Sustainability on Campus
On our campus, the University’s Office of Sustainability (OoS) is the hub for all things related to sustainability.
A simple yet powerful concept, sustainability ties together human happiness and well-being with the quality and health of environmental systems, incorporating such wide-ranging topics as biodiversity loss, climate change, social justice, and more.
Anyone on campus can become involved in WCU’s sustainability efforts by attending Sustainability Council meetings, which take place monthly during the academic year on the second Fridays from 1:30 to 3 p.m. both in person and via Zoom. This semester, those occur on the following dates: September 12 (Philips Lower Level Conference Room), October 10 (Philips Lower Level Conference Room), and November 14 (location TBD). Reach out to sustainability@wcupa.edu for the Zoom link.
Together, OoS and the Sustainability Council work to further West Chester University's commitments to environmental, economic, and social sustainability in teaching, scholarship, and operations. One way they bring awareness to issues is by hosting and organizing events, most of which are listed in the OoS Sustainability Bulletin, which you can subscribe to here.
This week, visit the Sustainability Showcase on Thursday, September 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Sykes Student Union Ballrooms to learn more, get involved, and enjoy games, food, and more. The Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy will host a gender-affirming pop-up closet with free clothes and resources.
OoS organizes weekly Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars on Wednesdays at noon each semester. Held both in person in Sykes 255 A/B and on Zoom, these programs feature experts from both WCU and the community who explore and apply principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability in their research and practice. Cookies and coffee are provided each week! The seminars are 50 minutes and are co-sponsored with the Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.
Programs are recorded and archived in the Francis Harvey Green Library’s Digital Commons site. The series is co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability along with the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs and the Sustainability Council’s Scholarly and Creative Activities Committee.
The first Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar is Wednesday, September 3, when Tim Ferris of Extract and Box will present on sustainability in beekeeping. Ferris is responsible for the spring 2025 installation of three beehives on South Campus at Glen Echo.
The list of Wednesday lunchtime programs is below.
In addition, bird walks take place every semester in the Gordon Natural Area on South Campus. The first this fall is on Saturday, September 6, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Enjoy an evening walk on Thursday, September 19 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and a morning walk on Friday, September 26, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Join the birding email list here.
For more information, visit wcupa.edu/sustainability or email sustainability@wcupa.edu.
Sustainability Research and Practice Seminars | Fall 2025
September 3
Tim Ferris (Head beekeeper at Extract and Box): Buzzing towards sustainability: Creating change in a traditional industry
September 10
Dr. Mark Yang (Management): Sustainable Supply Chains 2.0: Insights and lessons from my research and emerging trends (2011-2025)
September 17
Dr. Michael Malcolm (Economics & Finance): Armed conflict and household water sources: The case of Iraq
September 24
Dr. Jason A. Bartles (Languages & Cultures): A Valley to Harness: Climate Fiction in the Poconos
October 1
Dr. Michael Burns (English): Toward a “World Where Many Worlds Fit”: Thinking-Feeling Our Way into the Pluriverse
October 8
Dr. Daria Nikitina (Earth & Space Sciences): Impact of Changing Climate on Landscapes
October 15
Dr. Amy Lynch (Geography & Planning): Beyond a Critical Mass: Spatial Configuration and the Sustainability of Working Farms and Forests
October 22
Dr. Iliana Pagán-Teitelbaum (Languages & Cultures): Mulberry Tree. Intersections of Environmental Justice and Disability Justice. Note the alternative Zoom link for 10/22 only.
October 29
Dr. Tim Lutz (Earth & Space Sciences Emeritus): If sustainable living is our goal, complex-ability should be our game: Playing between simplicity and complexity
November 5
Lauren McGrath (Director of the Watershed Protection Program, Willistown Conservation Trust): The State of Our Streams: A land trust’s approach to monitoring the health of three headwater streams
November 12
Dr. Timothy Jussaume (Honors College): Sustainability as Global Citizenship: Creating High-impact Learning Experiences in the Honors College
November 19
Dr. Ginneh Akbar (Graduate Social Work): Environmental Justice as Social Work Practice: Stories, Systems, and Solutions
December 3
Dr. Patricia Davidson (Nutrition) and Dr. Michael A. Di Giovine (Anthropology): Culinary Acculturation and Perceptions of Sustainability Among International and Study Abroad Students