sustainability

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, Wesleyan's Sustainability Office led a virtual WesFest session to introduce Class of 2024 admitted students and their families to the office. Several Eco Facilitators and Sustainability Interns from the Wesleyan Sustainability Office, and members of the Wesleyan Green Fund and other environmental sustainability groups on campus shared information on the sustainability scene at Wesleyan. There are currently a total of 16 Eco Facilitators, two Eco Facilitator coordinators, five compost interns, three sustainability coordinators and one Sustainable Middletown intern. Sustainability Director Jen Kleindienst explained the office's three main purposes:…

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) recently recognized Wesleyan University for completing the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) reporting process and earning a STARS Silver rating. STARS measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education. "We primarily complete the STARS evaluation to have an objective, third-party view of ways that Wesleyan could be more sustainable," Kleindienst said. "It is helpful to see how we compare to other institutions as well, and useful to be able to learn best practices from other colleges and universities." According to Wesleyan's STARS report card, the…

At its most recent meeting on Feb. 29, the Wesleyan Board of Trustees discussed how to better align endowment investment practices with the University’s broad sustainability efforts. In a recent campus-wide email, President Michael Roth ’78 and Board of Trustees Chair Donna Morea ’76, P’06 shared the following message: Given the climate emergency, the investment and ecological risks associated with fossil fuels and the Investment Committee’s own environmental, social and governance guidelines, there was broad agreement among trustees not to make new fossil fuel investments and to wind down current investments in this sector as quickly as possible while minimizing…

Students in a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems class recently stepped out of the classroom ... and into beekeeping suits. The buzzworthy hands-on experience was part of a field trip to an apiary in Norwich, Conn. "The course explores strategies to create a sustainable agriculture and food system," said Rosemary Ostfeld '10, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies, who teaches the class. Her students have already been gaining an understanding of some of the key environmental impacts associated with our agricultural system, and read Rachel Carson's seminal Silent Spring. The purpose of the field trip on Sept. 18 "was to…

Every summer, when campus is relatively quiet, the Facilities Team is hard at work maintaining, renovating, and upgrading all of Wesleyan’s buildings and grounds. Part of this work involves the large-scale replacement of furniture in residential facilities—a process that has recently been made more environmentally friendly thanks to a partnership with IRN, an organization dubbed “The Reuse Network.” According to Jeff Sweet, Wesleyan’s associate director of facilities management, the University has partnered with IRN for the past three years to recycle old residential furniture that is being replaced. IRN “matches the needs of charities and nonprofits throughout the world with…

This year, the Sustainability Office is partnering with Commute with Enterprise to offer vanpooling opportunities to employees. A vanpool is a group of 7–15 people traveling to work together in a minivan or a 12–15 passenger van. Vanpool groups usually meet each day at a prearranged location, such as a park-and-ride lot. Commuters pay a monthly fee that covers the van, insurance, and fuel costs. In addition, users enjoy: Reduced personal vehicle maintenance expenses Emergency ride home service Roadside assistance Eligibility for commuter rewards Reduced stress (a recent study indicates that vanpoolers experience a 21 percent lower rate of self-reported stress than…

Wesleyan’s Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), developed in 2016, is a five-year plan that reflects Wesleyan’s commitment to a sustainable future. Written with input from more than 130 students, faculty, and staff, the plan establishes goals, objectives, strategies, timelines, metrics, and responsible parties in topic areas. In November, Wesleyan's Sustainability Office released its first Sustainability Action Plan Progress Report, This report highlights progress made toward SAP strategies between 2016 and 2018 in the areas of planning, engagement, health and well-being, academic operations, curriculum, buildings, dining, energy, grounds, purchasing, transportation, waste, and water. The report also outlines Wesleyan's vision for 2021 and summarizes…

Wesleyan recently kicked off a strategic partnership with Eversource Energy that will support the University's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Wesleyan President Michael Roth and Eversource Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Morton signed an agreement on Oct. 30 before receiving a tour of the Freeman Athletic Center's recent energy efficiency upgrades. The new strategic partnership supports a three-year energy efficiency plan that will save an additional 3.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. (more…)

The campus and local community celebrated the fall season during the College of the Environment's annual Pumpkin Fest on Oct. 13. Held at the student-run, Long Lane Organic Farm, participants enjoyed farm tours, farm produce and baked good sales, crafts, face painting, local vendors, free veggie burgers and apple cider, a pie eating contest, prizes from Wesleyan University Press, and musical performances. Wesleyan performers included Brien Bradley ’19, Phie Towle ’20, Rebecca Roff ’20, Dreamboat (May Klug '19), Slavei, Long Lane Gourdchestra, and Anna Marie Rosenlieb [’20] Collective Dance Improv. In addition, the student groups Veg Out, Outing Club, Climate…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Inside Higher Ed: “Career Path Intervention–Via a MOOC” An open online course by Gordon Career Center Director Sharon Belden Castonguay, which helps young people explore their interests and career options, is featured. 2. NPR: “Midterm Election Could Reshape Health Policy” Associate Professor of Government Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, explains why Democrats are “laser-focused on health care” this election season. Fowler also recently was quoted on advertising in the midterm elections in The Washington Post and USA Today, and interviewed…

Since arriving on campus freshman year, Ingrid Eck ’19 has fully immersed herself in all Wesleyan has to offer: working on the Wesleyan Green Fund; founding Veg Out, a student group dedicated to food justice; and joining—and currently serving as president of—Wesleyan’s only sorority, Rho Epsilon Pi. She is also working toward not one, but three majors: government, environmental studies, and French studies. More recently, she’s felt a desire to get involved in the broader Middletown community and “truly get to know the city in which I have been living.” This summer, Eck had a unique opportunity to become intimately…

(By Alessio Gallarotti ’15) This summer, the Sustainability Office, in conjunction with Human Resources, is encouraging Wesleyan employees to get out and walk. In 2016, with the approval of President Roth and his cabinet, as well as with strong grassroots support, the Sustainability Office began implementation of a five-year sustainability action plan (SAP), which included approximately 160 initiatives to promote holistic sustainability on campus. The term “sustainability,” while typically used to refer to topics like recycling, resource efficiency, and emissions, is a much broader concept, including social and economic components. Promoting walking promotes well-being and appreciation for place, both of which…

Students Discuss Wesleyan’s Sustainability Efforts during Earth Month

Wesleyan Receives STARS Silver Rating for Sustainability Achievements

Wesleyan Vows to Divest from Fossil Fuel Investments by the End of the Decade

What’s the Buzz About Pollinators? Class Visits Local Apiary to Find Out

Wesleyan Partners with Organization to Recycle Surplus Furniture

Commute to Work with New Vanpooling Option

Wesleyan Publishes Sustainability Action Plan Progress Report

Wesleyan, Eversource Begin 3-Year Strategic Partnership

Fall Harvest, Music, Gatherings at 2018 Pumpkin Fest

Wesleyan in the News

Eck ’19 Helping City of Middletown Earn Sustainability Certification

Walking Paths Help Employees Avoid Sedentary Lifestyles at Work