New Mexico State University
EN-3: Student Life

OASIS - ORGANIZATION OF AGGIE STUDENTS INSPIRING SUSTAINABILITY was founded in the spring of 2008. The students organized the first city-wide Earth Day festival which they continue to organize annually. The club also organized the signing of the Talloires Declaration as well as the World Café event in 2009. Among the top goals of OASIS is to strive to generate widespread awareness of sustainable practices, network within the Las Cruces community (both on and off campus) in order to engage the community and promote green ethics, and focus on agricultural practices, recycling, economic sustainability, community education, awareness and equality. ESSO - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STUDENT ORGANIZATION is in our Agriculture and Consumer and Environmental Sciences college. It's mission statement is to spread environmental awareness, give back to the community, encourage students to branch out, and introduce students to new and exciting possibilities. ESSO strives to educate the community in earth sciences and environmental sustainability. ESSO Purpose and Objectives 1. Advancement of environmental knowledge and awareness at New Mexico State University and the community 2. Mentor and advise members on academic and non-academic matters in sustainable systems 3. Network members with environmental field professionals through informational speaker series 4. Further the NMSU Environmental Sciences degree program by facilitating scholarship and award programs FOOD RECOVERY NETWORK STUDENT ORGANIZATION Purpose: For students to partner with community agencies, dining facilities, and other food businesses to fight food waste and hunger. Student recover food that would otherwise be wasted and donate it to partner agencies to be served to those who experience food insecurity. ENGAGE NM The purpose of EngageNM is to provide an outlet for NMSU students and community members to engage in health and wellness activities promoting mindfulness and altruism through: 1. Continual community outreach and involvement: a. Awareness of community issues b. Provide a medium to address issues c. Encourage collaboration of both NMSU and community organization d. Education through lectures and hands-on activities 2. Events/Engagements a. Use different art forms to capture attention and arouse a communal interest in the organization's core values b. Foster and magnify benevolence, empowerment and innovation 3. Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Augmentation a. Dissemination of the EngageNM blueprint through cultural immersion in order to propagate charitable endeavors b. Forge alliances to deliberately sustain a wellness movement

The Student Research and Education Gardens (SREG) is at NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). The SREG is a three-acre farm centered on the main campus of New Mexico State University. The mission of the Garden is to facilitate experiential learning in the plant and environmental sciences fields, including agronomy and horticulture, soil and environmental sciences, agro-ecosystem management, sustainable soil management, and crop production. The SREG has been in existence since 2012. It serves as a hub of hands-on learning for NMSU students. The mission of the Garden is to provide experiential learning opportunities and a hands-on educational facility for NMSU students, faculty, staff and the local community in the exploration of organic and sustainable agricultural systems that are applicable to New Mexico farms. Objectives of the SREG: 1. Explore sustainable agricultural systems through the production of vegetables, small fruits, flowers, herbs and other crops using sustainable and economically viable practices. 2. Promote education and research in organic agriculture by creating new learning opportunities. 3. Support the education of NMSU students by providing: a) Hands on experience in sustainable farming. b) An opportunity to develop interpersonal and effective communication skills. c) A mechanism for participation in community outreach. d) Exposure to holistic learning and critical thinking. e) An environment that will require group interaction, cooperation and facilitation. f) Promote the consumption of local foods and encourage a healthful, well-balanced diet. g) Increase the visibility of the College of ACES research, education, and extension programs. Through our Hotel Restaurant Tourism Management (HRTM) program we have a cafe where the students learn to prepare food and serve. Food from the garden supplies vegetables to 100 West Café, composting the leftovers, and using the compost to enrich the soil in the SCFL veggie plot. Full circle! The Environmental Education Center has a large above-ground planter where vegetables are grown year around. It is cared for my students and the sustainability manager. Compost from the SREG is used in this garden. Anyone can pick and eat food from this garden.

Produce grown by the NMSU Student Research and Education Gardens is sold at the Sam Steel Café in Gerald Thomas Hall. All produce is student-grown in the Garden, just west of Gerald Thomas Hall, for Applied Vegetable Crop Management (HORT 300). "We teach and conduct research to explore organic and sustainable agricultural systems that are applicable to New Mexico farms."

Through the NMSU Foundation, the Sustainability Council has a fund that anyone can donate to. It has a broad definition of “promoting sustainability at NMSU”. The funds are used to pay for speakers to come to NMSU to educate us on current environmental topics.

EARTH DAY: The Organization of Aggie Students Inspiring Sustainability (OASIS), one of NMSU's student groups, organizes and hosts an Earth Day Fair event every year. 2016 was the eighth year that OASIS hosted the event. The event consists of educational booths, local vendors, live music, speakers and demonstrations on environmental topics, climate change, and sustainability. EARTH WEEK: The Associated Students of New Mexico State University (ASNMSU) hosts the annual Earth Week event around the Earth Day Fair. The week consists sustainability oriented events such as tours of the new Satellite Chiller Plant, locally-grown plants and flowers sale by the Horticulture Forum student organization, live music by local musicians, making smoothies with the bicycle-powered blender, sales of PeopleTowels, and a student art show focusing on the environment or re-used materials RECYCLEMANIA: NMSU has been among the top five winners for the RecycleMania competition for the last four years. The NMSU Recycling Department and Office of Sustainability engages students, faculty and staff across campus. The students actively participate in every way possible from the kick-off day to the last day of the competition. The students spread awareness for the competition by tabling, chalking, and working with University vendors to participate in events.

The University Art Gallery (UAG) will present the exhibition, "Water! What is it Good for?", at a timely moment in Southern New Mexico’s climate change battle. The show opened on January 21, 2016 and feature works by Florida-based artist Bethany Taylor and Texas-based artist Brenda Perry. In "Water! What is it Good for?", Taylor and Perry create critical spaces for viewers to engage with multifaceted environmental concerns. Through their art, Taylor and Perry ask viewers to consider meanings and practices of sustainability, water rights, renewable natural resources, and environmental consciousness. Taylor and Perry mounted this two-person exhibition that grapples with complex environmental issues. Our students, faculty, staff, and the community are all attendees of this show. The UAG is in our arts classroom building and often has environmentally-related art events

The NMSU Outdoor Leadership Program (OLP) prepares students to plan, implement and lead outdoor recreation and/or cultural activities for the NMSU student body. Participants receive training in group dynamics, teaching techniques, risk management, wilderness first aid, Leave No Trace ethics, and outdoor skill sets such as backpacking and rock climbing. Each semester, the OLP seeks highly motivated students who want to enrich their college experience by increasing their leadership skill sets. The OLP equips its students with practical leadership experiences to complement their academic degrees and give them the edge in the job market after graduation.

ASNMSU (Associated Students NMSU) has a paid sustainability position. The student in this position works closely with the Office of Sustainability. The Office of Sustainability has hired a student employee since its inception in 2010.

This is an optional pledge that students can sign online. NMSU students pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job they consider and will try to improve green aspects of any organization for which they work.

Associated Students (ASNMSU) Sustainability position: http://asnmsu.nmsu.edu/get-involved/sustainability/ ESSO - Environmental Science Student Organization: http://aces.nmsu.edu/academics/clubs/esso/ Engage NM https://www.facebook.com/engageNM/?fref=ts