University of Richmond
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Sophomore Scholar in Residence Program: Sophomore Scholar in Residence (SSIR) Programs nearly always include at least one sustainability-focused opportunity. The SSIR program combines a traditional academic course with co-curricular learning activities throughout a student's entire sophomore year. Each community consists of a one-unit course in the fall semester and a half-unit group project in the spring semester, with various co-curricular experiences that enhance learning. Throughout the year, students are working on both individual and group capstone projects that they present to the University community each spring. SSIR students live together as a cohort in co-ed residence halls with other SSIR students of all communities, creating a unique academic community within the residence halls, so that students have opportunities to interact with students of differing communities, while having a shared experience. The communities are small, with only sixteen students participating per community, allowing for great discussions and strong group-bonding and friendships to be made.

Sustainability-Focused SSIR Courses:

Amazonia Connected (Sophomore Scholar in Residence Program). Inside the Classroom: Students will study Amazonian history, biology, and politics are intertwined with one another. A large focus on geographic concepts will help to emphasize how important the Amazon’s ecology is to the rest of the world. Outside the Classroom: Students will embark on camping trips in their local Virginia area, explore the James River by canoe, and over Spring Break, will culminate in a trip to Amazon Rainforest. This portion of the classroom will emphasize cultural aspects and connections, as well as remind the students to reflect on their travel experiences and the similarities between Richmond and the Amazon.

Toxic Communities: Investigating Environmental Justice in the U.S. (Sophomore Scholar in Residence Program). Inside the Classroom: History of the environmental justice movement in the United States, including a review actual cases of environmental racism in the United States. Students examine the social and political factors that contribute to populations being disproportionately impacted by environmental pollutants. We investigate the negative impacts of lead exposure, persistent organic pollutants and particulate matter (primary component of air pollution) on human health. This course provides an overview of the field, discusses the general mechanisms of action of classical toxicants and environmental pollutants, explains how toxic chemicals interfere with essential biological processes and biological systems, and helps students understand how toxicants, or poisons, impact cells and living organisms as a whole. Outside the Classroom: Students apply concepts learned in the classroom to real-life experiences through experiential learning opportunities. We meet with experts in the fields of air and water quality, tour to a local water treatment plant, and visit the EPA Human Studies Facility to learn how government agencies are working to protect citizens from the dangers of environmental pollutants. We also travel to the Richmond City Health Department to learn more about their Lead Safe Richmond Program and meet with various members of the Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative. Trip possibilities for this course include Puerto Rico or New Orleans. Travel to Puerto Rico includes learning about ongoing efforts related to environmental justice, as Hurricanes Irma and Maria (2017) have greatly contributed to the longstanding and widespread environmental contamination in Puerto Rico. Travel to Louisiana's Cancer Alley in Louisiana, a region along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that contains numerous industrial facilities, will focus on clusters of cancer cases in this region.

Endeavor Program: The Richmond Endeavor is the University of Richmond's premiere living-learning experience for first-year students. It is designed for students to create meaningful bonds and friendships with their fellow classmates, develop a relationship with a faculty member during their first year at Richmond, and connect their interests both inside and outside of the classroom. The program includes dedicated academic advising by a faculty mentor, participation in the popular Roadmap to Success pre-orientation program, opportunity to connect with and get advice from a dedicated peer-advisor, enrollment in linked courses in the fall and spring semester led by the same faculty mentor who is also your academic advisor, and cohousing as a cohort in Lora Robins Court residence hall, one of the largest residence halls for first-year students.

Sustainability-focused Endeavor Courses: What's Hot in the City: The Earth is changing in unprecedented ways. This course introduces the characteristics and interrelationships of the Earth's climates, landforms, soils, and natural vegetation, with special emphasis on human relationships with their environment. The subject matter is particularly relevant to current social and scientific interest in global climate change and the spatial inequalities in environmental pollution and resources that benefit some communities and disadvantage others. The material is global in scale, though we will illustrate many of the concepts using local examples from campus and the city of Richmond. Short Course Description: URiver. Welcome to Richmond, the River City. Did you know that the James River is less than a half-mile from campus? Or that you can walk to the City’s popular James River Park in thirty minutes? This course will explore the connections between UR and the James. It will illustrate how campus is used as a living laboratory in many UR classes. We will physically follow the path of water onto campus, into the lake, under the Commons, into brand new campus Eco-corridor, and eventually out to the James River. We will then set-up a network of time-lapse cameras along this pathway to investigate the different types of movement (people, animals, and material) that make this transit in a 24-hr period. Following the short course, students continue to study together for the next two semesters. Fall - GEOG 250: Planet Earth: Wind, Water, Fire. Basic concepts of earth systems science and physical geography. Topics include: introduction to mapping, GIS and remote sensing; weather and climate; drought, floods, and environmental hydrology; earthquakes, volcanos, landforms and geomorphology; and the interactions of all of the above with humans and the earth’s biota. Climate change and the spatial inequalities in environmental pollution and resources are emphasized. Spring - IDST 190: What’s Hot in the City Seminar. How can society create and sustain thriving, equitable environments in modern cities? Students will hear firsthand from local environmental leaders and learn about recent environmental initiatives in Richmond like RVAH2O and RVAgreen 2050, the City’s ongoing effort to create an equity-centered climate action plan. Students will contribute to these initiatives by gathering new data to map distributions of temperature, air pollution, and water quality in the City as group projects.

Exploring the Cultural Landscape: In the short course, students use a participatory mapping exercise to discuss the cultural landscapes of their hometowns. Then, we will take a field trip to one of Richmond’s immigrant neighborhoods to read the cultural landscape and reflect on difference, resiliency, and place-making in a globalized world. Following the short course, students continue on with GEOG 210/GS 210: Geographic Dimensions of Global Development where they learn geographic concepts to facilitate interpretations of our relationship with the world and each other. Place, space, scale, landscape, distance, accessibility, networks, and human-environment interaction are just a few fundamental aspects of human geography investigated. The course engages global development from a sustainability perspective and utilize geographic tools and concepts to envision a sustainable future across the globe. 

EnCompass: EnCompass offers a dynamic array of courses designed to engage students in immersive learning experiences that explore the intersections of sustainability, social justice, and global perspectives. Costa Rica-Sustainability, Social Justice, and Sport: This course provides student-athletes with a unique opportunity to delve into the transformative potential of sport in promoting sustainability and social justice. By examining initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental impact of sporting events, students explore how sports can serve as a platform for advocacy and raising awareness. Immersed in the Afro-Costa Rican community, students connect with local indigenous populations to understand the complexities of inequality and marginalization. Through encounters with traditional sustainable practices, students gain insights into the symbiotic relationship between environment, community, and cultural heritage, fostering a deeper appreciation for sustainability principles. 

Richmond to Richmond-Conserving Natural Resources: From Richmond, England, to Richmond, Virginia, this course explores how communities come together to protect their natural heritage. Through comparative analysis of conservation efforts in different countries and cultures, students gain insights into the strategies employed by the conservation community to raise awareness and secure financial resources for environmental preservation. 

South Africa-Environmental Racism: This course delves into the parallels between environmental justice challenges faced by communities in post-Apartheid South Africa and those in formerly redlined cities in the US, including Richmond, VA. Through critical examination and comparative analysis, students explore the intersections of race, pollution, and environmental justice, deepening their understanding of systemic inequities and the imperative for inclusive and sustainable solutions. These courses within EnCompass empower students to critically engage with pressing global issues, fostering interdisciplinary perspectives and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to effect positive change in a rapidly changing world. 

Study Abroad: Many opportunities for meaningful engagement in sustainability are available to students through the University of Richmond Study Abroad program. The International Education of Students (IES) program in Freiburg, southwest Germany offers a program titled “Environmental Studies and Sustainability.” Also, the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) in Copenhagen, Denmark, offers a multitude of hands-on sustainability options. Additionally, the School for International Training (SIT), the School for Field Studies, and the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) provide field experiences in locations such as Australia, Madagascar, and the Caribbean. Starting in Fall 2023, the University piloted a Green Spiders Abroad program, where students focused on learning about sustainability and the environment in their respective countries. Students were encouraged to report back to the school with what they had learned and implement these teachings on campus.  Continuing into 2024, the University offers a Green Spiders Abroad program to encourage student study abroad opportunities that relate to sustainability. 

SEEDS

SEEDS is a student-run organization that focuses on engaging students in meaningful and sustainable service projects as well as dialogue centered around the social justice and environmental issues in specific communities. SEEDS offer three alternative spring break trips each year to the Gulf Region of Louisiana, the Appalachian Region of West Virginia, and the Detroit area of Michigan to learn about environmental and social issues in those areas and complete service projects.

A and S Next

A and S Next is a professional development program in the School of Arts and Sciences that engages students in a weekend long immersive educational experience in the City of Richmond where students become experts and leaders in a topical area of their choosing.  Each year, topics related to public health, climate change, environmental justice, community planning, and urban sustainability are included as part of the program.

These immersive experiences vary in length from a weekend, a full week, multiple weeks, in addition to some taking place for a whole semester or multiple semester.  

What's Hot in the City: https://livinglearning.richmond.edu/endeavor/city.html

Toxic Communities: https://livinglearning.richmond.edu/ssir/toxic/index.html

Paradox of the Cultivated Wild: https://livinglearning.richmond.edu/ssir/cultivated-wild/index.html#:~:text=The%20Paradox%20of%20the%20Cultivated,for%20public%20use%20and%20enjoyment.

SSIR Overview: https://livinglearning.richmond.edu/ssir/index.html

Richmmond Endeavor Overview: https://livinglearning.richmond.edu/endeavor/index.html

SEEDS: https://sustainability.richmond.edu/involved/students/groups.html

A and S Next: https://as.richmond.edu/next/