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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: Ben Wessel
Position (in student organization): None (there aren't any formal positions)
Date survey submitted: July 20, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Sunday Night Group
Number of active members: 40-70
Website: (old) http://community.middlebury.edu/~cri/SNG/sng_home.htm
Date of last meeting: Last Sunday of the semester
Frequency of meetings: Every Sunday night at 9pm
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: Use of local foods on campus, energy use on campus, "greening" the college's endowment, advancing climate policy on a state, regional, national, and international level
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: Have secured funding for all-local food for the Fall 2009 semester in the Environmental Studies house, have had numerous conversations with Board of Trustees and members of the College's Administration about a lack of transparency in the College's endowment and a need for a focus on greening our investments, conducted a creative direct action campaign geared around greening the endowment, brought almost 200 students to the PowerShift youth climate conference in Washington, DC - a higher percentage of the student body to attend than any other school in the country, more...
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or with other colleges? We partnered with the Sustainability Integration Office and the Environmental Council
[ ] No
[ X ] Yes. Please list details for each competition.
#1 - Name of competition: PowerStrip
Year initiated: 2009
Frequency of competition: So far we have had 4 or 5 cycles
Participants: Students
Incentives:
Goal of competition: to reduce dorm room electricity use
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: unknown
Lasting effects of competition: competition is still ongoing
Website: http://www.middlebury.edu/administration/enviro/archives/news/2009/enviro_archive_633801629266670621.htm
#2 - Name of competition: ICICLE (Inter-Commons Initiative to Consume Less Energy)
Year initiated: 2007
Frequency of competition: just once
Participants: all students
Incentives: pizza party, prizes
Goal of competition: reduce dorm room electricity use
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: unknown
Lasting effects of competition: campus awareness regarding energy consumption
Website: http://community.middlebury.edu/~cri/ICICLE/ICICLE_home.htm
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: There is a sustainability committee within the Student Government Association, as well as a cabinet-level Environment Advisor who chairs the committee. SGA has representatives on the college-wide Sustainability Council too.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
Widespread political action campaigns focusing on advancing sustainable energy and climate policy. This involves bringing students to PowerShift, hosting events on climate policy (including those featuring nationally-known speakers like Bill McKibben, John Passacantando, others), hosting events on climate justice (Nia Robinson of the EJCC), partnering with statewide organizations to influence state energy policy (particularly the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant), working to elect climate-friendly politicians (Rep. Peter Welch, Pres. Barack Obama), lobbying our representatives in-state, 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:
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): works closely with Energy Action Coalition around political mobilization efforts, is developing the Vermont Student Environmental Coalition (VSEC) with other schools.
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