Student Opportunities

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 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 Floor at CSU

Housing and Dining Services offers a Sustainable Living Community for students who live on campus. Located in Summit Hall (a suite-style hall with both double and single rooms), the Live Green floor is open to students in any major and there is no additional fee to participate in the community. The Live Green floor participates 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
Participate in optional floor activities as much or as little as you have time for
Get involved with green student organizations on campus
Take advantage of resources and expertise from the Live Green Team

RecycleMania 2008

The RecycleMania 2008 competition runs January 27th through April 5th. More than 400 colleges and universities across the nation compete over a 10-week period to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, or have the highest recycling rate. In 2007, Colorado State competed for the third time in this friendly national recycling competition. In the competition for Grand Champion in 2007, the University finished ninth, but placed third for Waste Minimization with just 38.14 lbs of waste per person. CSU topped CU, BYU, and several Ivy League colleges. According to a press release, the total amount of recyclables collected by all participants prevented the release of 15,583 metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE). In real world terms, that is equivalent to eliminating the impact caused in a year by 12,367 passenger cars; electric generation to power 7,335 households; or the consumption of 6,507,707 gallons of gasoline.

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