The next time you receive admissions information on paper, just look for the FSC seal of approval and know OSU is dedicated to environmental effects.

Thanks for reading…CYN

Earth Week Community Fair held in the MU Quad

This week is Earth Week at OSU! The Student Sustainability Initiative and Campus Recycling are the primary sponsors and organizers of this year’s event. There was an Earth Week Community Fair held on Tuesday where over 50 campus and community groups were present. There are still many events that will be held this week such as a Film Festival and Vegan Resource Fair and a worm compost bin workshop.

Earth Week is a great way to showcase the university’s commitment to raising environmental awareness and engagement. You can view a list of this week’s events at http://recycle.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/resources/earth_week_poster_final.pdf.

Go Beavs!

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The Princeton Review partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council and released their third annual edition of a guidebook showcasing North America’s most environmentally responsible “green colleges.” The list profiles 322 different schools in the United States and Canada “that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.”

Schools were chosen based on a survey that was conducted in 2011 to hundreds of colleges across the U.S. and Canada. The survey asked more than fifty questions about the institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. Of the 768 institutions that received a Green Rating, only 322 of the schools received a score of 83 or above.

College applicants using this free, 232 page, guide will be able to view each school’s most impressive environmental and sustainable initiatives, view facts and statistics, and identify schools with LEED-certified buildings. Of course the applicants will also be able to view each school’s admission, financial aid, and student enrollment information.

Go Beavs!

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The Student Experience Center is slated to replace the aging Snell Hall and will house student organizations and accommodate student events. This project is also student-fee funded so Oregon State students are investing in this project.

The Student Experience Center will be located on the site of the current parking lot next to the MU.

The concept includes a new outdoor plaza between the MU and the new building, which will feature a rain-proof structure overhead to enable groups and events use of outdoor space even during inclement weather. A covered outdoor space was the number one requested building feature for student organizations surveyed two years ago. The Student Experience Center will be designed to meet or exceed LEED silver certification standards and will be built with sustainability in mind. Providing a healthy and energy efficient facility is a key project goal.

The Memorial Union Renovation project is the second funded project to address the move of the OSU Bookstore from the east end of the MU. This is also a student-fee funded project.

The final capital funded project is the construction of a new residence hall. The new hall with house 150 students to help alleviate the housing crunch in the Corvallis community (currently a 1% vacancy rate).

-bv

The EPA recently released their list of green power usage amongst the Top 20 Colleges and Universities in the nation, as reported by Sustainable Business Oregon. OSU came in 4^th in the nation behind the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Utah. Oregon State uses a combination of biogas, biomass, solar, and wind energy to help power the university.

Further reading: http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2012/01/intel-still-leads-nation-in-green-power.html

Oregon State continues to be one of the greenest colleges in United States and has a continued commitment to sustainability.

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For updated information as it becomes available, phone 541-737-8000 or visit alert.oregonstate.edu, the university’s emergency information portal.

-cyn

Oregon State’s green power commitment should serve as an example of leadership that I hope will be emulated by every other school in the Pac-12 and across the NCAA”, said Blain Collison, director of the U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership.

For the fourth year in a row, OSU has been the top Pac-10 Conference champion in the EPA Green Power Partnership 2010-11 College and University Green Power Challenge. In addition to OSU’s high ranking, the city of Corvallis was also named an EPA Green Power Community of the Year for 2010.

This is another example of Oregon State’s commitment to renewable energy.

GO BEAVS!

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From June 22^nd – 30^th, three OSU representatives will tour the state, visiting all 36 counties, as part of the 100 year celebration of OSU’s Extension Services. The tour will be “stopping in at Extension County offices, local businesses, farms, and community hubs to award businesses and individuals with Community Impact Awards. OSU Extension faculty nominated the awardees based upon their ongoing support for OSU Extension and their involvement in civic engagement.” The Orange Tour is also to thank the communities and other partners for their support in delivering educational opportunities.

You can view the tour’s schedule and see when The Orange Tour will be in your area.
Follow the tour on Twitter @poweredbyorange

For more information about The Orange Tour, visit our Powered By Orange website at http://poweredbyorange.com/.

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GO BEAVS!
-BV