University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
EN-3: Student Life

Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) & Change the Climate Campaign (CCC) SEAC is dedicated to working towards social and environmental justice through passive and active education to the campus and community. We believe that everyone acting locally will have a positive sustainable impact in a global perspective. Small Steps, no footprints. Change the Climate Campaign is one sector of SEAC that focuses solely on the climate crisis. CCC has been working towards a divestment campaign with all aspects of the university. UWO Community Gardens If you are interested in gardening, pollinators, food security, and/or a more sustainable lifestyle we would love to have you join us at the Gardens! You don't have to be a master gardener. In fact most of us are novices. We are learning together and helping each other out. Even if you don't live in Oshkosh over the summer we have plenty of activities you may be interested in over the course of the fall and spring semesters. Wildlife Conservation Club The Wildlife Conservation Club aims to educate its members on Wisconsin's native wildlife by collaborating with organizations like Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, to implement hands-on experience to those interested in wildlife management. UWO Cycling Club This club is all about bikes, whether your just getting into biking or an advanced rider we're the club for you. We will do weekly rides, team events & learn about bike safety.

The Third Avenue Gardens area includes an area set aside for individual student garden plots. One of the main rules is no chemical use. The Community Gardens Club organizes the student gardeners to distributes plots, maintain the site and report issues to Facilities Management (e.g. pest control). The university provides materials for mulching to control weeds. The gardens are 100% maintained and operated by the Gardens Club.

The Green Fund is a student-run committee funded through students’ segregated fees (appx $3/student/semester) for student projects for sustainable initiatives. Last year the the bicycle FixIt stations by Reeve and the Rec Center were part of the first project approved by the Green Fund to increase cycling on campus. This year there is $60,000 available to students for projects that promote sustainability on campus. Projects can be anything related to sustainability from social justice & climate change to landscaping & food movements, or even business related projects.

This is student money, for use by students, for students. However, the foundations of the Green Fund should recognize that student action plays a role in a much larger picture that can have a lasting impact on the greater community and should not ignore the relationship with it. What is a Green Initiative? A green initiative is a proposal that uses the Green Fund mechanism to get ideas from students that further benefit UW Oshkosh’s existing sustainability plan, as well as expands the scope, vision, and depth of the plan to further create a fair, just, and sound future for those who learn here. A green initiative, as it pertains to University of Oshkosh’s Green Fund, should focus on creating sustainability learning opportunities and a permanent culture that is ecologically, economically, and socially viable. Proposals that advance a legacy, a sense of place on campus, innovation, and efforts to create a culture of involved and participatory citizens should be encouraged.

Each Semester has a week-long event week: the Earth Charter Community Summit in October, Earth Week, and Social Justice Week in April. The Sustainability Office provides at least one day of programming specific to campus issues like alternative transportation, landscaping, green building, alternative energy, waste management. Panel discussions have included updates on campus sustainability plans and coordination with city and school district sustainability plans. The Sustainability Office has also been a financial supporter of promotional materials and for events that bring new perspectives to campus sustainability, such as the Building a Stronger Community contest.

The Gail Floether Steinhilber Art Gallery is committed to the enrichment of cultural life on campus, in the community and throughout the Fox Valley. The gallery exists primarily to serve UW Oshkosh students and present work that is intriguing, inspiring, thought provoking, and at times socially challenging, yet always in keeping with the university's institutional excellence. Works by local, regional and nationally recognized artists, as well as by the university's students, faculty and staff are exhibited in the gallery.

The Xpeditions office, of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center, organizes outdoor recreation opportunities for students. They provide training and equipment. Trips vary by season and include biking, hiking, camping, kayaking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Activities in natural areas follow Leave No Trace Principles.

Through the new USP students are learning sustainability as one of the three essential questions and learning outcomes of the University. The USP courses are designed around the three themes of sustainability, intercultural knowledge, and civic learning. For more information go to point AC-2.

The community advisers in every residence hall are trained in sustainability to offer advise and training to students living practices. Programs are created each semester to focus on conservation of resources.

The Sustainability office offers six different STEP intern positions focused on different aspects of sustainability on campus. Intern positions are also available at the Environmental Research and and Innovation Center (ERIC). Students are able to gain experience working both in and out of the lab doing water quality testing, biogas potential, and custom research. The Renewable Energy Institute (REI) which helps promote sustainability and connect people on campus has a STEP internship position focused on promotion across the campus and Oshkosh community.