UNIV 100 has gone green.

The Office of Sustainability is looking to expand its outreach efforts to educate incoming students on the importance of sustainability. After visiting about 400 freshmen this semester in more than 20 sections of UNIV 100: The Student in the University, the course meant to introduce freshman to campus life, officials said they hope to hit more classes next year.

“This is the most important issue for this generation,” said Mark Stewart, the campus sustainability coordinator. “Global climate change and sustainability are the defining issues of the 21st century. It’s not something we can ignore.”

The sustainability program was developed by Stewart and five undergraduates from five different majors who are actively involved in sustainability initiatives on the campus. It is modeled on a similar program offered by the Health Center, in which student volunteers are invited to UNIV 100 classes to lead discussions about a variety of health issues, Stewart said.

Stewart said he ultimately wants the program to become part of the universal curriculum for UNIV 100 classes, and he hopes to create a 300-level course for the student volunteers by next fall. This year, the volunteers worked at least 20 hours for the program without receiving credit.

“It’s important for students to be thinking about sustainability regardless of their major or future profession,” said Wendy Wagner, an instructor of BSOS 181: Civicus Student in the University – the equivalent of UNIV 100 offered to students involved in CIVICUS, a living and learning program run by the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences – a course that also hosted the sustainability presenters. “It’s great for students to start thinking about sustainability at this point in their college careers.”

Davey Rogner, a senior environmental science and policy major who serves as an environmental affairs liaison to the Student Government Association, emphasized to UNIV 100 classes that the goal of the presentations was to stress the importance of a “healthy environment” in society and show how this environment can provide “social justice and economic development.”

Rogner said he used visual aids such as Venn diagrams to demonstrate to students that sustainability affects everyone.

“It’s a solution to so many of the world’s problems,” he said. “Sustainability has implications for society.”

Rogner also pointed out that Americans can affect other parts of the world if they do not manage their resources responsibly.

Sustainability is an issue with both global and local relevance, Stewart said, emphasizing the university’s push to go green.

“It’s important that students learn about sustainability right when they get here, because the university is doing a lot to be sustainable,” Stewart said. “Without learning about sustainability, they wouldn’t recognize the things the university is doing. We want to be a living laboratory. How can we expect students to replicate sustainability unless they learn about it?”

Stewart added that though the lessons focused on sustainability, they also addressed issues such as the growing population, finite resources, growing consumption, the environment, social justice and economic development.

“I can’t think of a major that doesn’t address these things,” Stewart said.

He added that the freshmen, who provided feedback after the presentations, seemed to respond well.

Wagner said the sustainability instructors were well prepared and made the information engaging for students.

“They are incredibly busy people,” Stewart said about the volunteers. “It was a blessing to have them.”

Stewart entered the university in the Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming competition because he said the program is unique. He expects to hear back from the award committee within the next two months.

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