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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: Molly Buermann, Gennie Noyce, Courtney Rueter
Position (in student organization): past chair, past chair, 2010 chair
Date survey submitted: June 29, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Environmental Action Coalition
Number of active members: 20
Website: www.mtholyoke.edu/go/eac
Date of last meeting: May 5, 2009
Frequency of meetings: weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: Recycling, alternative energy, and bicycle use
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: Plan for bicycle program was outlined and a few model bikes were fixed. Program will continue in the fall of 2009. Recycling outreach projects were conducted to encourage students to recycle shampoo bottles. Research was conducted into the prospects of starting an on-campus composting project and a five college wind energy project.
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: Kill-a-Watt
Year initiated:
Frequency of competition: monthly
Participants: All campus residents participate
Incentives: $100 is given to the winning dorm each month
Goal of competition: The winning dorm is that which has reduced its kWh usage the most in a given month from levels of the same month in the previous year.
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: Generally around 10-20% reductions in every dorm per month
Lasting effects of competition: Students learn ways to cut back on their energy footprint that they carry on even after leaving Mount Holyoke, including shutting lights off when leaving rooms, using CFLs, and setting their computers to go to sleep when not in use.
Website: www.mtholyoke.edu/go/killawatt
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 Environmental Action Coalition is given a senator to provide a voice for environmental concerns. We are also in the process of developing a separate representative body for environmental issues that would have members representing every dorm on campus.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
Trash on the lawn day – trash sort to determine how much trash could have been recycled and display on campus green.
Pangy Day – Annual spring celebration and environmental fair to raise campus awareness.
Focus the Campus – led organization with other campus departments and participated in panel discussions.
Million Monitor Drive and Cold Turkey energy conservation campaigns.
Crops for a Closer Community – campus farm organized in conjunction with the Center for the Environment.
PowerShift and Earth Hour in Spring 2009 participation.
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:
Food Justice Society - Ariel Kagan
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/org/foodjustice/
Student organization that works to increase local food on campus, increase food justice awareness, and develop the student garden.
Campus Bike Initiative – Courtney Rueter
Student initiative to obtain and oversee a fleet of campus bikes for students, faculty, and staff to sign out for use both on and off 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):
We are part of the 5- College environmental group (Mount Holyoke, Smith, Hampshire, Amherst and University of Massachusetts at Amherst).
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