University of Massachusetts Lowell
EN-3: Student Life

The Climate Change Initiative (includes both faculty and students), Student Environmental Alliance (student-governed) and Solar Energy Association (student-governed) are three such groups. Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) - http://www.uml.edu/Research/Climate-Change/SEA.aspx Climate Change Initiative (CCI) - http://www.uml.edu/Research/Climate-Change/about/about.aspx Solar Energy Association (Solar Club) – refers to sustainability as a core value https://umasslowellclubs.collegiatelink.net/organization/solarclub Evolution and Ecology Club (EVE)- strongly supports campus sustainability initiatives Climate Change Coalition- Formed to support Some examples of their accomplishments are listed below: 1. During the Fall semester of 2015 university students formed the Climate Change Coalition a student group which worked to encourage the university to divest from fossil fuels. As a result of their efforts and the efforts of similar groups at the Amherst and other campuses UMass became one of the first public university systems to divest from fossil feuls. 2. Students that are part of the CCI are involved in the Climate Education in an Age of Media (CAM) program which integrates media production into climate change education. Students developed climate change education videos that were then broadcast to all audiences at UMass Lowell on billboards. As an additional part of the NASA grant (which funded CAM), CCI Faculty took part in interviews related to climate change and those videos were aired on local public broadcasting stations. http://cleanet.org/cced_media/index.html http://www.uml.edu/Research/Climate-Change/projects/Interviews-CCI.aspx 3. Students that are part of the CCI helped organize the 2015 Climate Change Teach-In which attracted over 600 students, faculty and community members. The theme of the 2015 teach-in was “Setting the Record Straight” and featured Harvard's Dr. Naomi Orestes as the keynote speaker.

UMass Lowell has a community garden and is actively working with Mill City Grows a local organization that fosters food justice by increasing community access to healthy, fresh food through the development of urban food production and distribution networks to create a partnership for urban agriculture.

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The UMass Foundation has a Socially Responsible Investing Advisory Committee (SRIAC) to review issues related to investor responsibility. As referenced in PA - 8, the committee contains student representation.

There are a number of conferences, speakers series and events completed in the last year. Some consist of: Climate Change Teach in Waste Recycling Day Recyclemania: http://www.uml.edu/EEM/Environmental-Stewardship/Events/RecycleMania-Competition.aspx Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference World Climate Game Session

The following is a blurb promoting an event about student-produced climate change videos: "Our shared climate legacy: Student-produced film shorts and an inter-generational discussion about responding to climate change" - We are excited to present an evening featuring short, student-produced videos and an open, student-lead discussion about what we can do to create a better future in the face of our changing climate. With support from the NASA-funded Climate Education in an Age of Media (CAM) Project (http://cleanet.org/cced_media/), UMass Lowell students taking the Climate Change: Science, Communication, and Solutions course will present what they have learned, what they want to communicate, and the questions they have for each other and their community on how we can shape a future that responds to climate change while improving human well being. Members from LIRA, the Learning in Retirement Association are invited guests, along with the general public and UMass Lowell faculty, staff and students.

The Outdoor Adventure Program (OAP), part of the Campus Recreation Center, seeks to offer a variety of outdoor trips for the university community. The trips are designed for beginners who may have never hiked, camped, or paddled before. They seek to offer trips to meet every person's skill level in order to challenge each person to grow through the experience but also to have fun and develop relationships along the way. Current students, faculty, and staff members of UMass Lowell are eligible to participate in OAP trips and events. The program is not student-governed. http://www.uml.edu/CampusRecreation/Outdoor-Adventure/TripInformation.aspx Society of Environmental Scientists (SES) SES is a student governed club which, among other objectives, aims to enhance student understanding of geological and environmental sciences through field excursions, which explore local geology and ecology. SES expands the skill set of its members by working with Wachusett Mountain State Reservation in collaboration with the Appalachian Mountain Club and by organizing frequent rock and mountain climbing trips. https://umasslowellclubs.collegiatelink.net/organization/society-of-environmental-scientists/about

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There are student employee opportunities (internships) in the Environmental & Emergency Management and Facilities Departments. There have also been student internships in the past in the Transportation Department. These internships involve recycling and overall sustainability program support, and renewable energy programs. In addition, the Francis College of Engineering offers internships with leading companies in the region and across the globe.

Two additional examples include the co-curricular Peru projects that focus on renewable energy, energy conservation, and water improvements. There is also a co-curricular battery car competition.