University of Mount Union
EN-3: Student Life

We have a few sustainability-related student organizations on campus. The Environmental Science Club focuses on environmental issues and is an active organization, collaboration with the Green Raiders is planned. Choosing Healthy Options in Celebration of Educational Success (CHOICES) has a mission to promote wellness, advocate responsible decision-making, raise student awareness regarding healthy lifestyles, and collaborate with other student organizations. GSA / PRIDE is a Diversity organization with the purpose of affirming, facilitating, celebrating, supporting, and creating a safe and accepting environment for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities on Mount Union’s campus. Gender Equity Matters (GEM) is also a Diversity organization that acts as a coordinating and supportive body for all gender issues, activities, and functions both on campus and in the Alliance community. GEM offers the opportunity to participate in community service activities and stresses the positive effects that volunteering provides.

The facilities at the University's Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center include an educational garden that provides limited organic produce to friends of the Center and a living classroom for the student volunteers that contribute to its maintenance. North Webb Community Garden has also provided students with volunteer opportunities and follows organic practices (Meg Mundy is the Community Organizer). In October 2016 the Sustainability Management Advisory Committee (SMAC) sponsored a program, "Cultivating Sustainability". All of the local Farmer's Market vendors were invited to set up a table and a local Organic Farm (Breezy Hill Farm) gave a presentation on Organic Farming and their experiences as Organic Farmers. This event was open to the entire campus community and the local community.

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In 2016 the University of Mount Union established a Green Revolving Fund to help fund energy efficiency projects on campus. A survey to solicit ideas for the Green Revolving Fund is sent out twice a year to all Students, Staff, and Faculty. The ideas received are reviewed and ranked by the Sustainability Committee, which includes students (Green Raiders). When the Green Revolving Fund was established a presentation was given to Student Senate to make them aware of the Fund and to get ideas for possible investments.

The Not Another Statistic Conference, hosted annually by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, offers several sessions on social-justice-related topics to promote peace building and non-violence. The Green Raiders gave a presentation in 2016 on Environmental Justice and plan to present in 2017.

Annual ARTFEST at the Campus Lakes: Sponsored by Mount Union and the Alliance Chamber of Commerce, ArtFest features original works by area artists in various media including watercolor, oil, collage, graphics, drawings, fine and functional crafts, photography, jewelry, pen and ink, sculpture, glass mosaics, printmaking and mixed media works. In addition, the category of functional craft has been added. Functional craft includes such works as jewelry, fiber,woodworking, glass, enameling, lights, mirrors, purses/bags, candles and soaps. The most recent ArtFest featured 37 art and functional craft vendors. Live demos take place throughout the day exhibiting displays of hand-made pottery and woodturning. In addition, “A Taste of Alliance,” coordinated by the Alliance Chamber of Commerce, took place simultaneously, featuring food and beverages for sale by area restaurants and caterers. Live entertainment is provided throughout the day by Mount Union and Alliance area musicians.

Environmental Ethics. This course introduces students to ethical issues associated with the relationship between humans and the natural world. An aspect of this course is a wilderness trip to the Adirondack Mountains, where Leave No Trace principles are practiced. Social Responsibility and Personal Well-Being. This is an experientially-based course that looks at the effect of service and other forms of helping behavior on ones’ sense of well-being. This involves a week-long Spring break service project in Latin America. International Engineering Field Experience. This course provides the student with an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and international exposure to engineering projects, specifically projects in the developing world. The course exposes students to the grand challenges of engineering and the need for various stakeholders (engineers, scientists, policy-makers, etc,) to collaborate and to develop, test, and implement innovative, appropriate, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions True North is a club for outdoor enthusiasts. Activities include rock climbing and hiking. Also incorporates Leave No Trace principles.

The following 2 courses are First Year Seminars/Experiences, interdisciplinary semester-long classes designed to engage first-year students in critical thinking and experiential and co-curricular learning on topics related to social and/or environmental justice: FYS 100-14. Non-violent Protest and Social Change Students will study and practice social change that is achieved through non-violent protest, and the course will culminate in an immersive week-long experience in Puerto Rico. Readings and course discussion will explore three specific case studies: India, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, and will look at the actions and beliefs of the individuals who led successful non-violent protests in these countries to enhance social and environmental justice. Students will also study social action led by college students in the United States. In the second half of the semester, students will choose a social issue that is relevant to a community they care about, research possible solutions, and design and carry out a nonviolent approach to alleviating that social issue. Students may have the opportunity to travel to Vieques, Puerto Rico in December 2017 after the fall term has ended to see first-hand the effects of a social movement, meet key players, and positively contribute to the island’s continued restoration. FYS 100-30. Eating on Purpose Want to make your life better through food? How about eating to make your community stronger? To make the world more fair? Through this course, learn how your personal food choices have a ripple effect far beyond you to people and places down the street, across the country, and abroad. Get to know Alliance as we practice “eating on purpose” through visits to local stores, farms, and eateries. By the end of the semester, you’ll be living on purpose, empowered to tackle social issues (hunger, climate change, and poverty, to name a few) through your everyday decisions. This course is project-based and will help you develop critical-thinking skills, leadership qualities, and practical skills such as budgeting and meal planning. The following themes are comprised of junior-level course clusters that are available to students to meet core curriculum requirements. While other themes are also options, the following are those related to sustainability: Cluster 4 – Ethics, Justice, and Society Cluster 6 - Food Ways Cluster 11 - Resource Systems Cluster 14 - Culture and Global Society Cluster 15 - Globalization: Competition vs. Cooperation See the link below for the University of Mount Union Catalogue, which contains the detailed descriptions of the Clusters.

The Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center offers regular skills-based workshops to the full campus community. These have included herb gardening, soap-making, cooking with local fruit, repurposing, woodcarving, and other topics that encourage local, self-reliant living.

Each year 8 to 10 Green Raiders (Sustainability Assistants) are recruited. Recruitment efforts include upperclassmen, but also intentionally targets first-year students during the summer orientation programs so as to hopefully cultivate interest and awareness early on in students' tenure at the University. Student employment opportunities are also available at the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center where students have the opportunity to work directly with sustainability-related outreach programs (such as seminars on how to compost or build your own rain water collection system) and tools (such as a biodiesel converter).

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The Brumbaugh Scholars Program The Mission of the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center is to “provide and support opportunities for enjoying and learning about our natural and cultural heritage.” In keeping with that mission funds are allocated to support summer research or other co-curricular opportunities (This program is not part of normal academic course work and it to serve as a complement to any major area of study) for students and faculty. The unifying elements of this research are: 1. It is to be place-based. The research or other project should relate to the natural and cultural heritage of northeastern Ohio and be explicitly related to the Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center and its mission. 2. It is to be student-centered. The intent is to provide students with opportunities to engage in meaningful educational activities that would complement their classroom education. 3. It is to be tied to the expertise and interests of a Mount Union faculty or staff member who will serve as a project mentor. The work should allow students and project leaders to work together in ways that provide genuine experiential learning for the student while also allowing the project mentor to further their scholarly or professional interests. A Brumbaugh Mentorship is warded to a faculty or staff member The awardee is involved in selecting one or more Brumbaugh Summer Scholar students who work with them specifically on their project. The Brumbaugh scholars chosen by the mentor in consultation with the selection team are part of a group of Brumbaugh Summer Scholars who are selected for the summer. The Regula Scholars Program allows students to learn from local public servants, participate in leadership training, and study ethics based case studies, in order to complement what they are learning in their courses and provide for a well-rounded education. Scholars receive stipends to fund internships, conferences, programming, and travel while they are enrolled at Mount Union, that is not related specifically to an academic course. These students are selected based on a nomination process and must complete 150 hours of service. Additionally, Regula Scholars must maintain a 3.5 GPA and spend time learning about ethical decision making, employment in the public sector and many other experiential opportunities.

Information entered by Jamie Greiner and derived from various resources: UMU Website, Course Catalog, and Nature Center Newsletters.