Missouri State University
EN-10: Inter-Campus Collaboration

The formal Missouri State University campus sustainability organization, Students for a Sustainable Future (SSF), has been a key player in the Missouri Coalition for Climate Justice (MCCJ) since its inception. The Missouri Coalition for Climate Justice is an inter-state coalition that unites campus sustainability groups from across Missouri. Through MCCJ, university groups are given the opportunity to share their knowledge and progress of campus sustainability efforts, brainstorm about ways to make positive change, build bridges of communication and camaraderie, educate themselves about sustainability, and strengthen their leadership skills. Every semester, a designated university hosts an intensive student-led 3 day conference, called “MO Love,” over a weekend. During these conferences, the university groups come together to share, learn, and grow. For the spring 2015 semester, the Missouri State University campus student group Students for a Sustainable Future planned and hosted the conference. Roughly 30 students from across Missouri came together for this conference. In addition to this major event each semester, an elected group of students routinely hold conference calls to maintain contact and strengthen and maintain the inter-university bond and knowledge. At each MO Love conference, new presentations are given that address the most immediate wants and needs of participating colleges and Missouri as a whole. In January 2015, Missouri State hosted student speakers, university employee speakers, and speakers from the community. Topics included energy reduction efforts at Missouri State University which sparked ideas for other universities to build on, campaign building, leadership development and delegation, food justice, setting SMART goals (goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely), recruitment strategies, and the history of water conservation efforts in the Springfield area.

We are members of the Partnership for Sustainability along with Drury University, Ozarks Technical College, and Evangel University. http://www.springfieldchamber.com/about_us/pledge_for_sustainabilitiy/partnership_for_sustainability_members/ Missouri State University students are part of the Missouri Coalition for Climate Justice (MCCJ). Webster: Webster Students for Environmental Sustainability Mizzou: Mizzou Energy Action Coalition (MEAC) Truman State University: Environmental Campus Organization (ECO) Throughout the years, various other campus groups, such as organizations from Drury University, Washington University, and Saint Louis University have also participated.

In addition to SSF’s participation in MCCJ, they also took the initiative to kick-start a campus sustainability organization at Evangel University, another university in Springfield. The name of this organization is also Students for a Sustainable Future, and was started in January of 2013. To help them start their organization, Students for a Sustainable Future at Missouri State University did many things. They invited Evangel students to their meetings, where Evangel University students learned strategies for running effective meetings as well as ideas for what the club can do to promote sustainability on their campuses. In addition to this, the president of Missouri State University’s SSF held one-on-one meetings with the emerging Evangel leaders to answer specific questions and do private coaching. Missouri State University SSF also gave Evangel University materials such as information on goal setting and recruitment.

https://moclimatejustice.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MOCoalitionforClimateJustice https://www.facebook.com/pages/Students-for-a-Sustainable-Future-Evangel-University/672353322807164