current efforts ...
Social Justice Initiatives
1.
Social Justice Programs form a large portion of the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership (CSIL).
We work to honor different
heritage months and identities. One of our most recent initiatives was the mock-border spanning the UA Mall sparking countless
conversations and dialogue across campus.
2. The senior coordinator for Social Justice in CSIL advises both Pride Alliance and the Women's Resource Center, helping them to
create successful initiatives.
3. The Women's Resource Center invites the Tucson community to their film series at
Gallagher Theater on the first and third
Wednesday of the month, addressing issues facing today's women. All of these movies and their discussions are free and open
to the public.
4. In partnership with CSIL's Social Justice Programs, the
ATLAS Social Justice Leadership certificate is designed to give participants
an opportunity to learn about power, privilege, and systems of oppression as well as
tools to fight social injustice. Participants attend workshops and earn a certification in
social justice leadership. These workshops are free and open to the public.
5. The
Arizona Blue Chip Program has a four-year Service leadership track in
which students are exposed to learn about the nonprofit sector and how to create
change through service initiatives including activism, direct service, or lifestyle
change.
6. The
Arizona Blue Chip Program has a four-year Global leadership track in which
students are exposed to issues of social justice, privilege, and oppression, learning to
work within a global framework to create change.
Economic Justice Initiatives
1. Every Wednesday, economic barriers don't separate who is "eating out" and who isn't on the UA campus.
The Savvy Student program enables students who may not be able to afford eating out very often an opportunity to come to the Unions' eateries all
across campus and eat with their friends.
2. The
Arizona Blue Chip Program has a four-year Service leadership track in which students are exposed to learn about the nonprofit
sector and how to create change through service initiatives including activism, direct service, or lifestyle change.
Environmental Justice (Green) initiatives
1. The Unions are
recycling the fryer oil used in restaurant cooking. It is being refined and used to power tractors and other farm
equipment at the UA Arizona Agricultural Experiment Stations.
2. We currently
recycle cardboard, number 10 tin cans, plastic bottles, aluminum, white paper, and newsprint. Behind the scenes, the Unions staff are recycling almost
as much “OCC” corrugated cardboard as the rest of our recycled items combined.
Click here to see how to participate
3. Since 2005, there has been a marked decrease in Unions waste as well as an increase in recycling.
4. Class notes sold in the UA BookStore now have a "This is recyclable" message. Students have returned about 50 a semester.
5. The new Student Union Memorial Center uses more
efficient dual glass pane windows, has decreased lighting needs, improved
air quality, and more efficient HVAC and support systems.
6.
Fast Copy has begun collecting Hewlett-Packard (HP) printer cartridges to be recycled in bulk, reducing the carbon it takes to
make multiple truck deliveries for single cartridges.
7.
Fast Copy uses paper only from SFI (Sustainable Forest Initiative) qualified companies, and is working to use papers with high
recycled content whenever possible.
8.
Redington catering in the skyboxes and the stadium club are now using fully
compostable plates.
9. The
Cellar Bistro serves environmentally-friendly pond raised shrimp from Desert Sweet Shrimp, near Gila Bend. This Unions'
restaurant also serves
free-range, grass fed, no hormone natural beef from the San Rafael Valley, here in Arizona.
10. The Unions are working with Residence Life to find
"green" cleaning products that will hold up to our heavy-duty cleaning needs.
We have eliminated all of the harsh chemicals from the cleaning products, and we use foam soap decreasing hand soap usage in
all our bathrooms.
11. The
Arizona Blue Chip Program has a four-year Ecology leadership track in which students develop an understanding of socially
responsible leadership in maintaining the synchronicity of humanity and nature.
12. All the
Unions' convenience stores (Umart, Highland, Park Ave, Bookend) carry UA recycler mugs. If you purchase a refill of coffee
or soda in these containers, you receive a significant discount.
planned efforts ...
1. We are piloting automated light systems in some of our storage and non-customer spaces. After the results are gathered, we
hope to expand to more parts of the Unions.
2. The Unions are testing waterless urinals. After the results are gathered, we hope to expand usage. "Conventional urinals use
at least three liters of water per flush (about a gallon), whereas flushless urinals need neither water nor a flushing system, and
improve hygiene." [Aster, Kropfl and Zender]
past efforts ...
1. CSIL worked with funding from the Home Depot to showcase a
Sustainability Film
Series at
Gallagher Theater, the first and third Mondays of the month in the fall 2008
semester. All of these movies and their discussions were free and open to the public.
2.Also in the fall 2008 semester, Gallagher Theater hosted a free
Social Justice Film
Series, focused on economic justice.
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Tips for being green