AASHE STARS – Education and Research

ER-3: Sustainability in New Student Orientation
To see some of the programming, curricular and co-curricular initiatives at Maryville College focusing around sustainability in new student orientation, please visit maryvillecollege.edu/campus-life/mtn-challenge.

Tier 2-1: Student Group
Maryville College’s Environmental Action Team (EAT) has been the name of the school’s student environmental groups since approximately 2003.  Previously called the MC Environmental Club, EAT provides assistance with Earth Week programming, provides transportation to Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy center for retreats, and has done cleanup/outreach assistance for Little River Watershed Association, and in the MC Woods.  This link shows a recent adopt-a-highway project of EAT, one of two roads EAT has adopted near campus in recent years:  blounttoday.com

Tier 2-2: Organic Garden
We currently have organic garden plots located at Crawford House and Mountain Challenge on the MC Campus.  Students, faculty and staff are invited to selected and maintain plots and following the guidelines set form by the Mountain Challenge staff.  The gardens are watered by rain barrels and organic seed, plants and pest maintenance plans are used.  Students that work at Mountain Challenge have recently participated in the gardens with the plantings and maintaining of new blueberries bushes.  The food that is harvested from the gardens has been prepared and served Campus Sustainability Day for the MC public. See the Mountain Challenge website for more information: mtnchallenge.com

Tier 2-6: Sustainability Events
All entering freshmen take Freshman Seminar 130 in the January term, an intensive three week course entitled “Perspectives on the Environment.” As a part of that course there is a yearly outside speaker on sustainability or other environmental themes.  Other, upper level students also come to these events.

The College also has a “Community Conversations” speaker series which addresses important public issues, among which sustainability issues have often appeared.

The College has also sponsored Earth Week events in the past, which have also included speakers on topics of environmental sustainability, LEED certification and sustainable design and sustainable food systems.

Tier 2-7: Outdoors Program
The Mountain Challenge program is a high-profile partnership program on campus that organizes a wide variety of outdoor opportunities for students.  “Leave No Trace” is an important principle in Mountain Challenge activities. See the Mountain Challenge website for more information: mtnchallenge.com

Tier 2-8: Themed Semester or Year
The College has a January intensive term which, for freshmen, is entirely devoted to Freshman Seminar 130, “Perspectives on the Environment.”  This course is focused on sustainability. It includes a number of experiential activities (for example, trips to landfills, water works, etc.).

ER-6, 7 8 & 9: Sutainability-Focused, Sustainability-Related Course Inventory and Degree Programs at Maryville College
Below are the current departments that offer sustainability-focused or sustainability-related courses at Maryville College
Art
Biology
Business and Organization Management
Chemistry
Economics
English
Environmental Studies
History
International Studies
Mathematics
Philosophy
Political Science
Psychology
Outdoor Recreation
Religion
Sociology
Statistics
Writing Communication

To see a listing of sustainability-related and sustainability-focused course offerings at Maryville College, including degree programs, please download the Sustainability Course Inventory.

ER-12: Sustainability-Focused Immersive Experience
Ecotourism, Arts & Culture in Costa Rica: Course Experiential Trip Abroad

Course description & objectives
This experiential course will have students travel to Costa Rica, and expose them to a series of artistic, cultural and ecotourism events and experiences in that nation.  The goal of the course is to make participants more aware of the complexities created, and choices made, when immersed in a range of experiences where nature and modern society intersect.
Our course’s guiding question is:  “In what ways do humans see their planet?”

Course Expectations
It is expected that by the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate competency in:
– The ability to travel and interact with local persons in developing and industrialized nations beyond just the surface level
– Understand the basic principles of ecotourism, sustainability and biodiversity as it is related to the region of Costa Rica and how it affects the local population
– Evaluate and analyze art and architecture from the region of Costa Rica and have a working knowledge of the culture and visual style of Pre-Columbian and Post modern Costa Rican artworks
– Awareness of the complexities created, and choices made, when immersed in a range of experiences where nature and modern society intersect. 
– Ability to critically evaluate and analyze their travel interactions through written, verbal and visual forms of expression
-Gain a greater appreciation for the natural and human-made objects that we interact with everywhere on the planet

ER-16 & ER-17: Faculty Involved in Sustainability Research by Department
Sustainability Research Inventory

ER-18: Sustainability Research Incentives
Grant funds secured from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation to support the Maryville College Environmental Studies Program includes funds for student research mini-grants.  Students in ENV and other majors have received funds, helping them to complete senior study research and projects in courses on campus. Program includes funds for faculty development mini-grants to infuse sustainability into courses at the college. Faculty have received monies to enroll and complete sustainability certificate programs and attend and present at AASHE conferences.

 

*not all credits being pursued for AASHE STARS rating are listed on this page.  for further information about any STARS credit information, contact MC STARS Administrator, Adrienne Schwarte at adrienne.schwarte@maryvillecollege.edu

*not all credits being pursued for AASHE STARS rating are listed on this page.  for further information about any STARS credit information, contact MC STARS Administrator, Adrienne Schwarte at adrienne.schwarte@maryvillecollege.edu