University of Oregon
EN-3: Student Life

University of Oregon has multiple student groups focused on diverse aspects of sustainability. We are justifiably proud of the depth and breadth of our students' interests, passion, and leadership. Student groups include:

Cimate Justice League: The mission of the Climate Justice League is to empower students to organize their communities and be leaders in the climate justice movement. By using targeted campaigns, we will work together toward a safe, just and sustainable future for all. https://uoregon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/climate-justice-league

LiveMove: The University of Oregon Transportation and Livability Student Group brings together undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to focus on the planning and design of transportation systems as they relate to community quality of life and livability. Recently, LiveMove has completed a project redesigning 13th Avenue with a two way cycletrack, which the City of Eugene is now considering implementing. https://uoregon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/livemove-university-of-oregon-transportation-and-livability-student-group

Net Impact: Net Impact's mission is to mobilize a new generation to use their careers to drive transformational change in their workplaces and the world. It has undergraduate and graduate student chapters. https://uoregon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/net-impact-undergraduate-chapter

Students for Global Health: SGH is a student group at the University of Oregon devoted to learning about and taking action against poverty-linked healthcare issues across the world. The group meets regularly to learn about these problems and raise money or develop action against them.https://uoregon.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/students-for-global-health

Oregon State Public Interest Research Group: OSPIRG was established by students to animate the university’s mission – to research problems that impact all Oregonians, educate the public and advocate for solutions. We do this by combining the energy of students with the expertise and continuity of a professional staff of advocates and organizers who work both on and off campus to advocate for the public. https://ospirgstudents.org/chapters/uo/

Greeks Go Green: The Greeks Go Green Program is a coalition of sustainability chairs within fraternities and sororities. They meet regularly to discuss service opportunities and waste management strategies for their houses and Greek life. https://emu.uoregon.edu/student-organizations

Envision Magazine

The Urban Farm, a program of the Landscape Architecture Department, has been in operation since 1976. It serves as an educational model for productive urban land use, where people can grow food, work together, take care of the land, and build community. The 1.5 acre farm is a place that integrates biological, ecological, economic, and social concerns. The farm’s goal is to teach students how to learn about nature through gardening. Classes are offered in spring, summer, and fall terms. Activities vary seasonally but are primarily hands-on with some lectures and field trips. Students learn about the importance of caring for the soil, various organic gardening practices, composting, permaculture, biodynamic agriculture, and agricultural land issues. Other departments take advantage of the Urban Farm: sociology and biology students use the area to study bee populations, while art students use the natural space as a place to draw. The food grown in the garden goes to students working in the garden, is donated to the local food bank, or sold to support the farm’s efforts. https://urbanfarm.uoregon.edu/

The Grove Community Garden is open to students to grow plants and connect with other people who are passionate about gardening. The Student Sustainability Center hosts a seed library that supports the Grove and other student gardening projects. https://emu.uoregon.edu/grovegarden

The Associated Students of University of Oregon (ASUO) is the student government. It collects fees totaling approximately $16 million annually and funds a range of student-run programs. These include a childcare facility, safe ride home program, cultural events center, bus-pass, and many more programs. http://catalog.uoregon.edu/studentservices/asuo/

The Oregon Consulting Group provides consulting services to non-profits, businesses, and governmental entities, allowing students the opportunity to use their academic skills in real-world contexts. While not overtly focused on sustainability, OCG frequently takes-on sustainability-related projects due to UO's expertise in the sustainable business practices as well as Oregon's culture of continues improvement around sustainability: https://business.uoregon.edu/ug/experiential/oregon-consulting-group

Envision Magazine was founded in November 2011 by five undergraduate students at the University of Oregon. Since then, it has become the fastest-growing publication on campus. Envision is fully student-run (funded by ASUO) and the only environmentally focused publication on campus. Envision strives to be a crucial part of the environmental conversation on campus, in Lane County and in the Pacific Northwest. Get experience with writing, publishing, design, and more. https://www.envisionuo.com/

The UO Student Sustainability Fund is grant funding awarded by students to fund student projects and initatives. It requires student submitters to prepare a proposal and financial budget for their work plan. The review commitee reviews the proposals to gauge sustainability metrics and the financial impact of the project. https://emu.uoregon.edu/student-organizations

The Holistic Options for Planet Earth Sustainability (HOPES) conference is an annual event, held every April by the Ecological Design Center, a student group at the University of Oregon. Inaugurated in 1994, the conference is an opportunity for students, faculty, community members, and visiting scholars to discuss the relationship between ecology and design, and how this connection can produce sustainable buildings. The conference usually consists of a combination of panels, keynote speakers, professional showcases and workshops. Past topics addressed during the conference include: environmental literacy, food sustainability issues, religion and the environment, product innovation, and sustainability in art. Over the past ten years, the conference has brought such luminaries as Shigeru Ban, Sim Van der Ryn, Samuel Mockbee, James Hubbel, Angela Danadijieva, Michael Pyatok, Steve Badanes, Richard Register, David Orr, John Schaeffer, Stephen Kellert, and Clare Cooper Marcus to the University of Oregon campus.


HOPES is but one example among the dozens, if not hundreds, of speakers and other engagement opportunities offered on campus each year that relate to some aspect of sustainability. Others can be viewed via the "sustainability" tag on the UO Events Calendar: https://calendar.uoregon.edu/search/events?search=sustainability

The Center for Environmental Futures, Climate Justice League, and the Student Sustainability Center have all held cultural arts events, installations, and performances focused on sustainability. For example, the Student Sustainability Center commissioned installation artist Thomas Jackson to install a hanging plastic exhibit in our student union. Jackson then worked with a group of students on a photography project drawing attention to single-use plastics.

In October 2019, UO hosted "How the Arts are Addressing the Climate Crisis - an evening of discussion and performance," further details here: https://calendar.uoregon.edu/event/how_the_arts_are_addressing_the_climate_crisis_-_an_evening_of_discussion_and_performance#.XkRO_WiQGUk

Again, these are only a few examples among the dozens, if not hundreds, of art events, installations, and performances that happen on the UO campus each year.

The Outdoor Pursuits Program offers a comprehensive selection of courses for academic credit, and is a component of the Department of Physical Education and Recreation. It offers exploration, adventure and expert instruction in a wide range of outdoor activities. OPP courses are fun, exciting, challenging, and are designed to help develop the skills and knowledge needed for safe, responsible participation in outdoor activities. Their gateway course, WILDERNESS SURVIVAL, must be taken prior to participating in their backcountry courses. https://opp.uoregon.edu/

The Environmental Leaders Academic Residential Community (ARC) is a living-learning community for first-year students who understand the importance of environmental sustainability and want to work proactively on solutions to the challenges of our time. The Environmental Leaders engage residents with student and community leaders so that they can explore sustainability and make steps towards a healthier planet.

Several UO First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs) focus on sustainability, environment, and/or social justice, providing a rich academic and community experience for first-year students: https://fyp.uoregon.edu/current-fig-options

The 2019-20 Common Reading selection was Helena María Viramontes’ novel 'Under the Feet of Jesus,' which facilitated a year-long, campus-wide engagement with environmental justice, food and agricultural sustainability, migrant experiences, and social justice. https://commonreading.uoregon.edu/

The Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement provides students with numerous opportunities for personal growth and leadership. HLC offers numerous co-curricular sustainability programs and initiatives including service learning, alternative breaks, and community volunteering. All of these options have sustainability themed opportunities. https://holden.uoregon.edu/

The Center for the Advancement for Sustainable Living (CASL) includes a model house for students to practice design and development of sustainable living solutions. The mission of CASL is to demonstrate ecologically and socially sustainable technologies and living practices in a residential setting, to provide hands-on experiential learning opportunities for the University of Oregon community, to collect and disseminate information about such technologies and practices, and to facilitate original research in this field. CASL is dedicated to challenging the notion that living lightly is difficult or burdensome. https://design.uoregon.edu/student-services/student-groups

The Student Sustainability Center employs nine Student Project Coordinators. The Student Project Coordinator position gives graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to lead sustainability projects on campus and in the community. These projects include surveying the water fountain infrastructure on campus, coordinating educational events, and conducting cost-benefit analysis for campus departments.

The UO Zero Waste Program employs 25-30 undergraduate students each year, and provides hands-on experiences for students through jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities and class projects. https://cpfm.uoregon.edu/zerowaste

The Office of Sustainability employs students in a variety of roles that provide students with sustainability-focused, transferable skills. These roles include trip leaders for the Environmental Leaders ARC orientation trips, interns, Score Home Energy Assessors, graphics design and coordination, and a paid team of Sustainability Ambassadors that provide outreach, education, and service to the university around sustainability. https://cpfm.uoregon.edu/Get-Involved-Sustainability

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