Sustainability Resources and Guides
Every individual in the UTRGV community can make small changes to their habits to save the environment, maintain balanced mental and physical health, and contribute to a safe, just, and sustainable university. The guides below will guide you on how you can contribute and help UTRGV uphold its commitment to sustainability whether you are a student, staff, or faculty. You can click one of the three boxes below to be directed to a page with guides specific for your classification or you can view all of our guides down below. As always, we strive to make sustainable choices, and we are glad that you are choosing to as well.
Sustainability Related Clubs and Organizations
We all have an individual choice to make every day on whether or not we are going to participate in efforts to save our planet and communities. No matter your relationship with UTRGV, we hope you’ll join us in learning about sustainable development, putting ideas into action, and spreading the word about sustainable solutions to our changing world. There are several clubs and organizations at UTRGV that seek to develop a more sustainable atmosphere on campus and in our community.
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Sustainability Guides for Students
Students, you have a unique opportunity to both advance your education in sustainable development and gain training and habits to empower you in your private and professional lives. The guides offered below were created to inform and guide the future generation of sustainable development leaders. The sustainable dorms/apartments guide has tips for you in the areas of Education, Reusing, Reducing, Recycling, Shopping, Utilities, Transportation, Health and Safety, and Connection.
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Sustainability Guides for Staff
Sustainable habits don't have to end at home! As UTRGV staff, you can contribute to the mission of the university by conducting your work in a way that is as sustainable as possible, both as a conservation measure and serve as a model for student employees. Below are some guides we have developed to help, as well as links to other training opportunities. Check out how you can develop sustainable habits for the office and also plan events sustainably.
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Sustainability Guides for Faculty
Faculty at UTRGV have the opportunity to introduce students to sustainable development concepts within their respective fields. Lecturers, professors, and teaching assistants can set the tone of sustainability for the classroom that will leave a lasting impression on students and help UTRGV become a sustainable campus. Check out how you can have a sustainable classroom, a sustainable office, and plan events sustainably.
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Sustainability Maps
The UTRGV Sustainability map is an interactive tool that essentially helps our Vaquero community discover current sustainability projects and initiatives that are occurring on campus. This feature allows fellow community members to seek ongoing projects, as well as identify the departments that support sustainability across the University, the Rio Grande Valley, and around the world.
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Library Campus Sustainability Hub
The UTRGV library offers an online database specifically for sustainability-related articles, books, and journals. The Library Campus Sustainability HUB (LCS-HUB) offers a variety of resources for educators and scholars to dive into all the sustainability-related content they need for research and findings.
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Reports
The Office for Sustainability actively creates yearly reports for each of our sustainability initiatives for each respective fiscal year. Our reports are offered in a visual pdf form that contains in-depth information regarding any significant updates done on campus grounds and illustrates in detail the progress of our projects and campus initiatives. Feel free to browse our archived reports listed below:
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Connect with OFS
The Office for Sustainability is proud to showcase our in-house content, such as our Sustainability Adelante podcast and Tik-Tok series, YouTube webinars, and all other related UTRGV-sustainability events and information. To be kept up-to-date with all information, content updates and events be sure to follow our socials:
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Live Sustainably: Sustainable Dorms and Apartments Guide
Having the best dorm life experience begins with the small things. And when it comes to sustainability, it’s all about the small things. What is a “sustainable” university anyway? Sustainability means a long-term quality of life. We want the best quality of life for you, your fellow students, the university as a whole, and our community. And to get there, we have to start with the details. Read the rest and View the Sustainable Dorms Guide here or by clicking the icon.
Celebrate Sustainably: Guide for Event Organizers
As the event’s organizer, you are in the unique position to consider purchasing, waste, and more. You can make sure your event makes only positive impacts! Read the rest and View the Celebrate Sustainably Guide here or by clicking the icon.
Connect Sustainably: Guide for Computer Lab Users
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) will competitively award fellowships to outstanding undergraduate students to engage in projects addressing sustainability and community resilience on campus and in the Rio Grande Valley under the mentorship of a faculty member and coordinated by UTRGV’s Office for Sustainability. Read the rest and View the Sustainable Computer Lab Guide here or by clicking the icon.
Study Sustainably: Guide for Classrooms
Every UTRGV classroom can be a sustainable classroom by making better choices, learning about sustainability in your field of study, and infusing sustainability concepts into your curriculums. Read the rest and View the Sustainable Classrooms Guide here or by clicking the icon.
Work Sustainably: Guide for Offices
Every department and office at UTRGV is either directly working towards a U.N. Sustainable Development goal, or indirectly contributing to students’ success by putting goals like Responsible Consumption and Strong Institutions into practice. Help UTRGV uphold its commitment to sustainability! Read the rest and View the Sustainable Offices Guide here or by clicking the icon
Experiment Sustainably: Guide for Science Lab Users
Laboratories provide hands-on experiences that are a vital part of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education. Like UTRGV’s sustainable classrooms and offices, the labs’ operations should reflect the UT System’s commitment to sustainable development. Read the rest and View the Sustainable Science Lab Guide here or by clicking the icon.
