The Student Association's First Director of Environmental Affairs
Stuart Nissenbaum is a senior Environmental Studies major with an emphasis in policy. He is currently Student Association's first Director of Environmental Affairs at Northern Illinois University. While having this position this semester, he has initiatied NIU's very first Green Week and has been going from department to department to help in the reduction of printing. He has also coupled this position with the Green Office Initiative in order to reach more people on campus. He believes the next student to take the position will have the basic groundwork laid for them and will have the tools to make a significant change. The next student will also have a full year to promote environmental changes on campus compared to Stuart's one semester.
The new SA administration has not yet been elected, therefore we do not know who will be the next Director of Environmental Affairs. The new SA administration ultimately will hire the directors as part of their cabinet and those applications will be available in a few weeks.
Even though Stuart is leaving us in May, he wants to ensure that whatever he does after graduation puts him in the best position to make a difference.
Green Office Initiative Updates
Stuart Nissenbaum also worked as the Director of the Green Office Initiative this semester. This position will be integrated with the Student Association's Director of Environmental Affairs role for next semester. The Green Office Initiative helps offices around campus become more green by little day-to-day tasks. Last semester, our Marketing Associate and students in an Environmental Management class worked to revamp the program.
With the work on this program from last semester and Stuart's work this semester, eleven offices have been certified at the bronze level, seven offices have been certified at the silver level, and 3 offices at the gold level. If you would like to see which specific offices have reached each level, follow this link:http://www.niu.edu/sustainability/outreach-advocacy/green-offices.shtml
Green Living Community
"The Green Living Community brings together students who are interested in learning more about the environment and sustainability outside of the classroom. Students from any major will benefit by increasing their environmental IQ and networking with environmental professionals from around the region.
The Green Living Community is more than just a place to learn about environmental practices; it offers an opportunity for students to take that knowledge and apply it to the greater community."
The Green Living Community is located in Grant D Tower Floor 8. Check out their website:http://www.niu.edu/housing/halls/llc/green/index.shtml for more information.
Green Garden Update
"We invite everyone and anyone, regardless of experience, to come on our work days Tuesdays and Thursdays every week from 4-6PM beginning April 26th. Volunteers can expect to get dirty, have fun, and leave with sense of gratification and even an arm load of fruits and veggies!
The gardens class started a t-shirt fundraiser to collect capital for a new shed to protect and store the garden’s tools. You can help the gardens and receive a hand-drawn designed t-shirt for only $12 by contacting us through email, Facebook, or at one of our events.
The Communiversity Gardens will be participating in NIU Cares Day April 16th to engage students on campus to prepare the beds followed by sowing and transplanting the plants for the upcoming growing season.
The garden serves as a hands-on educational experience for local K-12 schools and for departments at NIU such as Nutrition and Dietetics. Contact us if you or your organization has interest in a workshop in the gardens!"
Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy
The ESE Institute offers two undergraduate degrees in environmental studies: a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. These interdisciplinary programs feature classes and research led by NIU faculty from several different colleges. To further customize your course of study, you can draw from your personal, intellectual, and professional interests to choose from the following six areas of emphasis:
