Ramapo Green

• Students would bypass the room selection process of the regular Housing Selection - rooms are selected and allocated separately as part of the SLF application process.
  • A separate application process will be required and certain criteria (see must be met. The application deadline is February 15, 2011. (See "Residence Life Procedures", below.)
  • The SLF Committee reviews applications.
• Open to sophomores through seniors.
• For the Village SLF – regular Village criteria also apply.
  
  

Benefits to Students:

• Grow your own food
• Bypass regular Housing Selection
• Service Learning credits
• Sense of community
• Semester-long 'GreenFacts' competition – with prizes awarded
• Resume-builder

Benefits to Ramapo College:

• Semester-long 'GreenFacts' competition: decrease operating costs (energy/water savings; increased recycling therefore decreased waste)
• Student engagement in sustainability
• Culture-building
  
  

The SLFs have a separate housing application and agreement. Examples of actions which students are expected to undertake include:

• 100% recycling compliance (commingled, paper, cardboard, batteries, CFLs, etc.)
• promote indoor air quality and limit environmental degradation by using 'green' cleaning supplies  
• consume local and/or organic produce whenever possible
• reduce their personal carbon footprint
• take fewer car trips – carpool, combine trips
• use mass transit
• conserve energy (electricity, heat) and water
• enroll in the Sustainable Living Seminar
  
  

• All incoming SLF students are required to take the Sustainable Living Seminar (INTD 250) in the Fall semester.
  • Counts in the General Education "Topics: Social Science" category
• In the Spring semester, students are required to do Service projects.
• (Students in their 2nd or 3rd SLF year are not required to take the seminar again, but are required to do year-long service projects.)
  • There are many options for the Service Learning Component, and the scope will vary according to whether a students is in their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-year in the SLF program.
  • SLF Student Director (who will liaise with the RD and serve as Chair of the SLF’s Residential Board; 1 position for each SLF)
  • Serve on Residential Board for each of the 2 SLF areas (Village, CPA)
  • ResLife Recycling liaison to Student Recycling Crew (collect data on volume of recyclables, encourage compliance across Residences) (1 position; Ex-officio on ResBoard)
  • Webmasters: implement and update SLF website (includes FAQs, how-to guides, recycling info, events, etc) (2 positions in Fall 2010, one thereafter; ex-officio on ResBoard)
  • Serve as a liaison (and active participant) in 1STEP and Environmental Alliance (1 to each club), SGA, ResLife, RHA (> 5 positions, ex-officio on ResBoard)
  • SSEC outreach: conduct tours of facility to both on-campus and off-campus groups (e.g., lunchtimes) (2 positions)
  • Organic gardens (SSEC and CPA): Head Gardener position (ex-officio on ResBoard) and garden crew for each.
  • Work with NJHEPS (e.g., coordinate their student outreach committee; volunteer in the NJHEPS office at Ramapo) (several positions)
  • Research opportunities – feasibility studies for further campus greening, e.g. to explore composting; biodiesel; free/loaner bicycle scheme; campus-wide ‘freecycle’ scheme etc. Subsequent implementation of any of these projects would provide further Service Learning opportunities.
  • Opportunities for Sustainability projects within the American Democracy Project.
  • As noted above, several of these positions are ex-officio on the ResBoard of each SLF, because it can not be known in advance from which SLF the positions will be drawn from.
     

• Each SLF would have its own 'Residential Board', with regular meetings to discuss any issues that arise, ideas that can be brought forward, etc. The ResBoard becomes the governing body for the SLF and becomes the core of the community.
• Website – developed and maintained by students – with information on homemade green cleaning supplies; recipes; area vendors of local/organic foods and farmers markets; tips for green living (in support of the 'Sustainable Living Agreement'
  
• (see http://adminfin.csusb.edu/greencampus/green_dorm.html and http://www.stanford.edu/dept/rde/shs/sustain.htm for examples)
• The Bookstore will be asked to order clothes drying racks upon request (they could be ordered online before the start of semester and made available for pick-up during move-in week)
   

• The SLF program is overseen by a Committee, whose role includes the overall governance and budget for the program, and selection of students who apply to the SLFs.
  • Current membership: Pat Chang (AVP Student Affairs/Student Services), Linda Diaz (Director, Residence Life), Emma Rainforth (Climate Commitment Task Force Chair/Assoc. Professor Environmental Science/Director, Sustainability Center), Sarah Dwyer (CPA Area Director), Anne Greenip (Residence Director), Stephanie Barlow (Residence Life, ad-hoc), Caroline Morrison (SLF).
  • Reps from the SLF ResBoards will be added
• Each SLF has a Residential Board made up from its residents, acting as a governing body for the SLF. The Residential Board Chair is the SLF Student Director.
   

A: “Sustainable Living Facility” Agreement
Students who are participating in the SLF Program are expected to abide by all Office of Residence Life policies, procedures and housing requirements. For your reference, please refer to the Guide to Community Living and Student Handbook, which is listed on the Residence Life Website. In addition to the regular Housing agreements, students applying to live in the SLF also agree to:

• commit to living in the SLF for the entire academic year (Fall and Spring semesters)
• sign and follow the SLF Sustainability Pledge.
• take the 4-credit Sustainability Seminar (INTD 250) in the Fall semester
  • Students wishing to withdraw from the Seminar must also withdraw from the SLF
  • Students wishing to withdraw from the SLF (or who are expelled from student housing) will also be withdrawn from the seminar
• participate in Sustainability Service Learning activities
• participate in semester-long GreenFacts competition (CPA-SLF vs. Village-SLF).
• mediate room-mate disputes to the best of their ability. If a room-mate change is required, and can not be accommodated within other SLFs, then the student must withdraw from the SLF program. The vacated space will be filled with a student from the SLF wait-list.

Significant violations of this Agreement will result in ineligibility to live in SLFs in future semesters.

B: Selection Criteria and Process

• Students will apply to the SLFs by February 15th of the preceding academic year.
• Applications will be reviewed by representatives from the SLF Committee.
• Students must submit the following information (in addition to the regular housing form):
  • Sustainability Resume: applicant’s name, major, overview of Sustainability Actions on campus and off campus, future plans for sustainability involvement.
  • Narrative: paragraph (175 words max) describing why the applicant wishes to participate in the SLF.
  • At least one letter of recommendation (e.g. from a faculty member)
  • List of students they would like to have as room-mates
• Criteria for review will include the applicant’s Resume and Narrative, plus:
  • Cumulative GPA 2.5 or higher
    • Students who are accepted for the SLFs, but whose cumGPA drops below 2.5 in May, may appeal to the selection committee for permission to enter the SLF program in September. The appeal should include documentation stating the student’s plan for improving their GPA. Should the appeal be denied, the student’s space will be filled from the SLF wait-list.
  • Judicial review by Residence Life personnel to ensure no major judicial violations.
  • Academic review by Office of the Provost to ensure no academic integrity violations.