Student Opportunities

Live Green Students

Housing and Dining Services offers a Sustainable Living Community for students living on campus. As part of the "Live Green" community, students pilot campus sustainability initiatives.

Career Services

CSU colleges and career support services assist students in exploring job opportunities in the "green collar" employment sector.

Great Sofa Round-up

The Great Sofa Round-Up is a chance for students and Fort Collins community members to unload unwanted couches and pick up needed couches, all for free. This collaborative event between CSU and the City of Fort Collins aims to help students and neighbors get rid of unwanted furniture, while giving people in need access to free sofas. Approximately 600 sofas were offered for trade during the two day event. About half of those couches were saved from the landfill.

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.

Live Green Community on Campus

CSU Housing and Dining Services offers a sustainable living community, the Live Green Floor, in Summit Hall. This floor is open to students in any major, and there is no additional fee to participate. Students living here will participate in sustainability initiatives and pilot recycling, composting, water conservation, energy reduction, and green power projects. Features of the Live Green Floor:

  • Live with other students who are committed to sustainability
  • Become an eco rep on campus
  • Pilot sustainability projects
  • Get involved with green student organizations on campus
  • Take advantage of resources and expertise from the Live Green Team

RecycleMania

RecycleMania is a friendly recycling competition among colleges and universities across the nation that takes place each spring. In 2009, 512 colleges and universities are competing, the most in the competition's history. Campuses compete over a 10-week period in different contests to see which institution can collect the:

  • largest amount of recyclables per capita
  • largest amount of total recyclables
  • least amount of trash per capita; OR
  • feature the highest recycling rate

In 2008, Colorado State finished 2nd in the nation. This year, CSU is in 8th place with 2 weeks to go.

Schools elect to compete in the whole campus division (Competition Division) or the partial campus divison (Benchmark Division); 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.

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