Belmont University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

On Earth Day 2015, Belmont University launched "Conservation Covenant," a campus-wide sustainability campaign aimed at educating faculty, staff and students on the importance of taking care of that which takes such good care of us. We believe taking care of God's creation is more than a cause -- it's a charge. It's our Covenant. For Earth Day 2018, Belmont hosted its inaugural Sustainability Week. Hosted by the University’s Sustainability Committee, the week-long celebration featured many events that provided opportunities for the Belmont community to engage in important conversations surrounding conservation. The week included a local creek clean-up, the screening of “Slow Food Story,” a presentation by Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Matthew Heard, a celebration of Arbor Day, a 'bird walk' hosted by local birder Dr. Francis Fekel and Belmont Horticulturalist Mary Weber and the week’s Keynote Address, “Fanning the Flame: Focusing Your Passion for Research into Disruptive Technology,” was presented by Dr. Tradd Cotter, microbiologist, professional mycologist and organic gardener, among other things.

Many campus-wide events brought high numbers of students, faculty and staff to join the conversation about sustainability, conservation and Belmont's efforts. Additionally, Belmont's President Dr. Bob Fisher wrote an op-ed about Earth Day's birthday that was published in The Tennessean. Belmont's sustainability initiative, the Conservation Covenant, has continued since it was created in 2015 and is the umbrella under which all sustainability events are housed. Planning for Sustainability Week 2019 is already underway.

Residence Halls host annual competition to promote sustainable practices and energy-saving initiatives; the hall who participates in the most activities and energy-saving initiatives wins a prize.

Students are able to monitor their energy usage and even see the numbers of which Hall is most successful. This can create a healthy, competitive nature that encourages students to get involved with sustainability initiatives across campus and beyond their time at Belmont.

The Office of Residence Life hosts the "Better BU Grant" program, an opportunity for Belmont students (individuals or groups of residents) to receive assistance for some of their sustainability efforts. All initiatives must follow all policies outlined in the Bruin Guide and the Residential Guide to Living. We also have recycling stations all throughout campus that are marked "Recycle" or "Landfill." This further illustrates the importance of these initiatives for students when they are making choices as to where to put their waste. Residence Life is a huge partner for Belmont's Sustainability Committee as they work to educate Belmont students about the importance of living sustainable lives, through Res Hall programming. A description of some of our programming is below: The RA Sustainability Bulletin Board Contest encouraged participating Residence Halls (3-4 across campus) to create bulletin boards using recyclable materials that promote sustainable practices and recycling. The Belmont Commons Do Something Program encouraged 120 residents to divert food waste to be used for fertilizing and gardening with a partnership through a local Nashville composting organization, Compost Nashville. A large group of freshman (400) were engaged in sustainability efforts through The Thrift Shop Fashion Show, an event that accepted used clothing items, while promoting the importance of donating clothing to divert from landfills. ThriftSmart donation bins are also placed in the Residence Halls at the end of the fall and spring semesters (December & May) to gather items that would normally be thrown away. These campaigns, among others, contribute to Residents' awareness of sustainable living. Russell Hall's Do Something Program, titled 'One Earth. One Chance,' brought together approximately 40 residents to participate in a game where students sorted acceptable, recyclable materials. This brought awareness to what can be recycled in the Residence Halls. Additionally, Russell partnered with MetroWorks to receive additional recycling containers to promote recycling for two weeks prior to Fall Break. And, finally, Belmont's Recycling Process in the Residence Halls Bulletin Board was created for the community bulletin board, in collaborate with information from Housekeeping and Facilities Management Services, to detail the process and inform students how Belmont recycles and how easy the process can be.