Connecticut College
EN-3: Student Life

The Climate Collective is a student-led club that aims to increase the amount of student participation in projects and actions relating to sustainability, climate change, and/or the environment on campus and in the community by providing resources and support to students who have a sustainable idea that they would like to implement on campus.

Oceana is a student chapter of the international organization dedicated to marine conservation. Their policy campaigns range from curbing ocean pollution to promoting sustainable fishing. Past activities include: beach clean ups and restoration projects, film screenings, lectures by Oceana representatives and members of local nonprofits or organizations, fundraisers, panel events, a mock oil spill, and many other events. https://conncoll.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/oceana

The Sprout Garden covers around half an acre in the center of our campus and provides social and educational spaces in which students can practice gardening and gain hands-on experience with sustainable, small-scale agriculture. Sprout strives to build community and empower individuals by planting, growing, and sharing ethically produced food. It consists of a student-run gardening club and an academically integrated farm space that share tools, volunteers, and goals. The goals of Sprout are to: Build community around food by providing opportunities for hands-on growing to individuals on campus and in the greater New London area, Provide experiential education in small-scale agriculture and local food systems for students, faculty, and staff by cultivating land and producing food together, and actualize the College’s commitment to sustainability by minimizing the College’s food-footprint and increasing New London’s local food resilience.

Sprout is also a key component of the College’s sustainable agriculture curriculum. By working in this space, students develop a comprehensive understanding of food systems and small-scale agriculture that can prepare them for careers in farming, agricultural science, food justice, policy, community organizing, and so much more. On the farm, students explore sustainable soil management, integrated pest management tactics, season extension strategies, and wholesale distribution to the College’s dining and catering services.

https://www.conncoll.edu/sustainability/sprout-garden/

The Sustainability Revolving Fund (SRF), was established in 2015 with $50,000 and the first project was completed in 2016. The fund has now grown to over $150,000. The SRF is overseen by a committee of students, faculty and staff who evaluate proposed projects based on their environmental impact and the length of payback.

Information can be found here: https://www.conncoll.edu/sustainability/resources-for-faculty-and-staff/funding-opportunities/

In 2022-2023 we hosted a series of speakers focused on climate change as part of our annual theme Climate Change/Culture Change. First, alumna Susana Hancock '07 gave a lecture titled "In Whose Hands is our Planet's Future?." She talked about her work as a polar researcher and an expedition she made in the Arctic. In April 2023, the College hosted environmental journalist Elizabeth Rush for this series to deliver the talk "Rising Together" about the impact of sea level rise and climate change on vulnerable communities. Rush also attended the Applications of Sustainability seminar to meet students working on campus sustainability. Rush's talk was also part of the President's Distinguished Lecture series, which brings notable figures to the College each year. https://www.conncoll.edu/news/news-archive/2023/presidents-distinguished-lecture-series/

The art exhibit Extraction: Art of the Edge of the Abyss was hosted in Cummings Gallery at Connecticut College from September 1 - October 15, 2021. The exhibition description follows: "Robert Frost’s poem Fire and Ice aptly underscores the focus of the exhibition at Connecticut College: our galleries will feature artists working in various media and on multiple fronts to address the urgency of the global climate crisis. The overriding theme of the exhibition is nature’s fragility in the face of untamed capitalist growth. Given the magnitude of this global crisis, artists face a daunting dilemma: how to represent the damage unleashed by the extractive industries—oil spills, plastic pollution, global warming and rising seas, habitat loss and extinction, not to mention the unequal social impact of these disruptions." https://www.extractionart.org/cummings-art-center

Music and the Environment: Conn College music faculty perform chamber works that explore connections between music and the world around us. October 7, 2022.

Outdoor Adventures: The pursuit of wilderness activity through group planning and organized outings. Outings shall be geared so as to emphasize instruction and the improvement of wilderness skills. Special attention will be drawn to the importance of safety during wilderness activity, and to the development of a respect for the great outdoors, including Leave No Trace principles.

The President's Sustainability Council selects a theme each April for the following academic year. Each theme is embedded throughout the year through speakers, movie screenings and social events, coordinated social media outreach, and an active campaign to make sustainable change on campus. The last three years of themes have been: Pass on Plastic (2021-2022), Climate Change/Culture Change (2022-2023) and Quality Water (2023-2024).

Earth House is Connecticut College's sustainable living residence. Each year, a small group of sophomores, juniors and seniors apply to live in Earth House as an alternative housing housing option. Earth House features a kitchen, living room and seven single rooms.

The Office of Sustainability offers 6-7 paid SustainabiliTeam Leader student positions each year. Each Team Leader oversees a team of other students focused on implementing specific sustainability projects on campus like residence hall energy competitions, a reusable containers program, and composting in residence halls. Team Leaders are paid for 5-8 hours per week at a rate of $15/hr.