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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: Linda Riley and Carrie Wittmer
Position (in student organization): Sustainability Club and OREC Internship Program Advisors
Date survey submitted: July 17, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Sustainability Club
Number of active members: Six
Website: oitsustainability.pbwiki.com and http://www.oit.edu/sustainable-OIT
Date of last meeting: June 5, 2009
Frequency of meetings: Once a week
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: “Greening” campus dining operations, advocacy and education.
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: Assisted with Earth Day events; hosted a booth at the Migratory Bird festival in Klamath Falls; attended the Oregon University System Sustainability Conference in October, 2008; conducted a student body survey to improve dining services; eliminated Styrofoam and plastic take-out containers from the campus Marketplace/dining hall; added vegetarian options to Marketplace offerings; posted educational signs about using china instead of take-out containers; helped facilitate the creation of a food waste composting program; helped with Recyclemania activities; and conducted a t-shirt sale fundraiser.
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: Recyclemania
Year initiated: 2007
Frequency of competition: Annually
Participants: The Sustainability Club assists the Oregon Renewable Energy Center Planning Assistant (paid, student position) who coordinates, publicizes, and organizes competition activities. Club assistance with Recyclemania activities included posting educational signs, making weekly announcements on competition progress; holding “office hours” at the College Union to address competition questions; and holding a recycling contest for individuals who recycled the most material.
Incentives: The OREC student employee is paid $10 an hour; coordinating Recylemania is one the employee’s many responsibilities. Club volunteers assist as part of a requirement to participate in activities to keep their club status current with the Associated Students of OIT (student government). Student participation incentives included getting lottery tickets for each bag of recycled materials submitted to the contest. At the end of the competition, owners of chosen lottery tickets won gift certificates to the local GreenWay Ecomart or $100 cash.
Goal of competition: To recycle as much material as possible.
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: 1,940 lbs were recycled during the contest period. OIT’s waste, however, is not weighed on a regular basis, thus it is difficult to calculate this amount as a percent of the total.
Lasting effects of competition: School recognition and pride, reduction of landfill waste, increased community awareness of recycling efforts.
Website: http://www.recyclemania.org/ Search for OIT.
#2 - Name of competition: Oregon Campus Compact Innovation in Engagement
Year initiated: 2009
Frequency of competition: Annual
Participants: Colleges and Universities
Incentives: Up to $1,000 award
Goal of competition: To encourage innovation in community engagement and involvement
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced: Not focused on energy/water/waste reduction.
Lasting effects of competition: Creation of a Sustainable OIT campus tour.
Website: http://www.oregoncampuscompact.org/
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:
The Oregon Renewable Energy Center at OIT has a student internship program. Six students participated in the program during the 08-09 academic year. Interns work with the Sustainability Coordinators and Energy Analyst to identify and work on key projects to move the campus toward sustainability and meet bi-weekly to check in on project progress. Achievements for the 2008-2009 school year include the creation and adoption of an Energy Star Appliance Purchasing Policy; being awarded $1,000 for a Sustainable OIT Tour Pilot Program; creation of a Sustainability Assessment Tracking system; and conducting research on the Oregon Tech Foundation investment and endowment policies. The interns led multiple groups of K-12 students and Klamath Falls community members on tours explaining the sustainable and renewable-energy features of the campus.
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:
OIT’s Outdoor Program has a bike repair facility where students can use tools and a work space free of charge.
Two students are employed for 10 hours a week each with the Oregon Renewable Energy Center (OREC) as Planning Assistants. These assistants were instrumental in OIT’s participation in Recyclmania, researching sustainability project and funding opportunities, creating an OIT Sustainability wiki, writing weekly educational “soundbites” for the on-line daily newsletter, assisting in the creation of an OIT sustainability website, conducting a course inventory for sustainability content, and publicizing OIT sustainability efforts and accomplishments. They also coordinated the 2nd Annual Earth Day events at OIT in 2009 and Recyclemania.
URL: http://www.oit.edu/sustainable-OIT/studentsgetinvolved and oitsustainability.pbwiki.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): American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, Oregon University System Sustainability Initiatives, Oregon Campus Compact, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
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