AASHE STARS - Education & Research: Co-Curricular Education

 

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/students/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.).


*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