Prairie Restoration student Ethan Pilarski watches a head fire at Sneed Prairie during the 2023 JanTerm class.

Center for Environmental Studies

Working with the Center for Environmental Studies, you will foster the transition to a just society that respects the needs of future generations, other species, and the ecosystems upon which all life depends.

Austin College is a Princeton Review Green College

Austin College's use of wind power greatly exceeds the EPA's requirement for the Green Power Partnership.

Austin College’s Sneed Prairie Restoration Project is the TCEQ's 2020 Texas Environmental Excellence Award winner in the Education category.

Austin College's greenhouse gas emissions have declined by more than 55% since 2008.

Austin College Thinking Green

The mission of Austin College Thinking Green is to facilitate attitudes, behaviors, policies, and technologies that promote environmental responsibility, reduce resource consumption, and minimize waste production.

Austin College Thinking Green serves as an umbrella for all campus greening initiatives, including our annual residence hall energy conservation competition, our annual GreenServe event, student-initiated greening proposals (more than two dozen of which have been adopted by the college), our involvement in the Second Nature Carbon Commitment, and all other efforts by staff, students, faculty, and contractors to "green" the campus.

Dr. Mari Elise Ewing, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of Thinking Green Campus Awareness (TGCA), works with a committee of students to identify, organize, and publicize greening activities that lend themselves to broad participation.

GreenServe

A campus-wide opportunity for service focused on environmental responsibility, sustainability, and raising awareness for Thinking Green.

Annual held in conjunction with Earth Day, our campus communities participate in more than 20+ projects across the Grayson County area.

AC Unplugged

An annual competition to reduce the electricity consumption in Baker Hall, Caruth Hall, Clyce Hall, Dean Hall, and the Hass Village on Grand below the baseline electricity consumption.

With this competition students can help lower the college’s impact on the environment and raise money for deserving non-profit organizations.

AC Recycling

Help keep our community green and sustainable

Austin College has partnered with Recyclops to offer recycling services to the campus community.

Student Sustainability Fund

Established in 2011, each student contributes $5 to the fund annually. Campus greening proposals may be submitted by any member of the campus community for consideration by the Student Sustainability Fund Committee.

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