Brian Webb to speak on panel at United Nations Climate Change Conference
Brian Webb, The College of Wooster’s director of campus sustainability, will be a panelist at COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties of the […]
At Wooster, we understand the challenges that face our planet in the coming years. Our students, faculty, and staff are dedicated to improving the sustainability of campus and educating a generation to prepare for the impacts of climate change. In every area, from our research and our student organizations to our campus facilities and services, learn how Wooster is becoming greener than ever.
Academics at Wooster offer many courses related to sustainability, in a variety of disciplines.
There is a vibrant community for sustainability-minded individuals at Wooster, both on campus and in the surrounding town.
Our Committee for a Sustainable Campus brings together students, faculty, and staff to support sustainability on campus, and several student organizations provide lots of opportunities for going green!
Wooster is dedicated to providing opportunities related to sustainability in the classroom. Our Environmental Studies department provides students with the opportunity to choose one of our four Environmental Studies major tracks, or a minor that explores sustainability through an interdisciplinary lens and requires classes in many departments. Each year, three I.S. students receive the Melissa Schultz I.S. Research Prize in Sustainability and the Environment for exceptional research in those areas.
Search the I.S. Database
Additionally, many students across the disciplines choose to focus their Independent Study on issues related to the environment and Sustainability. Explore the I.S. Database with keywords like “environment” and “sustainable” to see more of what Wooster students have accomplished in their own research.
You can search the I.S. Database by any of the following criteria: student last name, year of completion, I.S. title, major, advisor last name. Results are sorted by student last name.
Tartan Traders provides Wooster students and members of the community with a Wooster-specific buy/sell/trade site.
Recycling on campus is easy with this how-to guide! Take a peek even if you know how to recycle at home—every city is different!
Walk down to the local Wooster Farmer’s Market on a Saturday morning, or head to Local Roots Co-op for all kinds of local produce, baked goods, and handicrafts.
If you prefer some time outside of downtown and in the great outdoors, check out one of the great parks in Wooster, or in Wayne County. The Wayne County Rails to Trails organization also develops trails on unused railroads in the county!
Check out the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network and learn how the organization is working towards making the county a more sustainable area.
We want students to not only learn about sustainability in their academic studies, but see it in action every day. Take a look at how our dining services, campus grounds, and facilities are all becoming more green!
Campus Dining and Conference Services has implemented the following to become more fiscally and socially responsible and operate in a more environmentally sustainable manner. We are reducing the use of disposable items and their environmental impact:
We are increasing our use of local foods:
We attempt to minimize our energy use and minimize our landfill impact:
The Campus Grounds crew has implemented a number of environmentally sound practices in their efforts to keep the College of Wooster campus in beautiful condition, including:
To highlight the importance of environmental sustainability on campus, Beau Mastrine of the campus grounds crew evaluated and described the importance of trees on The College of Wooster campus.
Our Facilities team works hard to improve the energy efficiency of our campus, decrease our carbon footprint, and lower our energy costs as well!
Scot Center Rooftop
Scot Center, our LEED Gold certified athletic center, is home to a 20,0000 square foot rooftop solar array that provides energy daily to the college. Check out the energy production here, in real time! All new constructions are always designed with LEED tandards in mind.
The College of Wooster also uses energy produced from a steam turbine on campus, and has shifted from the use of coal to natural gas. A STARS report was conducted in 2013, granting the college Silver status.