Your experience at JMU can prepare you with the knowledge and skills
needed to contribute to a sustainable future.
Academics
Select courses that will develop your environmental stewardship knowledge and reasoning skills. Opportunities to learn about the environment and sustainability in courses are not limited to students in environmental programs.
Plan your path now so that you graduate prepared to contribute to a sustainable future. Chart your path
- Enroll in a General Education course about the environment. And delve deeper by taking other environment and sustainability courses offered by many academic units at JMU.
- Explore JMU’s environment-related minors and concentrations.
- Find study abroad opportunities focused on the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, economic and social.
many opportunities for students
to develop awareness, knowledge, and understanding of environmental concepts.
Engagement
Choose to engage with environmental stewardship outside the classroom to create a healthier planet.
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Take part in an environment-focused Alternative Break.
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Participate in James Madison Center for Civic Engagement programs that address impactful ways individuals can contribute to addressing environmental problems.
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Register for the University Recreation Center's (UREC) demonstration cooking classes that support a more sustainable lifestyle, such as “Vegan Around the World” and “Easy Plant-Based Cooking.” Also, UREC’s Adventure Program offers trips that teach and follow “Leave No Trace” principles while hiking, kayaking, skiing, canoeing and more.
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Tour selected campus sites that demonstrate environmental sustainability and support learning and applied research. Sustainability features at our tour locations include a green roof, green buildings, rain gardens, pollinator habitats, a naturalized landscape, and more. Environmental Stewardship Tour
Research
Pursue sustainability-related undergraduate research opportunities. Nearly 300 JMU faculty members from many disciplines conduct research that supports social well-being, economic prosperity and/or ecological health. The ISNW offers competitive funding for students presenting at conferences related to environment and sustainability.
Student Life
Contribute to a campus culture of sustainability.
- Ride the bus, walk, or bike! JMU contracts with the Harrisonburg Department of Public Transit to provide fare-free bus service to and from and around campus. We are also recognized as a bicycle-friendly campus.
- Join one of many JMU student organizations that have an environment focus.
- Make everyday choices, such as eating sustainably and reducing food waste. Dining Services offers sustainable menu options such as vegetarian, vegan, plant-forward, and low-carbon.
