Miami University
EN-3: Student Life

In the spirit of Miami’s tradition of institutional leadership, the student body and administration of Miami University have found it appropriate to create a student authority on sustainability. The name of this organization shall be the Student Sustainability Council of Miami University. The Student Sustainability Council is composed of the chairs of sustainable organizations on campus for the purpose of cooperating on planning events and acting on student concerns regarding sustainability. Their mission is to raise awareness regarding issues of sustainability and to cooperate in taking action around campus-wide sustainability initiatives. They (1) promote co-programming between sustainable student organizations,(2)share concerns and information between sustainable student organizations and serve as a valuable informational authority to the student body at-large in regards to environmental and sustainable issues, (3) plan and implement university-wide initiatives and events, (4) coordinate student action around university-wide sustainability concerns, and (5) serve as an umbrella organization to sustainability-related organizations.

The Director of Sustainability advises the Student Sustainability Council and they are an affiliated organization of the Physical Facilities Department. The Student Sustainability Council also organizes Earth Week and Sustainability Week.

As of FY21, the following organizations comprise the Student Sustainability Council:

EcoReps
Green Gamers
Green Team
Green Oxford
Zero Waste Oxford
LEAP (Leaders of Environmental Awareness and Protection)
EPA (Environmental Professional Association)
GreenHawks Media
Miami Apiculture Society
Miami University Botanical Society
PAW (People, Animals, and Welfare)
Zoology and Biology Club
Environmental Stewards of MU
Food Recovery Network
GEODES (Global Education Outreach for Diversifying the Earth Sciences)

The Institute for Food at Miami University operates an off-site farm. At the farm, Miami students work alongside university faculty and Oxford community members to cultivate the land, plant seeds, and harvest crops — selling and donating our fresh local produce to students and community members alike. The Institute for Food Farm seeks to provide a model for others to follow: a model of sustainable food production, community engagement, and experiential learning. Through the farm, students have opportunities to gain experience in organic agricultural and sustainable systems. Students interested in learning basic sustainable vegetable production skills sign up for AMS/IES 278 - Introduction to Food Systems and Food Studies (4 semester hours). This course introduces students to food from an interdisciplinary perspective building on the concepts underlying food systems and food studies. The course includes a lab component on the Institute for Food Farm. Students who have taken AMS/IES 278 - Introduction to Food Systems and Food Studies are eligible to sign up for IES 340 - Internship on the farm where they can begin to gain more experience in the practices and business of sustainable farming. The farm also welcomes new and experienced farm volunteers. The farm is open to anyone who wishes to volunteer.

The Zero Waste Oxford organization hosts a thrift store to promote the purchase of second-hand clothes and educate the university students and community about the negative environmental effects of the “fast fashion” industry. With the pop-up, they hope to foster awareness about the waste produced in everyday life and help students recognize areas in their life where they can send less waste to the landfill.

Miami University has a Revolving Green Fund (MURGF). The mission of the MURGF is to encourage the growth and development of environmentally sound technologies and practices at Miami University and the greater Oxford community by financing innovative initiatives with sustainable returns. The MURGF will engage students, faculty, staff, and community members for these initiatives; all in coordination with the greater academic mission of the University.

Goals of the MURGF:
To foster sustainable design and environmentally sound technologies and practices at Miami University and in the greater Oxford community
To transform Miami into a national leader and an exemplary model for other institutions of higher education, community groups, non-profit organizations, businesses, and governmental bodies
To empower students with a voice and opportunities to reshape the Miami community.
To exceed local, state, and federal environmental regulation standards through funding innovative techniques and best-in-class sustainable practices.
To facilitate investment in renewable energy, alternative fuels, and energy efficiency.
To reconnect with alumni and approach external benefactors to solidify the prominence and longevity of the fund.

The Institute for the Environment and Sustainability holds an annual Professional Symposium on campus. The symposium features presentations that feature alumni of the IES Master of Environmental Science program. They speak about their careers in the environmental science and sustainability fields. Each session of the symposium features presentations and a panel discussion. Breaks between sessions provide opportunities for students to meet with the professionals. Undergraduates and graduate students learn more about career paths in sustainability from Miami alumni.

The Institute for the Environment and Sustainability also hosts the annual Willeke Distinguished Lecture series. The annual Drs. Gene and Carol Willeke Frontiers in the Environmental Science Distinguished Lecture series bring prominent figures in the field of environmental science to the Miami campus.

In 2021, Miami University hosted Climate Cafes focused on various topics of institutional climate action planning to (1) inform the campus community and (2) gain input on ways to achieve carbon neutrality. Topics in fall 2021 included transportation/offsets, energy systems/fleet, student engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion, and an end-of-the-semester review.

MU Theatre presents Mother Earth’s Gallery of Broken Things: Miami University Theatre’s Climate Change Theatre Action between April 28 and May 1, 2021. This series of short performances, curated by Mother Earth, calls on humans to heal the planet. Featuring the work of 9 global and local playwrights, this outdoor site-specific performance (performed with social distancing) uses dance, projections, poetry, storytelling, and comedy to create performances that spark the power of imagination and collective action.

When Miami University Theatre had to reconsider their 2021 spring production season, Dr. Ann Elizabeth Armstrong proposed an outdoor site-specific performance for a socially distant format. With student designers, dramaturgs, directors, and managers, they curated short plays from two edited collections by Chantal Bilodeau; Where is the Hope? An Anthology of Short Climate Change Plays and Lighting the Way: An Anthology of Short Plays About the Climate Crisis. Bilodeau is the director of Climate Change Theatre Action, a global network of artists integrating activism for the planet.

Miami University has the Outdoor Leadership Certificate Program, which is a program for students interested in pursuing professional or leisure opportunities leading youth or adult learners in an outdoor sport or adventure learning excursions or activities. The program is 14 credit hours and prepares graduates to assume outdoor leadership roles through classroom and experimental coursework focused on (1) leadership theory and skills appropriate for outdoor educational contexts, (2) technical and interpersonal skills for outdoor activity/sport leadership, (3) environmental science and sustainability practices, and (4) leadership capacities for working with and leading culturally diverse groups of learners. EDL 340 Internship is the final course taken in the program and includes Wilderness First Aid and Leave No Trace Trainer certifications. The Leave No Trace Trainer certification course is a two-day course that assists students in learning more about the seven principles of Leave No Trace, and techniques for disseminating these low impact skills. This course follows the curriculum of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Miami offers students living in residence halls the ability to join a Living Learning Community (LLC). An (LLC) is a group of students who live together on a corridor or in a residence hall that is closely tied to an academic major, university program or initiative. Through partnerships with a variety of departments, faculty, and staff, students will have access to activities that tie directly into the theme of their LLC. One LLC, the Environmental Awareness Program (EAP), is an opportunity for students of any major interested in living in with other students who enjoy the outdoors and/or are concerned about environmental issues. The activities in this community focus on exploring the environment in Oxford and surrounding areas, exploring topics such as sustainability, astronomy, and local organic foods, and connecting with faculty members. Students in the Environmental Awareness Program learn about internships and co-curricular opportunities related to sustainability and the environment.

Miami students in the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) also help host the annual Earth Fest, a celebration of Earth Day in the Oxford community. This is a free festival featuring games, interactive booths, and workshops, live music, Oxford Farmer's Market and more. Miami University organizations, departments, and the sustainability department are always present.

Sustainability Coordinator
The Sustainability Coordinator is a reoccurring part-time position filled by a graduate student. The position falls under the Director of Sustainability and is housed in the Physical Facilities Department of the university. The Coordinator helps in data collection and analytics, compiling reports, campus outreach, and co-manages the campus battery recycling program.

Recycling Coordinator
The Recycling Coordinator was a part-time position (2019-2020) filled by a graduate student pursuing a Masters of Environmental Science from the Institute for Environment and Sustainability. The position fell under the Director of Sustainability and was housed in the Physical Facilities Department of the University. The Recycling Coordinator designed and implemented programming specific to the 2020 Recyclemania competition.

The Climate Action Task Force has a student representative on the Executive Steering Committee.

The Sustainability Committee includes a member of the Associated Student Government (ASG) and a student representative from the Center for Business Leadership.

Miami’s Associated Student Government (ASG) has a student position for a Secretary for Infrastructure and Sustainability.

Contact Susan Meikle - meiklesb@miamioh.edu