Campus sustainability is a team effort. The Office of Sustainability is just one of many groups doing the hard work around campus. If you’re interested in getting involved but don’t know how, these committees and student organizations are a great place to start!
For more information on environmentally focused students groups on campus, visit VoLink, and look up organizations in the “Environmental” category.
Committees
The mission of the Committee on the Campus Environment is to promote environmental sustainability at UT, including but not limited to promoting reductions in the University’s carbon emissions, other pollutants, waste, and the consumption of resources.
Contact sustainability@utk.edu for more information.
The Student Environmental Initiatives Committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss the most productive uses of Green Fee resources for both recurrent and one-time projects. Green Fee meetings are open to everyone.
For queries about the committee and its meetings, contact sustainability@utk.edu for more information, or visit the Green Fee page.
The mission of the Bicycle Advisory Committee is to increase cycling infrastructure and accessibility at UTK. This is done through work with the League of American Bicyclists, a national organization that works with universities to promote and provide a more bikeable campus for students, staff, and faculty.
Contact awhitak8@utk.edu for more information.
Student Organizations
The club is for sustainable clothing. The reason we are starting this club is because we have been collecting and selling vintage clothing at markets in Knoxville to help people shop for affordable sustainable clothing and help keep some clothes out of the landfills. While doing these markets we have seen that many students from UT like the idea of sustainable clothing and always ask us how they can find the same items around the city on their own. In the club we would teach them where we find our favorite items, why using sustainable clothing is good for the Earth, and how to start doing their own markets by doing pop up markets in between classes on campus and letting them work with us.
Climbing Club meets at the VolWall located in HPER room 202-b on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-10pm! We go on outdoor bouldering and top rope trips, as well as camping! Come on out and get psyched and ready to crush! (newcomers are encouraged to try out a few of the meetings to get a feel for how Climbing Club works. We ask you to try no more than 3 meetings before making your decision)
The Caving Club was founded out of a love for the recreational sport of caving and a strong belief in caves as a valuable natural resource deserving of appreciation and protection. We live with worlds under our feet. This club is here to explore them safely and respectfully, with the goal of creating and supporting confident and enthusiastic cavers. If you are interested in outdoor recreation, climbing, geology, paleontology, ecology (pretty much any -ology), or just want to learn a new skill, we can’t wait to meet you and hope that you check us out!
The Canoe & Hiking club is a member-driven club, composed of diverse, open-minded individuals who share a common love of the outdoors. We organize and lead group trips for club members, provide an open forum for members to plan their own outings, and provide access to gear. Our trips include, but are not limited to: backpacking, canoeing, caving, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, rafting, & skiing/snowboarding.
The mission of Smokey’s Cleanup Crew is to create an inclusive environment for all students of UTK interested in getting involved and giving back to the community. Smokey’s Cleanup Crew provides an opportunity for members to take part in the beautification of the UTK campus and the surrounding Knoxville areas while completing community service hours if needed or desired.
Our goal is to help keep a litter free campus and encourage community beautification by building relations with the people of Knoxville and surrounding areas. Also, Smokey’s Cleanup Crew strives to increase the number of students who will receive a service medallion upon graduation. Our core values include Service, Inclusion, and Community.
The Plant Sciences Club is a great way to meet other plant enthusiasts at UTK and get connected to the Knoxville plant community! We welcome all people interested in the beauty and utility of plants, being a plant science major is not required. As a club, we meet in the South Greenhouse for meetings to learn about a plant topic from a speaker and complete a related hands-on activity! We also visit green spaces at UTK like the UT Gardens and Hesler Greenhouse.
Not seeing your organization listed? Email us at sustainability@utk.edu to get your group featured!