill.ca/
Date of last meeting: April 19th, 2009
Frequency of meetings: Bi-weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
i) Organic waste removal service for campus buildings coupled to compost management and distribution to local residents and a community garden
ii) Lobbying the administration to offer a professionally run organic waste removal service similar to other universities throughout Canada
iii) Vermi-compost workshops in which participants build their own bin
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
i) Fully functioning. Additional composting capacity created with new bin constructed
ii) Issues have been brought up at the MacDonald (campus) Environment Committee, though little has been actually planned or implemented.
iii) Successful with 10 participants and 10 healthy apartment worm pet boxes
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.
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:
i) “Make It Happen,” environmental activism conference participant: a presentation on how a student-based or community-based composting service can be managed
ii) Basic awareness raising and education on how to manage a healthy outdoor compost pile (ie. what to compost, aeration etc.)
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:
Happy Belly - a group that gathers food waste from large grocery chains and cooks a free lunch for all comers.
CERES – a sustainability action group that runs awareness events and is currently lobbying the cafeteria to offer discounts for re-usable ware and a re-usable option.
MacAgriculture – Group involved in organic farming techniques that runs an educational plot in a community garden and brings in lecturers about various topics such as beekeeping or alternative power.
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):
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Name: Oliver Watt-Meyer
Position (in student organization): Executive Committee Member - Gorilla Composting, Main Campus
Date survey submitted: July 13, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Gorilla Composting
Number of active members: approx 100 members bring compost, about 5 coordinating volunteers
Website: http://gorilla.mcgill.ca/
Date of last meeting: June 3, 2009 (Executive Committee) / April 2, 2009 (General Meeting)
Frequency of meetings: Approx. monthly (Executive Committee) / Semesterly (General Meetings)
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
Continued taking members' compost to farm outside of Montreal. Also initiated proposal for McGill to buy an industrial composter to deal with food waste from cafeterias.
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
Approximately 5 tons of organic waste dropped off at our collection point and composted at Quinn Farms. Waste audit performed by members at two cafeterias on downtown campus. McGill investigating possibility of buying an industrial composter and implementing a composting program at select cafeterias on the downtown campus.
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.
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: Please see response in SSMU document
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
We hold publicity events for Gorilla Composting at the beginning of each school year, both at Frosh and at the farmer's market to raise awareness about composting on campus.
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):
None.
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Name: Jennifer Dumoulin
Position (in student organization): Environmental Advisor, MacDonald Campus Student Society (MCSS)
Date survey submitted: July 1st, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: MCSS
Number of active members: 8-12
Website: N/A - work in progress
Date of last meeting: May 2009
Frequency of meetings: bi-weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: recycling, carpooling, awareness of key issues and other student related issues
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: work in progress, mostly organizational and meetings
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?
[ ] No
[X] Yes. Please describe: Environmental Advisor. The position is quite loose. There are no specific guidelines although most people who have held the position sit on University committees that are environmentally related and they also help organize events with the environmental clubs on campus. The environmental advisor also advises the Student Society on creating an environmentally friendly atmosphere and making sure events held under the Society are as environmentally friendly as possible. Recently, the environmental advisor has been advising University organizers in order to help the greening McGill initiative (Open House event, Majors fair event, etc).
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
MACTION is a new committee on campus that regroups all clubs on campus. This committee will meet 2-3 times per semester and allow clubs to discuss how they can make their events more environmentally friendly and it also allows them to discuss their plans for the semester and potentially meet other clubs to collaborate.
Making it Happen Conference hosted by CERES (a student run club at MacDonald Campus). This conference allows anyone to come find out some environmental issues that CERES is working on and it also allows them to get into contact with any of the other environmental clubs that they might want to get involved with.
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:
CERES - Committee for Environmental Responsibility, Education and Sustainability - this group is the most active on our campus. They have initiated a Bring Your Own Mug campaign which has proven very successful. They make recycled paper notebooks, reusable bags. They host events such as the making it happen conference and they increase awareness and work with others in order to make our campus environment better.
Happy Belly - this club receives donated foods from local grocery stores and our campus market (food that can no longer be sold..therefore its recycled) and makes delicious meals to serve for free to our students.
Gorilla Composting - a group that collects organic waste from various areas on campus and composts it on campus in a manner that allows other students to do hands on work and learn how to compost.
Green Drinks Ste-Anne's - http://www.greendrinks.org/index.php?country=Canada&city=Sainte%20Anne%20de%20Bellevue,%20QC
Mac Agroecology Group - The Mac AgroEcology Group (MAEG) is a student group that aims to promote sustainable agriculture on the Macdonald campus through concrete actions
Mac Community Garden - Provides an opportunity for students to gather, garden and learn about organic gardening. The food produced will be donated to Happy Belly.
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):
We are not affiliated with and regional or national networks.
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Name: Ian Vogel
Position (in student organization): Summer Researcher, McGill Food Systems Project
Date survey submitted: July 15, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: McGill Food Systems Project (MFSP)
Number of active members: 25
Website: http://mfsp.wordpress.com/
Date of last meeting: July 15, 2009
Frequency of meetings: Every working day in Summer of 2009. Once every other week during the school terms.
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: the MFSP will conduct research over the summer of 2009 to assess the food purchasing and sourcing decisions of the major food service providers such as Chartwells and Sodexo.
Initially, we will be developing a database of the current food sourcing practices, with the intention of having this database serve as a baseline against which to compare more sustainable alternatives. A prerequisite to assessing the sustainability of current practices and the feasibility of alternatives, the database and a final report will enable future evaluation of the production, packaging, and transportation methods of specific food stuffs served in McGill University’s cafeterias.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the project beyond the summer months, a part of our project mandate is to support student-run research projects throughout the academic year. We will establish partnerships with existing courses that provide students the opportunity to conduct research that will be used to improve our food sourcing decisions.
These efforts will contribute towards the development of sustainability standards for food at McGill, which will be formalized in a series of criteria documents. We will work to support the monitoring and effective implementation of these standards while maintaining transparency and sharing the results with the entire McGill community. The administration has agreed to partner with us on this endeavour.
Over the course of the fall 2009 semester we will be hosting events to engage all students, administrators and staff in the ongoing improvements to our food systems at McGill.
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
Current project status: Sourcing Database is completed for Chartwells. Have met with all food administration at McGill, who have all agreed to partner. Three courses have guaranteed to partner for fall. Working with residences to initiate a seasonal menu throughout the year. Partnership secured with SSMU and Farmers market for Film and Feast Event in fall.
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: Film and Feast Local Foods Adventure Race / Scavenger Hunt
Year initiated: Fall 2009
Frequency of competition: 1st time
Participants: Radical Frosh participants
Incentives: Eating locally and organically
Goal of competition: Promote sustainable agricultural awareness and food system complexity
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: unknown
Lasting effects of competition: Students learn where to buy local and organic food as well as how to utilize the services offered on campus. Seasonality will be integrated into the activity for students to learn what they can expect to buy local and when.
Website: http://mfsp.wordpress.com/
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Please refer to response in SSMU document.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
In order to ensure the sustainability of the project beyond the summer months, a part of the MFSP project mandate is to support student-run research projects throughout the academic year. We have established partnerships with existing courses that provide students the opportunity to conduct research that will be used to improve our food sourcing decisions.
During the fall of 2009, MFSP be partnering Environment 401, a final year course in the McGill School of Environment where students undertake applied research projects in groups of 5 or more. Under the supervision of Professor Sylvie De Blois, the group will be researching and developing ‘sustainable food’ standards to be incorporated into criteria documents as part of a larger effort formalize ‘sustainable food’ purchasing decisions at McGill. Several contracts will be negotiated in December 2009, and as part of the RFP process the students enrolled in this course should be able to clearly define the term ‘sustainability’ for certain key products such as dairy and root vegetables.
The Food Systems Project will also advise a group of students in a Nutrition and Dietetics (346) course called, “Quantity Food Production”. Five students will work as a team to develop a local, organic themed menu for a catering event of 50-100 people. They must prepare a business proposal including their budget and where they intend on sourcing their food. The MFSP will advise students on where to source their local products and what sorts of false claims the students need to be aware of. The project will hopefully serve as a model for food service providers on campus who have committed to serving monthly seasonal and locally sourced meals.
Question 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): We receive funding from the Sierra Youth Coalition and Generations Pact of Quebec, as well as support from the Millennium Foundation and Student Society of McGill University (SSMU).
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Name: Robert Sevalrud
Position (in student organization): Chair
Date survey submitted: July 8, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Pre-Serve
Number of active members: 17
Website: http://www.pre-serve.mcgilleus.ca/
Date of last meeting: April 7
Frequency of meetings: Monthly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
-Continued dialogue with the Department of Civil Engineering to consider implementing a new course focused on sustainability within the profession
-Raised awareness of sustainability issues in civil engineering through distribution of newsletters to the student body and professors
-Made conferences related to sustainability more accessible to students by subsidizing entrance fees
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
-We have received recognition from the department with regards to our request for more sustainability-related material in the curriculum. In addition, a growing number of students are becoming aware of our efforts and are demonstrating their support through dialogue with professors
-Our quarterly newsletters are widely read by civil engineering students and professors, and we often receive feedback or acknowledgement of our efforts
-Sponsored students to attend 3 different conferences in the Montreal area
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:
#2 - 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?
[ ] No
[ x ] Yes. Please describe:
The SSMU Environment committee is responsible for sustainable initiatives in the student government. Their interests lie in building a sustainable campus by creating a dialogue between the community, student groups, and the university. They are also in charge of a fund that supports sustainable initiatives on campus. (Please refer to SSMU response for further details.)
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:
-Midnight Kitchen --> vegan food co-op
-Gorilla Composting
-Santropol Roulant -- santropol.projectgo@gmail.com
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): None
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Name: Trevor Chow-Fraser
Position (in student organization): Coordinator, Anti Gentrification Project
Date survey submitted: 15 July 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Anti Gentrification Project
Number of active members: half dozen
Website: n/a
Date of last meeting: June 14
Frequency of meetings: monthly to semi-monthly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: Addressing student-led gentrification in the communities surrounding McGill's main campus. Our primary method of education is through organising neighbourhood walking tours.
As an urban university, McGill has its student residences scattered throughout the Milton-Parc neighbourhood. The borders of the campus are not strictly defined, and research, teaching and student residences are interspersed by businesses, institutions and private residences. We work with students while they are still living in residence, to help students integrate into the community, and to ensure that campus sustainability projects do not only benefit students, but the whole Milton-Parc community. Our project combats student-led gentrification by involving students in the democratic, greening, and community-building processes of the campus-community in which we live.
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: First walking tour of the adjacent Milton Parc neighbourhood completed on May 1st. A second tour completed on June 14th. Based on these initial tours, we are planning full scale tours with students in residence this coming fall.
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or with other colleges?
[ X ] No
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: With regards to our issue, the SSMU Vice President (External) has a Community Affairs Committee, which deals with students integrating into the adjacent Milton Parc neighbourhood. This year, they have undertaken to address the problem of student-driven gentrification, through a research stipend and by supporting our project (non-financially).
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:
I will only be repeating the SSMU Environment Committee's submission if I give a whole list, so please see their submission for the details.
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):
Quebec Public Interest Research Group at McGill (QPIRG McGill).
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