Mount Royal University
EN-3: Student Life

The Mount Royal SDG Hub promotes engagement with the UN SDGs. The group hosts events and learning activities for students on campus.

The Healthy Campus Team at Mount Royal University is composed of three groups: Peer Health Educators, Peer to Peer Mental Health Educators, and Stepping Up Peer Facilitators. Peer Health Educators is composed of student volunteers who educate their peers about health topics and services and resources in Wellness Services and organize events and awareness weeks. Peer to Peer Mental Health Educators are student volunteers who engage in mental health training, plan outreach events related to mental health, facilitate classroom presentations, and promote mental health resources on campus. Stepping Up Peer Facilitators is a research-based program that focuses on prevention of dating violence. Students gain understanding about the issue and how it relates to university students as well as develop and lead modules on various aspects related to healthy relationships. http://www.mtroyal.ca/CampusServices/WellnessServices/WorkshopsGroupsVolunteer/Volunteer/index.htm

Peer Social Justice Educators raise awareness about topics that impact inclusion, equity, and the fostering of safe communities. The group hosts monthly events and weekly booths to teach students at Mount Royal about inclusion and social justice issues. http://www.mtroyal.ca/CampusServices/CampusResources/CampusEquityMeaningfulInclusion/PeerEducation/index.htm

Mount Royal University has a community garden on campus. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to become members and help maintain the garden. Members have access to the garden and produce grown, gardening lessons, volunteering, and garden parties. Workshops are held each spring/summer to help transplant seedlings grown in the campus greenhouse. In the fall members can volunteer to join in the harvest and take home free organic produce. Everyone is welcome to the harvest which includes lawn games, food, and garden tours.

Barrow began as a student pilot project at Mount Royal University. It began as a small sustainable coffee shop in the Bissett School of Business and has added a second location in the new Riddell Library and Learning Centre at Mount Royal University. Barrow offers quality products from local vendors and the owner began by finding and refurbishing old coffee grinders, espresso machines, and coffee brewers to create the cafe products available. Barrow hires students as well as people from the greater community in both locations.

The Students' Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) offers the Experiential Learning Fund (ELF) to help students fund personal and professional development opportunities outside their academic experience at Mount Royal University. This money can be used toward sustainable initiatives and education. Applications vary for this funding.

IES hosts annual earth day events, world wetland days, and a parks and protected areas research conference. In addition to these events, IES hosts monthly webinars on conservation topics.

A major goal of Mount Royal Universities' Strategic Plan is to Indigenize the University. Many cultural events, installations, and performances occur as they relate to this strategic priority. Some of these include:

- Mount Royal's new tipi received a ceremonial blessing to symbolize the strength of Indigenous peoples and communities as well as Mount Royal's commitment to supporting the resurgence of Indigenous knowledge and culture as it related to education.

- Reconciliation: a Photographic Exhibition is a special photography exhibit on campus which illuminates the lasting effects of residential schools and the damage done to Indigenous cultures. http://mtroyal.ca/IndigenousMountRoyal/news/reconciliation.htm

Other events at Mount Royal University related to sustainability include:
- Student orientation is held at the beginning of each university semester. This program includes an Indigenous welcome and participation from Elders, dancers and drummers. It also has an accessibility program so provide options for students who require different types of learning styles. The event trains its volunteers by providing in depth cultural and diversity training.

Mount Royal's Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership program offers students a Bachelor's program which focuses on becoming a champion of the Environment as it relates to outdoor adventure and tourism. This program teaches and follows Leave No Trace principles.

Outdoor Adventure Club is a student club at Mount Royal University. The club takes people outside and gets them on discounted guided courses. They host events and offer students outdoor experience while in school. These student led trips offer outdoor experiences for students who cannot afford the equipment required to go on these trips themselves. They run Avalanche safety courses, Crevasse rescue, etc, and follow Leave No Trace principles.

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The Students Association of Mount Royal University offers financial skills workshops as part of New Student Orientation in conjunction with Student Awards and Financial Aid.

The Mount Royal University's Student Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association (MRU CPANS) hosts networking nights and networking seminars that help teach students how to engage and build relationships for their future.

The Sustainable MRU committee hosts two sustainability fairs each year which include various events and seminars related to living and promoting sustainability for students.

The Institute for Environmental Sustainability (IES) at Mount Royal University funds faculty research which includes student research assistant positions. The IES also hires research assistants each year to help work on specific projects within the Institute.

Currently, the IES, directly and indirectly, funds more than twenty student research assistants.

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