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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: Fabiola Molina & Cindy Ortiz
Position (in student organization): Co-Chairs
Date survey submitted: July 21
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Environmental Issues Committee
Number of active members: 40+
Website: eic.tamu.edu
Date of last meeting: April 28, 2009 [meetings during school year]
Frequency of meetings: once a week [throughout school year]
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008: increased student support for on campus sustainability via a Referendum, bin lending for events
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008: garnered support from a majority of students [76% of the vote taken] for an increase in sustainable services; beginning this Fall semester, our organization will be lending out recycling bins in order to facilitate the collection of recyclables at events
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 Environmental Issues Committee is a Committee of Student Government. We actively strive to provide and support programs which enhance environmental education, reduce the community’s impact, and draft sound environmental legislation on and off campus.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school:
- Kyle Field Recycling- Kyle Field Stadium seats over 80,000 people and generates an equally great magnitude of waste. In the fall of 2004, EIC began a recycling program at the stadium. Following each game EIC members and other student organizations help collect plastic bottles. These recycling efforts divert thousands of pounds of waste and save Texas A&M thousands of dollars in removal costs
- Curbside Recycling- Texas A&M currently does not have accessible recycling options for its students. Therefore, EIC, beginning since Fall 2007, holds bi-monthly curbside recycling drives. We hope that with events like this, individuals on campus can show that recycling is valued at Texas A&M and recycling facilities should be expanded accordingly.
- Earth Day- In an effort to bring more awareness to environmental issues, since the spring of 2008 EIC has organized a large Earth Day event bringing together various local and student organizations to host an informational eco-fair, and an environmental issues forum.
- Aggies Vote Yes Campaign- In the spring of 2009 EIC posed a referendum question on the student election ballot. We hoped to create a discussion and raise the volume of student voice on environmental issues by showing, through the vote, that students would like to see issues of sustainability take higher precedence on the University’s agenda. By voting “yes” the students agreed that services such as recycling are necessary and other projects, such as retrofitting buildings and granting more attention to energy and water conservation will not only decrease A&M’s environmental impact the energy fee as well. 76% of Aggies that voted in the elections voted “yes”, resulting in the highest turnout on one issue in Texas A&M history.
- Environmental Issues Forum- In order to educate ourselves and our fellow students EIC hosts an annual environmental forum with input from various professors and local community leaders to address and start a discussion on environmental issues affecting students.
- Movie Screening- In order to educate the student population about various environmental topics, EIC has hosted multiple movie screenings, which have previously featured “Washing Away: Losing Louisiana” and Disney-Pixar’s “WALL-E.”
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:
- TEAC [Texas Environmental Action Committee]: http://teac.tamu.edu/
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- From their website: “We believe that through education and action, we can work within Texas and within our Bryan/College Station community to become environmentally friendly and improve the quality of life.”
- Association for Social Entrepreneurship: http://ilovepeople.org
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- This organization works to promote positive societal change on a global and local level. One of their well known projects is the Maroon Bike Project, which works to educate people in the area about bike safety and awareness, and would eventually like to have a build-a-bike facility similar to that of the Yellow Bike Project in Austin, Texas.
- TAMU Replant: http://replant.tamu.edu
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- Director: Catherine Taylor
- Replant Day is a yearly tree planting event hosted by this organization. It was originally started to offset the environmental impact of Bonfire, a Texas A&M Tradition. Replant occurs every Fall.
- Texas A&M Community Garden: http://acga.localharvest.org/garden/M1898?ul
- Emerging Green Builders : http://egb.tamu.edu/
- National Association of Environmental Professionals TX A&M Student Chapter http://naep.tamu.edu/
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):
- Energy Action Coalition
- Sierra Student Coalition
- Focus the Nation
- Powershift
ReEnergize Texas
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Name: Andrew Chin
Position (in student organization): Program Coordinator (2008)
Date survey submitted: 20090612
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Environmental Issues Committee
Number of active members: 25
Website: http://eic.tamu.edu
Date of last meeting: Spring 2009
Frequency of meetings: Weekly during academic year
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
-Curbside Recycling – Twice monthly recycling service for students, targets on campus students who do not have access to recycling in residence halls (http://eic.tamu.edu/node/9)
-Earth Day 2009 – Educational event involving over 40 campus and community organizations (http://eic.tamu.edu/node/10)
-Kyle Field Recycling – Recycling after home football games, diverted over 3 tons of plastic (http://eic.tamu.edu/node/13)
-Campaign for increased recycling on campus (Aggies Recycle) (http://eic.tamu.edu/node/7)
-Published additional Go Green! and Maroon Guides (http://eic.tamu.edu/node/12)
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
-Support for investment in sustainability – Student referendum – Over 76% of students support more investment in sustainability (http://eic.tamu.edu/aggiesvoteyes)
-Will continue to have Curbside Recycling, Kyle Field Recycling, and Earth Day events in the coming academic year.
-Sustainability Office created pilot program of Big Belly Solar Trash Compactors with recycling receptacles (http://tamunews.tamu.edu/archives/article.php?articleid=7338&month=2&year=2009)
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: Us. The Environmental Issues Committee is a committee of the Student Government Association.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school: All relevant activities have been listed under (1)
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:
-Emerging Green Builders (http://egb.tamu.edu/) Sustainability related to the built environment
-Association for Social Entrepreneurship (http://ilovepeople.org/) Umbrella group for several sustainability related projects including community garden and bike project
-Residence Hall Association (http://rha.tamu.edu) Organization for on campus residents – promotes Residence Hall Energy Challenge
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): N/A
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