University of New Hampshire
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Over the past seven years, UNH has developed and implemented extremely robust peer-to-peer learning and professional education programs the cultivate and emphasize a culture of sustainability. The intent is to weave an ethos of sustainability in its fullest sense into the fabric of our university community and, in particular, in the case of UNH, the mission of a public, land, sea, and space grant university. 

Peer education for students, faculty and staff constitutes a powerful educational approach that builds connection, trust, and knowledge across the community. The UNH Sustainability Institute (SI) coordinates a wide and deep range of both student and employee sustainability peer to peer programs that are supported by dedicated SI staff who mentor and facilitate connections for large cohorts (50-80) of staff, faculty and student leaders. This includes overseeing peer-to-peer programs run directly by the Sustainability Institute, as well as connecting with existing UNH student P2P programs (e.g. the Freshman Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE), the Health and Wellness peer ed programs etc) to help integrate sustainability concepts and highlight the connection of these programs with sustainability concepts. The foci in all of these programs are service and engagement, leadership and professional development, and the use of our campus and surrounding communities as a "living laboratory" for imagining and implementing deeper and broader visions of sustainability for all. Student interns, coaches and peer mentors come from all colleges, with a wide range of majors. Staff and faculty ambassadors likewise represent every major unit within UNH: all of the colleges, as well as core support and auxilary units. The focus on service as a key aspect of sustainability, with UNH Serves as a central element, is unique and allows more than the "usual suspects" to see and expereince themselves as part of a sustainability leadership community.

In additon, all of those constituents are invited and encouraged to partake in an ongoing array of sustainabilty content through our Online Sustaiability Learning Module, changemaker speaker series, and Introduction to Carbon Footprinting (free to UNH students and staff).

This emphasis on sustainabilty culture, awareness and leadership has been intentional and sustained, and we see its impact in many arenas--not least in the number of students, staff and faculty who explicitly say they came to UNH because of its sustainablity leadership and culture.

UNH has invested significantly in supporting businesses, community groups, local governments, and other colleges and universities in meeting their own sustainabilty goals, through a myriad of programs, networks and tools. One example of this is the investment we've made in research and management capacity around greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of the climate crisis, and in translating that research into actionable insights.  UNH Sustainability Institute’s work with the Sustainability Indicators Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP), an online platform that came out of UNH’s early efforts to understand its own carbon footprint, is based on more than two decades of work by UNH researchers, as well as learning and collaboration with other thought leaders including members of the Climate Leadership Network. It is a practical and effective research-based tool that helps an organization understand their total emissions levels (both carbon and nitrogen) and the drivers of those emissions, and then identify appropriate reduction pathways. We operate the SIMAP research platform for public benefit, and it is now used by hundreds of other universities and other organizations around the world. 

Building from SIMAP, UNH supports a community of practice of organizations and institutions who are taking action to decarbonize in various contexts: again, through participation in the Climate Leadership Network; through our Sustainability Fellowships program, in which every summer we train and support mutliple organizations and students in conduting greenhouse ags inventories and climate action plans: in our undergraduate Climate Action Clinic, in which we are likewise supporting organizational climate action while teaching and training emerging climate professionals; in our Carbon Footprinting Certificate program, which trains hundreds of professionals and emerging professionals annually; and our longstanding partnership with the New England Municipal Sustainablity Network.

UNH also provides vital support for sustainable food systems in and beyond New England--as the home of the NH Farm to School Program, the New Hampshire Food Alliance, and Food Solutions New England.

All of these community-engaged initatives are grounded in equitable, inclusive collaboration and community-building toward visions of more resilient, sustainable and just food systems. 

Recognizing that, in the words of UNH's senior Vice Provost for Student Life, Dr. Kenneth Holmes, "It is a fundamental human right to access resources necessary for survival and well-being," UNH has created or expanded multiple programs focused on meeting students' Basic Needs, over the past several years. This is in keeping with the priority of "Enhancing Student Success and Well Being" codified in The Future of UNH: Four Strategic Priorities--UNH"s highest guiding document. 

Students at UNH have needs that are both unique to them, and universal in scope: access to basic resources such as nutritious food, reliable shelter and more are on the forefront of the minds of those who interact with students every day — professors who teach classes, RAs and hall directors, dining staff, and more.

In 2019, UNH President James Dean initiated a Basic Needs Initiative Committee made up of dedicated faculty, staff and students to address basic needs concerns at the university. Through assessments, surveys and reports this committee was charged with looking at what UNH is doing, what else we could be doing and what we might need in order to implement or enhance any support.

Over the past four years, this committee has consolidated existing programs, created new programs and raised funds to support students’ basic needs. They also hired an AmeriCorps VISTA to support the creation of a new food pantry on campus and advocated for the hiring of a full-time staff member to support these important initiatives. The point of contact for basic needs programs became housed within the Dean of Students Office and in 2022, Patty Mathison was hired as the basic needs coordinator.

UNH's Basic Needs programs include the campus food pantry, Cat's Cupboard; an initative undertaken in partnership with community organization Gather to collect and repurpose leftover food from UNH's dining halls and catering services to feed those who are food insecure on and beyond UNH's campus; and a Swipe it Forward program that encourages students, staff and faculty to donate unused meal "swipes" in the dining halls; programs to provide housing, including during university breaks; a "Laptop Loaner" program--whcih partners with the Sustainability Institute on an annual e-waste collection drive to raise awareness of Basic Needs and Zero Waste efforts at UNH and to funnel resources for more laptop loaners; an Emergency Assistant Fund, and others.

For more photos see 2024 UNH STARS Photos.