The mission of UNCG’s Office of Sustainability is to encourage and support the development and implementation of sustainable practices in administrative units of the university and create a meaningful link between academics and operations that supports use of the campus as a teaching laboratory.
Sean MacInnes, Sustainability Specialist
Sean joined UNCG in the Fall of 2018 from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN, where he wore many hats, from serving as the administrative assistant for the Rosa Deal School of Arts, to teaching English composition as an adjunct professor, to interim positions as the director of the writing center and as the coordinator for CBU’s online learning management system. He also chaired CBU’s sustainability committee for seven years, managed the campus community garden, and advised student environmental clubs. He was also a member of the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee, and served as the chair of the Alternate Transportation and Fuels Working Group for the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consortium.
The Sustainability Council was formed in 2010 and consists of UNCG faculty, staff, and students. The Council works to identify and recommend responsible and sustainable practices in all aspects of institutional culture including operational activities, academic programs, and community relationships.
The program, which consists of one Academic Sustainability Coordinator (ASC) and two Faculty Fellows annually, promotes collaboration among scholarly disciplines in order to encourage the integration of sustainability in research and teaching across the campus. Fellows work on clearly specified projects that may include but are not limited to co- or extra-curricular campus programs, curriculum activities (including team-taught and individual courses), and innovative research projects or collaborations. The mission of the Academic Sustainability Coordinator is to lead the development of sustainability in the academic trust by increasing the quantity and improving the quality of sustainability outreach, teaching, and research activities at UNCG. This program is on indefinite hiatus until funding can be secured.
Student groups play a vital role in the promotion of sustainability on campus and in the community. From community gardening, fighting food waste, eating vegan, to adopting streams and streets, there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved and provide service to our campus and city communities. See a list of all the clubs on campus and the events they’re sponsoring via Spartan Connect.
UNCG’s Audubon Birding & Conservationists is a group of students in the Triad area who are interested in learning more about birds and the places they live. We want to provide students with the gear, training, and hands-on opportunities to build long-lasting beautiful habitats to support wildlife in the Greensboro community. Join our group if you are interested in conserving plants & wildlife or keeping our green spaces on campus clean for students and community members to enjoy.
The Biology Club promotes the enjoyment of the biological sciences through community service, events, and discussions. It is open to anyone who is interested in biological sciences and not limited to Biology majors. Our organization is known for multiple community service events. Our major events of the year include: Adopt-A-Stream, Greensboro’s Big Sweep, Science Olympiad, Toys for Tots, Biology Department Seminars, as well as many other social and community service projects.
This club is for students who share an interest, love, and passion for anything Biology/Ecology related. We are in hopes to become members of the Ecological Society of America’s SEEDS program, our mission is to help diversify and advance the ecology profession through opportunities for UNCG students that stimulate and nurture their interest in participation and leadership in ecology.
Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a national non-profit that unites students on college campuses to fight waste and feed people by recovering excess food and donating it to local people in need. Founded in 2011, FRN has grown to include chapters at over 230 colleges and universities in 30 states. Together, these chapters have recovered over 2 million pounds of food to date. Each chapter works with on-campus dining halls and other, off-campus outlets to divert food from the landfill to community members in need while simultaneously raising awareness about food waste and hunger in America. The FRN at UNCG, with the support of Dining Services, donates leftover food from Fountain View Dining Hall to the Salvation Army shelter in Greensboro.
A service learning student organization focused on sustainable and organic gardening on and off campus. The Garden Club aims to educate the UNCG community about the principles of sustainable food production, to build healthy and interactive urban communities through the collective production of locally grown organic food, and to support the role of student action for a healthier world.
UNCGreen believes that a harmonious relationship between humanity and the environment is essential for the well-being of present and future generations as well as of other species. In collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, members of UNCGreen serve as Eco Reps and work to further the mission of the club, which is to educate and spread awareness about sustainability issues, to promote lasting, positive change through both policy and direct action, and to serve in an effort to create and maintain an ecological society, on campus and in our community.