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Sustainability at PSU

Student Affairs is committed to incorporating sustainability into our university initiatives.  The Sustainability Leadership Center is located within the division and coordinates student engagement and leadership opportunities for students who want to engage in sustainability activities during their education at PSU.

The Sustainability Leadership Center (SLC) launched on July 1st, 2009. The SLC reports jointly to Student Affairs and the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and is managed by Heather Spalding, PSU's Sustainability Leadership and Outreach Coordinator. Our program is funded in full by a generous donation from the Miller Foundation. The Center coordinates engagement, inclusion and leadership development within the student body in relation to sustainability. We are here for you!

Our Vision: To be recognized as a living laboratory for sustainability leadership as we prepare students to utilize their educations to create a society that encourages fair and equitable distribution of resources among all communities of Earth.

Our Mission:

  • Enhance student success by fostering sustainability engagement and leadership opportunities
  • Encourage collaboration between students, staff and faculty in the organization, planning and creation of our University through hands-on learning and civic ecology
  • Ensure that students develop the appropriate knowledge, skills, and values to act as leaders in their future careers, lifestyle choices and local and global communities Sustainability Leadership Center

Visit Us!

You can visit the Sustainability Leadership Center between Monday-Friday from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. We are located on the first floor of the Market Center Building at SW 4th Ave. and Market Street. It's a white building with dark windows just north of the Cyan condos. Here's a map. You can also contact us with any sustainability-related questions at psueco@pdx.edu or by phone at 503-725-5598. We hope to meet you soon!

Click here for our annual report from 2009-10 (will be added soon)

Students (Andreu Ferrero and Fallon Roderick) meet PSU's Campus Planner (Ernest Tipton)

Programs and Services We Provide:

Sustainability Volunteer Program - By committing to a term with the Sustainability Volunteer Program, students learn about campus initiatives and are trained in various skills. This experience is designed to benefit both students who are new to sustainability and those who have previous experience. Each volunteer is provided with the foundation for seeking further leadership expereience at PSU. It’s both educational and fun! 

  • To learn more, contact Amanda Leece, Volunteer Coordinator, at 503-725-5598 or at svp@pdx.edu. You can also sign up online here.

Campus Sustainability Tours - Join a current PSU student who is actively involved in the Sustainability community and learn more about how we are making green more than our school color. On this tour, you will learn about student groups and projects, find out about the recycling program, visit campus gardens, and see current and proposed sustainable infrastructure.

  • All visits and tours begin in Room 131, Neuberger Hall, located on the corner of SW Broadway and SW Hall in downtown Portland [maps and directions]. Room 131 is in the short hallway on the south side of the main lobby. Plan to arrive about 15 minutes early to allow time for check-in.
  • How to register: Tours are offered every Monday from 1-2 pm and by request. You can reserve a spot by calling Campus Visits at 503-725-5555.

Art Installation Projects - We are working with an art class to design artwork for our first floor sustainability suite. This is our first art collaboration, and we hope to create more public displays with students. 

Student Sustainability Advisory Council (Working Title) - The SLC is in the process of creating a broad-reaching council of students who are involved in sustainability initiatives on campus. The Council provides student leaders with the opportunity to receive project feedback from their peers, collaborate, and find innovative ways to move toward a more sustainable campus. The SSAC is part of PSU’s staff and faculty Sustainability Advisory Council, and participation in the SSAC gives students the opportunity to work with university leadership.

  • Contact Angela Hamilton, Sustainability Leadership Program Assistant, to learn more or apply to be part of the council. Angela can be contacted at 503-725-5598 or psueco@pdx.edu.

Student Gardens - Our office works to provide support for PSU’s student gardens by coordinating work parties, encouraging communication between garden coordinators, and creating new greenspaces on campus. 

  • To learn more about PSU’s campus gardens, check out our Learning Gardens map. o You can also check out photos of our gardens here. * Orientations and Welcoming New Students o Each year, our office participates in all new student orientations between July and September. We also provide break-out sessions to potential and incoming students to show

Residence Life Sustainability Initiatives and EcoReps Program - This year, the SLC is partnering with departments across campus to create a comprehensive plan for encouraging sustainable behaviors in our residence halls. We have hired a Residence Life Sustainability Liaison to work on projects which include:

  • Piloting an “eco-reps” program that trains student leaders to educate and inspire their peers
  • Creating a Green Guide for students living on campus (with our Sustainable Purchasing Specialist)
  • Participating in “Chuck it for Charity”, a program that diverts waste during student move out
  • Planning RecycleMania (competition runs from January-March 2011)
  • Would you like to help us make the residence halls more sustainable? We need your help! Please email psueco@pdx.edu or call 503-725-5598 to get involved.

Promoting PSU's Campus Sustainability Pledge Project Partners: SLC, Campus Sustainability Office, PSU Recycles, Residence Life, International Mentor Program, University Studies and Freshman Inquiry (FRINQ), Environmental Club o

Networking Opportunities

  • Monthly “Green Bag” Student Lunches - starting winter term 2011. More information coming soon.
  • Happy Hour! Meet us at 4 pm on the last Friday of every month. To find out where we’ll be meeting next, check the EcoWiki Events Calendar.
  • Informal Meetings and Appointments - Meet with PSU’s Sustainability Leadership and Outreach Coordinator to find out where you can connect with other students who are creating change on campus. Contact hspaldin@pdx.edu or call 503-725-5598 to schedule a one-on-one meeting.

Annual Events and Trainings

Viking Days and New Student Events - Every year, we create programs to welcome students to the university and provide ways to get involved. Check out the fall 2010 brochure here.

Sustainabilty Open House - our annual event welcoming new students.

Social Sustainability Month, November (in partnership with the Women’s Resource Center and the Multicultural Center). 2010 program brochure.

Student Sustainability Forum, fall term

National Sustainability Education Week - November (in partnership with Students for Leadership, Ecology, Culture and Learning). See 2010 program brochure here.

Oregon University System Sustainability Conference, February 17th, 2010 (in partnership with the Campus Sustainability Office)

Sustainability Leadership Workshop, spring term (In partnership with Students for Leadership, Ecology, Culture and Learning). See 2010 program brochure.

Student Leadership Conference - spring term (in partnership with Student Activities and Leadership Programs). See 2010 program brochure.

Martin Luther King Service Day - February (in partnership with Student Leaders for Service) o Environment Day: November 15th

Water Awareness Week (in partnership with Environmental Club)

Earth Week, April 22nd (in partnership with Environmental Club and others)

International Sustainability Week, winter term (in partnership with the Multicultural center and the Organization of International Students)

Roots Festival, spring term (with the Multicultural Center)

Solutions Generator, fall term

Annual Sustainability Celebration, spring term (with the Institute for Sustainable Solutions and Campus Sustainability Office)

 

Outreach, Communication, and Advertisement

  • We manage the PSU EcoWiki Sustainability Action Hub. This is a great source of information if you want to be involved on campus. Find o Sustainability Bulletin o We provide up-to-date information about ways students can augment their educational experience by being involved outside of the classroom. o Subscribe to our weekly bulletin to receive the most up-to-date information. Send an email to psueco@pdx.edu with the subject heading “subscribe”.
  • Every week, we reach out with an information table between Smith and Cramer with Environmental Club and PSU Recycles! More info to come.

Successful Initiatives We Have Created

  • Student Permaculture Garden
  • The GreenSpace Student Sustainability Hub
  • The Sustainability Leadership Center
  • Women’s Resource Center Sustainability Task Force
  • Environmental Club
  • Earth Week (started in 2008)
  • The EcoWiki and EcoWiki Bulletin
  • Sustainability Volunteer Program
  • Graduation Sustainability Pledge
  • Sustainability Leadership Workshop
  • Campus Sustainability Pledge (in progress)

Data Tracking and Planning Participation

  • Sierra Cool Schools Rating
  • STARS
  • Addition of sustainability into the National Survey of Student Engagement at PSU
  • 2008-09 annual report
  • Climate Action Plan
  • Envisioning: PSU as the Sustainable University of the Future