Interdisciplinary Systems
At the UofA, sustainability academic programs are interdisciplinary both by nature and by design. Understanding sustainability requires a systems approach that recognizes implications for every aspect of human knowledge and experience. Because of this, our academic programs include elective courses from every undergraduate degree-granting college on the Fayetteville campus. This integrative approach fosters a nuanced perspective alongside leadership development. Our programs address four major thematic areas:
Natural Systems
Sustainability of Natural Systems emphasizes an understanding of systems science, material transfers, and mass balance as a way to conceptualize complex Earth processes. Additionally, Natural Systems introduces the importance of quantitative measures to document environmental change. The interconnectedness of Earth’s processes and systems are the focal points in Sustainability of Natural Systems.
Managed Systems
Sustainability of Managed Systems examines agriculture and business foundations for sustainability, including ethics, consumer preferences, law, and supply chain. Ultimately, the driving question behind Sustainability of Managed Systems is whether managed systems can be sustainable, how we should measure sustainability, and how individual choices impact the managed system.
Built Systems
Sustainability of Built Systems focuses on the effects that design and construction of buildings and infrastructure have on preservation of natural resources and environmental quality. Sustainability of Built Systems addresses the multiple factors which contribute to resilience in built systems, from energy and water consumption to indoor air quality.
Social Systems
Sustainability of Social Systems focuses on understanding the relationship between humans and their environment. This includes the connections between environmental and social issues and the relationship between social inequality and non-sustainability, particularly in regards to disadvantaged communities. Sustainability of Social Systems also examines pathways toward social change.
ECO Coalition
What is the ECO Coalition?
The ECO Coalition is a working group of campus leaders, whose purpose is to organize and promote student sustainability efforts at the University of Arkansas as well as connect sustainability focused RSOs to campus administration, the Office for Sustainability, and the Associated Student Government. The coalition serves to:
- Provide accessible education on diverse sustainability topics to members
- Foster a strong collaboration between sustainability-focused campus RSOs
- Create unified outreach strategies for greater campus and community impacts
- Promote strong and long-lasting RSO sustainability and leadership succession
Requirements:
- The ECO Coalition will meet once a month, in which all representatives are required to attend (either president, vice president, both, or an alternative ECO coalition representative)
- Each organization is required to co-host two events, which will be funded by the Office for Sustainability and Associated Student Government and the during the following time frames:
- Fall Semester: Beginning of the Year Sustainability Fair (September 22-26)
- Spring Semester: Earth Week (April 19-25)
- In addition to the required events for the Fall and Spring semester, each RSO is required to host one additional informational event and one volunteer/community engagement event for the academic school year
- Each RSO will have submitted a leadership transition plan by March 31st of every academic school year
- RSOs are expected to promote other Student Sustainability Coalition members’ events, as to reach the maximum number of students possible
Current Members:
Associated Student Government
ASG supports a number of campus programs and initiatives and strives for the betterment of the organization and the University of Arkansas as a whole. The Director of Environmental Affairs works as a liaison between ASG and the Office for Sustainability and advocates for on-campus and eco-friendly initiatives.
Environmental Soil and Water Science Club
The Environmental, Soil, and Water Science Club seeks to facilitate in connecting students and faculty to the environment. We lead volunteer efforts like trail cleanups and invasive species removals. We also host professional meetings, in which professionals in the environmental science field come and speak to students and form lasting connections. Our overall mission is to create an accessible avenue for students and faculty to create a positive impact on the environment.
Sustainable Fashion Club
Our purpose is to combine student’s love of fashion with the importance of sustainability and to make sustainable fashion more accessible.
Sierra Student Coalition
Sierra Club’s goal is to spread information and encourage student involvement in environmental issues our campus, local and global community are currently facing. This is a nonpartisan organization that welcomes members of all faiths, political beliefs and any other qualifier. As members of the Student Sierra Coalition, we believe that every human being has a right to a clean and healthy environment and is therefore obligated to protect and restore the environment and the organisms that depend upon it. The secondary purpose of this organization is to connect students to the environmental issues they care about and with other community members that are like-minded in their approach to serving our community and environment.
Zero Hour Arkansas
Zero Hour Arkansas is a youth and student-led social justice organization dedicated to intersectional climate justice. Our mission is to advocate for nature and society, highlighting marginalized groups by fostering discussions and action about climate issues and amplifying underrepresented voices. We organize to secure an equitable and livable future for young people and our community. We believe everyone must have access to essential resources, environment, and community.
Society of Sustainable Engineers
The Society of Sustainable Engineers is dedicated to educating its members and the community about sustainability, designing and implementing impactful projects, fostering individual initiative to create positive change on campus and Northwest Arkansas, and building collaborations across campus that pertains to sustainability.
Union Sustainability Team
The Arkansas Union’s Sustainability Team seeks to bring together academic sustainability, institutional sustainability, and the Northwest Arkansas sustainability private industry under one roof in common cause to help the University of Arkansas reach our sustainability goals of carbon neutrality and 90% waste diversion from the landfill by 2040. Our team of ten provides diversion volunteer opportunities in recycling and compostables along with our Spring/Fall planting events. Arkansas Union Sustainability also provides educational opportunities through our monthly Insight Forums and semesterly Green Career Series interviews. For more information, reach out to the team at unionst@uark.edu!
American Conservation Coalition
ACC’s mission is to build the conservative environmental movement. Our Vision: We envision a cleaner, more prosperous world that fosters collaboration in the pursuit of environmental conservation. The American Conservation Coalition (ACC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing young people around environmental action through common-sense, pro-innovation, and limited-government principles. ACC was founded in 2017 by a group of young conservatives who wanted to fill the ideological gap in the environmental movement that was preventing effective, durable action. We believe economic and environmental success go hand-in-hand and that everyone should feel empowered to take a seat at the table in discussions concerning conservation, clean energy, sportsmen’s rights, agriculture, climate, and more. ACC empowers young people who are tired of partisan inaction and equips them to build a better, more effective environmental movement for all Americans.