Student Opportunities

CSE sponsors several events throughout the year that both support and promote sustainability initiatives on campus. Many are student-organized and are often collaborations between several groups. Some of these events are:

• Green Day – a celebration of sustainability in Albion where community groups/businesses, student organizations, classes, and students come together to share their work on sustainability projects and issues (fall/spring events).
• Community Day – a recent initiative to increase campus-community collaborations supported by numerous student and community organizations. Volunteers perform various community service projects to support the city (fall event).
• Thrift Fair – Students collect community and campus clothing donations throughout the year for a thrift fair during spring. Funds from this event contribute to the support of other sustainability initiatives on campus and in the community.
• Speakers – Professionals and Alumni are asked to give talks detailing their jobs, academic and career paths, and/or advice for students, typically with an environmental or sustainability focus (fall/spring events)
• Student Farm Harvests – CSE members perform weekly harvests at the student farm during harvest season to share produce with the community (fall events)
• Other Service Opportunities-  CSE members are recruited to engage in numerous service opportunities to address community and campus sustainability issues.

Student research in the Center for Sustainability and the Environment is supported by a campus-wide interest in integrating research into education. The College’s Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA) provides students with stipends for summer or semester work and funds for supplies, expenses, and travel to professional meetings.  Additionally, FURSCA works with faculty to develop research as a way of teaching. Modest research projects are becoming an integral part of courses at all levels on our campus. Our annual Elkin Isaacs Student Research Symposium celebrates student achievement, and many students also present their results off-campus at professional meetings.

Our well-equipped laboratories provide the opportunity to do state-of-the-art research in a variety of academic departments. These departments include:

• Art & Art History
• Anthropology & Sociology 
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth & Environment 
• English

More student research information

Sustainability and Energy Intern 

The Sustainability and Energy Intern is an entry-level position performing routine and ad hoc administrative tasks in support of Facilities Operations requirements under the supervision of departmental leadership. Some of the general duties of this position include;

• Effectively utilize required software applications
• Understand department processes and procedures
• Demonstrate analytical and problem-solving skills

Marketing and Communications Intern

The Sustainability Marketing and Communications Intern will collaborate with the Sustainability Council and Albion College Office of Communications to develop and maintain content for the sustainability program. The intern will ensure the web content is practical, up-to-date, and adheres to industry best practices, federally mandated accessibility standards, voice/tone, and Albion College brand guidelines. Some of the general duties of this position include;

• Create and maintain social media channels and web content for the Sustainability Program
• Attend and document environmental and sustainability events within the community.
• Assist with marketing merchandising (posters, flyers, promotional tables)
• Drive awareness around sustainability, recycling, and other environmental issues

Summer AmeriCorps Sustainability Intern

This position takes an interdisciplinary approach to working in various environmental sectors. The Sustainability Internship offers the opportunities to explore sustainability, environmentalism, and justice across Albion’s campus and the broader Albion community, as well as offsite trips to other colleges and universities. Some of the general duties of this position include;

• Support current CSE and campus sustainable projects
• Undertake research related to campus sustainability practices
• Generate reports regarding sustainability practices at other colleges and universities, including; SWOT analysis for implementation at Albion College
• Assist with Community Garden and campus Student Farm operations
• Promote CSE social media outreach and update website design/data
• Maintains databases, spreadsheets, and processes documents

Off-campus programs are available to all Albion College students who maintain a sufficient grade point average. Many of these programs provide opportunities for students in the Center for Sustainability and the Environment to broaden their experience in ways impossible off campus. Whether it be to study the marine, urban, or tropical environment firsthand; appreciate a different culture’s perspective on American policies; or take environmental courses at an International University, off-campus opportunities can be an invaluable experience. Follow the links below for a sampling of programs or for more information.

Environment-focused Off-Campus Programs

Brits Abroad Catalog

Center for International Education

The mission of the Albion College Student Farm is to cultivate a student-organized, all-natural, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing produce garden for the benefit of students, faculty, and members of the Albion community of all ages.

During the summer  CSE interns work at the farm, cultivating, planting, and harvesting produce.  During the school year, students from the CSE, the Whitehouse Nature Center, and other campus organizations can volunteer at the farm, growing sustainable produce for the campus and the wider Albion community.

Learn more about the Student Farm