The university approved plans for the nation’s first environmentally conscious living-learning program for upperclassmen, joining a national trend of universities stressing environmental responsibility, officials said.
The EcoHouse plans to gather juniors and seniors of all majors who are interested in living in environmentally friendly apartments and studying ways to reduce their impact on natural resources. The program highlights a growing number of colleges and universities that are investing in environmental sustainability, according to groups that study higher education and environmental practices.
And while students will not receive any certification upon completion, the environmental science and policy department faculty who will direct the program hope the experience will provide enough satisfaction.
“Students who are personally committed to sustainability, committed to finding ways for green business to happen or make engineering be green … they can all come together, and it gives them a more mature experience,” said Wendy Whittemore, the associate director of the environmental science and policy department.
Students will be encouraged to choose projects based on their personal interests, such as creating sustainable urban planning, engineering or resource management designs for the city or university, Whittemore said. They will also probably be required to participate in colloquiums and service activities, though the curriculum has not been finalized. The two-year program would be the university’s 11th living-learning program since the Language House first opened in 1989.
At yesterday’s first EcoHouse steering committee meeting, organizers said they do not know how many student are interested. Up to 12 apartments in New Leonardtown – which students may later convert to green buildings – have been approved for the program. The rooms will be used for student housing, seminars and office space, possibly displacing some current students from their apartments, according to committee co-chair Cindy Felice, associate director of Resident Life.
While the environmental science students who initiated plans for the EcoHouse program in 2003 have since graduated or are not eligible for the program, strong student support still exists, program organizers said.
The program’s proposal was officially approved in May, a year after it was denied partially due to fears that it was too similar to the College Park Scholars Environmental Studies program. But the program will only be offered to upperclassmen to differentiate from the freshman- and sophomore-oriented Scholars program, Whittemore said.
Last year the deans for the four colleges in the environmental science and policy department supported the EcoHouse, but none offered financial support to the estimated $94,000 cost. Since then, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Cheng-I Wei has pledged to share the cost with the provost’s office.
“They are going to practice what they learn in the book in the classroom and apply it to their personal life,” Wei said. “There are several other living-learning programs, but this program is good because it challenges the students to set their goals higher.”
Contact reporter Ben Block at blockdbk@gmail.com.
