Brock University
EN-3: Student Life

Brock Model United Nations- Brock Model United Nations (MUN) is an opportunity for students to participate in experiential learning while simulating the work of the United Nations in creating innovative solutions to current world issues. As a member of Brock MUN, ones public speaking, policy writing, and teamwork skills are explored and developed to the fullest extent through weekly meetings and international conferences. Brock MUN welcomes students of all years, all programs, and all experience levels.

Plant based at brock - this is an inclusive community for anyone who lives a plant-based, vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, or is interested in learning more about it. The clubs three pillars; animal welfare, environmentalism, and health, form the basis for activism.

https://www.brockbusu.ca/clubs/

Brock University’s Facilities Management provides garden plots to students, staff, and faculty – known as the Community Gardens. Located by the entrance of the Zone 2 parking lot near Theal House, the Community Garden has continued to garner a lot of interest. Facilities Management recently re-vamped and re-aligned over 30 beds in the spring of 2023. Involvement in the Garden extends to individuals across Brock University. The utilization of the garden is outlined below:

- 4 Students/Grad Students
- Rosalind Blauer Child Care Centre (2 plots)
- Academic Research/Class work
- Liette Vasseur – research and personal (3 plots)
- Elizabeth Vlossak -class and personal (2 plots)
- Robyn Bourgeois – class (2 plots)
- Departments
- Student Accessibility Services (2 plots)
- Student Health Services (2 plots)
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre
- Clubs – OPRIG (3 plots)
- 11 Staff
- 1 Retiree
- 1 Alumni

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2022/11/kinesiology-class-readies-community-garden-for-revamp/

The Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) owns and operates the “General Brock” store on campus. At General Brock, every dollar spent ensures the operation of a sustainable student business. Sustainability is integrated into General Brock by providing customers with Fair Trade coffee or tea, providing discounts when reusable cups are used, and always having fresh and healthy food choices – including vegan and vegetarian options. BUSU also operates a Food Security service out of General Brock, known as the Food First Program. The BUSU Food First program offers free grocery store gift cards to students dealing with food insecurity. The program also directs students to additional community supports, counseling, and assistance.

BUSU also collects a “Green Levy”, a per-credit fee charged to all undergraduate students for the purpose of improving environmental efficiency and reducing impact. Funds collected from the Green Levy have been used in several ways to improve BUSU’s operations, including renovations to facilities that reduce BUSU’s environmental impact. This includes energy efficient LED lighting, automatic faucets in bathrooms to reduce water waste, and dual flushing toilets to limit water usage. Currently BUSU is working alongside Brock's Environmental Sustainability Research Center (ESRC) and Facilities Management (FM) on a three-year plan, funded by this Green Levy, that will advance environmental sustainability initiatives throughout its buildings and businesses.

https://www.brockbusu.ca/businesses/general-brock/

https://www.brockbusu.ca/services/food-first/

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2022/04/busu-planning-for-greener-future/

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Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre hosts the Transdisciplinary Seminars Series. This is designed to encourage knowledge sharing in the field of sustainability amongst the Brock community. Recent topics include: “From watersheds to fisheries: what can we learn from the transitions towards participator governance in Uruguay?”, “COVID-19 and Community Resilience”, “Highly sensitive people connect more strongly to nature: what does that mean for sustainability?”, “Geospatial Niagara – A Ten Year Retrospective”, “The road to environmental crises is paved with good intentions”, “Exploring Careers in Sustainability”, “The Diversification of Agroecosystems: Uncovering Indicators and Outcomes”, “Dynamics of Coastal Ecosystems and Social Well-Being”, “Emotional Impacts of Climate Change on Children”, “Sustainability, Equity, and Resilience in Food Systems”, “A strategy to increase energy savings from a smart thermostat”.

For more information on the guest speakers and the topic descriptions, please see the link below.

https://brocku.ca/esrc/upcoming-events/#sustainability-seminar-series

Brock Universities Department of Dramatic Arts put on a performance named “AnthropoScene” in the fall of 2022. The mainstage production explored how the "alienation that results from humans’ supremacist behavior towards one another contributes to the climate crisis, as well as engages the ethics of theatricalizing the present climate emergency." The performance tied in elements of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, real-life figures including Toussaint L’Ouverture and various youth climate justice activists, and fictional characters across multiple locations and time periods.

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2022/10/brock-mainstage-production-puts-human-behaviour-climate-crisis-in-spotlight/


The “weekend of virtual events to explore theatre in the age of climate change” was offered in November of 2020 as a part of the Walker Cultural Leaders Series, in partnership between the Brock University and the FirstOntario performing Arts Center (PAC). Convened by DART Professors David Fancy and Karen Fricker, faculty in the Department of Dramatic arts (DART), Brock University commissioned 10 regional theatre artists to create short online presentations exploring the climate crisis in relation to any area of their interest. The first five performances showcased artists who are performers, designers, educators and writers. These artists have explored a multitude of themes in relation to climate change including consumerism, feminism, colonialism, COVID-19, healing, ecological grief and more. This was later continued in 2021 with a three-part series including Three commissioned performances meant to inspire conversation and critical thought, A live-streamed sharing by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Santee Smith and A panel discussion entitled Honouring Balance in Times of Crisis and Change. Admittance to these digital events was free of charge and available virtually to the Brock University community via Facebook and YouTube.


https://brocku.ca/miwsfpa/dramatic-arts/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/DART-WCL-Media-Release-Oct-2020.pdf

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2021/01/theatre-in-the-age-of-climate-change-the-focus-of-virtual-events/


Brock University’s United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair in Community Sustainability created a Sustainability Poetry contest. The annual Sustainability Poetry contest initiated in 2015, was designed to celebrate the creative minds in the Niagara region and how community members can enhance their role in sustainability in the community. Each year a different theme is selected, in the past themes have been ‘The Year of Peace and Trust’ and ‘Year of International Plant Health’. The Sustainability Poetry contest demonstrates the importance of the Arts; it provides an opportunity for community members to better express feelings and emotions and show respect for what we have in the Niagara region and beyond.

https://brocku.ca/unesco-chair/sustainability-poetry-contest/

Brock University hosts an outdoors program known as BaseCamp. The BaseCamp program is a distinctive summer experience for undergraduate students, which is led by current Brock students and alumni. The program is coordinated by Brock faculty and staff with extensive outdoor experience. Students get to explore the great outdoors through the BaseCamp program, while participating in activities such as, canoeing, backpacking and local adventure trips. The three to five-day long trips provide students with a fun way to meet new people, make friends and develop a sense of community. The BaseCamp trips also promote an appreciation for the natural environment and foster an interest in outdoor recreation activitie and can be added as a non-credit course to a student's academic record.

https://brocku.ca/basecamp/

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The Welcome Back Sustainability Challenge demonstrates to students how easy it can be to make positive contributions to the environment through impactful sustainable choices on a regular basis. Students compete throughout 1 week and can receive points by logging day to day sustainability actions within the EcoBoss app. In the end the 10 students with the highest scores will win a prize. This past 2022 challenge resulted in 6 thousand kg of CO2 savings, 1,073 kg of waste diverted and 1 thousand liters of water savings all through student involvement.

https://brocku.ca/sustainability/2022/10/17/brock-students-embraced-welcome-back-sustainability-challenge/

Through the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, the Masters of Sustainability program offers two paid Fall-Winter term Research Assistant roles & Teaching Assistant positions. The Research Assistant roles focus on the field of sustainability, students in the past have been involved with sustainability outreach, waste management projects, sustainability communications, and many other projects, initiatives, and programs. Teaching assistants are paired with sustainability related undergraduate courses such as ENSU 2P01 (Introduction to Environmental Sustainability) and ENSU 2P02 (Environmental Sustainability in Practice).

Facilities Management offers two paid summer co-op positions for graduate students. These include a Sustainability Coordinator and Sustainability Data analyst. This was made possible this most recent year with the assistance from Canada Summer jobs funding.

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