About Us
The SCC is a coalition of students, faculty, staff, and community members that promotes environmental sustainability on campus and in the area community. The organization started in 2001 with a focus on the green design of the UMF Education Center, which completed in 2006 with a LEED Silver Certification. The mission of the SCC has broadened considerably since that time to include public education, collaborations with community organizations, municipalities, and schools, assessment and mitigation planning associated with greenhouse gas emissions, improvement of recycling on campus, development of a campus organic garden and orchard, encouragement of local food and institutional composting, and reduction of automobile idling.
The SCC operates in a loose organizational fashion with a minimum of hierarchy, although it is coordinated by Drew Barton (Professor of Biology, Barton@maine.edu), Valerie Huebner (Executive Assistant to the President, Huebner@maine.edu), and Grace Eason (Associate Professor of Science Education, Geason@maine.edu). Most projects are student led, and a team of students play an equal role with faculty and staff in organizing the SCC’s activities. About 10 students are paid each year through work-study or internal work initiative funds, and many additional students volunteer in a variety of ways. About a dozen staff and faculty members actively volunteer their time in helping to run the SCC and lead and participate in projects.
The SCC has several goals in its pursuit of projects. First, we aim to reduce the environmental impact of the campus. Second, we seek to educate ourselves, the campus, and the community about environmental sustainability in order to encourage everyone to reduce their impact. Third, we wish to promote collaboration, camaraderie, and a bond among students, faculty, staff, and the community. Finally, we hope to have fun pursuing the first three goals.