Student Opportunities
Coalition for Campus Sustainability (CCS)
The Coalition for Campus Sustainability (CCS) is a student group that organizes and promotes campus-wide sustainability projects. It organizes the annual Earth Day Student Sustainability Fair (April 22), similar to the Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Fair but geared toward students on the Plaza. This year they will also pilot a campus composting project. This group works in conjunction with the Live Green Team (faculty, staff, and student campus group that addresses sustainability efforts) and the Live Green Community ("green" students in Summit Hall). The Warner College of Natural Resources also sponsors this group. Find Green CSU on Facebook.
Student Environmental Leadership Network
The Student Environmental Leadership Network (SELN) is a network of interdisciplinary collaboration of student organizations and individuals at Colorado State University who are interested in environmental leadership and sustainability. SELN meetings facilitate dialogue between campus environmental groups to uncover areas of common interest and provide opportunities for teamwork and innovation in environmental initiatives. A secondary goal of SELN is to inform the Student Sustainability Center about current student interests regarding sustainability in order to keep the SSC’s projects and programs in line with what students want. More from the SoGES web site
Student Sustainability Center
The goal of the Student Sustainability Center (SSC) is to become a center of student activity surrounding sustainability, including efforts in curriculum, research, and environmental projects. The SSC will focus students and provide a space for collaboration and innovation towards a more sustainable university, City of Fort Collins, and global community. The environmental issues students face on campus — from energy use in the dorms to where their food comes from to the role of higher education in sustainability — are directly linked to those same issues in the larger community. By encouraging students to think critically about these problems and, most importantly, to take steps to overcome them, the SSC hopes to help prepare students for jobs in a green workforce and to inspire students and others to create a sustainable future. More from the SoGES web site
"The Live Green Community" is a housing option co-sponsored by the Live Green Team and the Warner College of Natural Resources that offering a sustainable living community on campus.
Live Green Community on Campus
Housing and Dining Services offers a sustainable living community, the Live Green Floor, in Summit Hall. It's co-sponsored by the Live Green Team and the Warner College of Natural Resources. Students living here will participate in sustainability initiatives and pilot recycling, composting, water conservation, energy reduction, and green power projects.
Leave-it Behind Program - Includes Bikes
In an effort to divert solid waste from area landfills, CSU collects unwanted items during residence hall move out. Items collected include bikes (for RamWheels) food, clothing, shoes, towels, dishes, lamps, desks, couches, coffee pots, plants, and more. The items are then redistributed through non-profit partnerships to meet the needs of the Fort Collins community.
RecycleMania
RecycleMania is a recycling competition among colleges and universities across the nation that takes place each spring. Universities compete to collect the highest amount of recyclables, the least amount of trash, and achieve the highest recycling rate. Universities report their results each week in pounds per student. In 2009, more than 500 schools competed for the grand prize. CSU finished 10th in the country and achieved a recycling rate of 54.08%. In 2008, CSU placed 2nd in the nation with a cumulative recycling rate of 51 percent!
CSU competes in the whole campus division. Institutions from small two-year community colleges to Ivy League universities compete each year for the title.
The National Recycling Coalition as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsor RecycleMania, which began in 2001. This is CSU's 5th year in the competition. CSU placed 2nd overall in 2008, 9th overall in 2007, 4th overall in 2006, and 7th overall in 2005.
Research
Undergraduate and graduate students at CSU have significant opportunity to be involved in research activities and projects related to the environment and sustainability. Many of the research projects highlighted in this compendium, such as those at the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory, have included significant student involvement. Each year, Colorado State hosts an Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium to highlight student work and research achievements.
Residence Hall Move-in
Each year, when new residents move into the halls on campus, there are a lot of empty cardboard boxes left over. The University has set up "cardboard corrals" throughout campus during the move-in period, and as a result, 17.2 tons of cardboard were recycled in just a five-day period.
More Student Organizations
CSU is home to a number of student organizations that provide opportunities for students to gain both awareness, involvement, and career preparation related to environmental issues. Recognized organizations include