University of Massachusetts Amherst
EN-3: Student Life

The Sustainable UMass Action Coalition (SUMAC) is a new student group on campus that is invested in precipitating interest within the community about issues of environmental sustainability. SUMAC is the student voice for sustainability on campus, providing information and a forum for discussion of sustainable inititives. This group is dedicated to the research, education, and support essential to resolving issues of environmental sustainability on the UMass campus and in the surrounding communities. We hope to play an active role in making UMass a leader in sustainability.

The UMass Permaculture Initiative is a unique and cutting-edge sustainability program that converts underused grass lawns on the campus into edible, low-maintenance, and easily replicable gardens. This initiative was created by students and then adopted and funded by our administration in 2010. Students and permaculture staff work together along with UMass Dining Services, the Campus Sustainability Initiative, and many other departments to demonstrate the vision of what a sustainable community and world can look like. There are now four Permaculture Gardens on campus: 1. Franklin Permaculture Garden Location: Franklin Dining Commons Groundbreaking: Fall semester 2010 The Story: The UMass Permaculture Initiative, with help from student and local volunteers, embarked on the arduous mission to transform the otherwise unproductive grass lot adjacent to Franklin Dining Commons on campus into a highly productive, aesthetically pleasing, educational, sustainable garden. 2. Worcester Herb Garden Location: Worcester Dining Commons Groundbreaking: Summer 2011 The Story: Chef Don Sabola started the Worcester Herb Garden in 2009 to have a fresh source for herbs right outside the Worcester Dining Commons. In 2011 after our first sheet mulch of the Franklin Permaculture Garden, the Worcester Herb Garden was given to us to transform and maintain. For this garden, the UMass Permaculture Initiative worked with UMass Dining staff to develop a dynamic herb garden adjacent to the Worcester Dining Commons. The site was designed with chefs’ needs in mind, is easy to harvest by dining staff, is aesthetically pleasing, and improves ecological diversity. 3. Class of 2012 Berkshire Permaculture Garden Location: Berkshire Dining Commons Groundbreaking: Fall 2011 The Story: The Class of 2012 Berkshire Permaculture Garden is our newest on-campus garden, generously funded by the Class of 2012 Senior Class Gift Fund. Before we did any work on the site, we observed signs of compaction, erosion, and nutrient depletion in the soils. We’re now in the process of converting this formally-neglected site into an ecological haven with rich, fertile soil and lots of biodiversity. 4. Chancellor's House Garden

For over 35 years, the People's Market has been a student-run collective that provides the UMass Amherst campus with conscientiously purchased, natural foods. Students who work for the People's Market gain sustainable business skills. They have a strong commitment to providing customers with food products from socially and environmentally responsible companies.

UMass Amherst established a Sustainability Innovation & Engagement Fund in August 2013. The fund started at $50,000 in available funds to allocate for the best sustainability engagement proposals on campus and is open to any campus community member. The proposals are vetted by the Student Steering Committee which includes student leaders from sustainability related registered student organizations (RSO's), Sustainable UMass, and Student Government Association.

Yes, UMass holds major events with a focus in sustainability multiple times a year in the fall and spring. Each year UMass holds campus wide Earth Day events in the spring and Campus Sustainability Day events in the fall. Other events includes seminar series such as "Designing for sustainability in the Built Environment." The seminar series discussed the difficulties and solutions when constructing energy efficient classrooms and laboratories at a public institution. The seminar series kicked off a campus-wide dialogue about these exciting and far-reaching projects. Each panel discussion featured facilities planning/design professionals and a University of Massachusetts Amherst academic researcher. We also co-sponsored a lecture series in Spring 2011 that included Naomi Oreskes (Climate Change), Kert Davies (Gulf Oil Spill), Jerry Melillo (Global Land Use patterns) and Nat Tripp (Connecticut River). Sustainable UMass, the Earth Day Committee, the Permaculture Initiative, and Student Affairs have recently brought (or are planning to bring) the following speakers to campus over the past two years: Past: Charles Mann (March 2012) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Earth Day 2012) Francis Moore-Lappe (June 2012) Van Jones (October 2012) Bill McKibben (April 2013) *cancelled due to Boston Marathon Bombings Annie Leonard (Earth Day 2013) Majora Carter (June 2013) Colin Beavan (September and October 2013) Scheduled: Dr. Robert Bullard (Earth Day 2014)

Since 1922 the UMass Outing Club has been organizing events for students by students. Events range from hiking, climbing, canoeing, kyaking, skiing, and caving.

For academic year 2013-2014, all incoming new students were asked to read the book, No Impact Man, and the author, Colin Beavan, addressed all students at the First-year Student Fall Convocation as well as revisited campus during the semester in October.

In August of 2013, Sustainable UMass, Residential Life, and Admissions partnered to establish the model green room in Knowlton 112 in the Northeast Residence Area. This room is also the model room that is used for all campus tours so thousands of families and potential students see this room each year. This project was originally proposed by a student in a Resource Economics class who wanted to help the University achieve a higher STARS score and build awareness amongst the student body for how to live greener on campus. The proposal was approved by the Residential Life Director in May of 2013 and opened in August.

Student employee opportunities range from the Physical Plant Sustainable UMass office including Minute Riders compost program positions, to UMass Dining Sustainability office working with Permaculture, Real Food Challenge, and local food procurement.