Hollins Featured in the Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition

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Hollins University is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company features Hollins in its online resource, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2023 Edition, which is accessible for free.

The Princeton Review chose the schools in the guide based on its survey of administrators at 713 colleges during the 2021-22 academic year and surveys of students attending the colleges. Data from the student survey included student assessments of the influence of sustainability issues on their academic and campus experiences; administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts; and the visibility and impact of student environmental groups on the campus. The company editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points to select the 455 schools chosen for guide.

“We strongly recommend Hollins to the increasing number of students who care about the environment and want their ‘best-fit’ college to ideally be a green one,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “Hollins demonstrates an exemplary commitment to sustainability and to green practices – and it offers excellent academic programs.”

The school profiles in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges report on the colleges’ uses of renewable energy, their recycling and conservation programs, the availability of environmental studies in their academic offerings, and their career guidance for green jobs.

In 2007 Hollins became a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Agreement, documented its greenhouse gas emissions, and subsequently developed a plan for reducing campus carbon emissions. Hollins is committed to renewable energy initiatives and has initiated projects to promote sustainable practices, including adopting campus-wide conservation guidelines and a recycling program, installing geothermal wells with new construction, and establishing a Green Revolving Fund to implement additional cost-effective energy conservation projects. Hollins also maintains growing academic programs in environmental studies (B.A.) and environmental science (B.S.).

At Ignite Retreat, First-Year Students Embrace How to Create Change

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Students from a Hollins University first-year seminar recently immersed themselves in a community of changemakers at a gathering sponsored by an organization dedicated to inspiring young people.

Members of the “Ask Not What Your Community Can Do for You: Sustainability and Social Innovation” class traveled to Black Mountain, North Carolina, to take part in the Ignite Retreat. Hosted by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, which for nearly 90 years has sought to “ignite the good and place service to others above self-interest,” the weekend event offered college students the chance to learn how to become social entrepreneurs and spark change in their communities.

The retreat complemented the goals of the “Sustainability and Social Innovation” course, which is taught by Assistant Professor of Education Teri Wagner in collaboration with Student Success Leader Abigail Phillips ’25. The seminar upholds stewardship as the heart of sustainability and social innovation and emphasizes that the concept can be applied not only to the environment and nature, but also to economics, health, information, theology, cultural resources, and more.

“This class explores ways to address those issues as they present themselves in our local community,” Wagner said. “Students are challenged to develop innovative solutions to complex problems by applying design thinking principles while working in multidisciplinary, collaborative teams.”

Wagner noted that students in the class also learn about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 interconnected objectives whose stated mission is to provide “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.”

“They choose a goal that holds personal significance to them and explore ways to address issues in our local community related to that SDG.” Wagner explained. “We utilize the design process while working in multidisciplinary, collaborative teams to develop innovative projects to address these complex problems.”

Ignite Retreat Attendees
The Ignite Retreat welcomed undergraduates from colleges and universities across the southeastern U.S.

The Ignite Retreat gave attendees the opportunity to tackle projects, gain insight into possible career options, and do a deep dive into issues they are passionate about. The three-day program was divided into three tracks intended to “meet each participant where they’re at and help them get where they want to go next.” These included:

  • Personal Track: Facilitated better understanding of an individual’s skills and passions while growing confidence and delving into the mindset of a social entrepreneur.
  • Problem Track: Designed for those who want to address a particular issue or problem but aren’t sure how to be a part of solutions.
  • Project Track: Helped students who are ready to begin working on a specific project, venture, or campus initiative they’ve been considering.

In addition to networking with undergraduates from colleges and universities from across the southeastern U.S., Hollins students received one-to-one mentoring from coaches who have launched nonprofit organizations or other social ventures and enjoyed an array of hands-on workshops.

The first-year seminar program at Hollins is intended to improve student learning at a critical early stage in undergraduate education, offer a unique class bonding experience based on academic excellence, and introduce students to a number of general education skills and perspectives. All of the seminars share the same scholastic goals, allowing students to participate in a common learning experience in their first term at Hollins. All first-time, first-year students must enroll in a first-year seminar in the fall term. The instructor/advisor for each first-year seminar is assisted by a student success leader, an upper-class student mentor who attends the seminar, helps students with advising, and answers academic questions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hollins Featured in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2022 Edition

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Hollins University is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company features Hollins in its website resource, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2022 Edition, which is accessible for free.

The Princeton Review chose the 420 schools in the guide based on its survey of administrators at 835 colleges in 2020-21 concerning their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The schools are ranked alphabetically in the guide and not ranked overall from 1 to 420.

“We strongly recommend Hollins to students who care about the environment and want to study and live at a green college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “Hollins offers excellent academics and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that is exemplary on many counts.”

In 2007 Hollins became a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Agreement, documented its greenhouse gas emissions, and subsequently developed a plan for reducing campus carbon emissions. Hollins is committed to renewable energy initiatives and has initiated projects to promote sustainable practices, including adopting campus-wide conservation guidelines and a recycling program, installing geothermal wells with new construction, and establishing a Green Revolving Fund to implement additional cost-effective energy conservation projects. Hollins also maintains growing academic programs in environmental studies (B.A) and environmental science (B.S.).

 

 

Sullivan Foundation Workshop Encourages First-Year Students to Embrace “Head, Heart, Hustle”

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Students in Hollins University’s first-year seminar “Sustainability and Social Innovation” are focused on finding ways to address the world’s most pressing problems as they present themselves in our local communities. Class members recently received inspiration and a blueprint on how to start finding their purpose as social entrepreneurs through “Head, Heart, Hustle,” an interactive workshop presented by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation.

Reagan Pugh Sullivan Foundation
The Sullivan Foundation’s Reagan Pugh: “The most effective young people are the most reflective young people.”

 

“What we do is simply support young people who want to be changemakers,” explained Reagan Pugh, a facilitator with the Sullivan Foundation. Partnering with a network of 70 schools throughout the southeastern United States, the foundation seeks through college scholarships, awards, and events and programming to inspire young people to prioritize service to others above self-interest.

Pugh discussed with the students the idea of finding “an intersection” between one’s own beliefs, passions, and skills. “We know that we want that, but some of us are not one hundred percent clear what that looks like. It’s a work in progress. The most effective young people are the most reflective young people.” He urged the class to “take a minute and pay attention to what’s going on around us and make observations. Then, pick a path forward and do that incrementally over time. Move toward finding something that’s right for [you] and right for the world.”

In the “Head, Heart, Hustle” workshop, Pugh led the students in recognizing potential career pathways that employ one’s head (an individual’s skills and unique gifts) and align with one’s heart (the issues that matter most) in order to develop a hustle (a vocation) that fits the individual and serves others.

“If you leave here today and you have a clear step of something you might try, in real life, to bring you clarity about what you might want to do,” Pugh noted, “that’s our goal.”

Sustainability and Social Innovation
In the first-year seminar “Sustainability and Social Innovation,” students are “challenged to ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community.”

At Hollins, all first-year students take a first-year seminar. These seminars allow them to participate in collaborative and active learning and to hone their skills in critical thinking, creative problem solving, research, writing, and oral communication. Each seminar also has an upper-class student mentor called a Student Success Leader, or SSL. SSLs attend the seminar, help students with advising, and answer academic questions.

“Igniting passion into people and seeing them transform will always be a concept that’s magical to me,” said Zahin Mahbuba ’22, who serves as the SSL for “Sustainability and Social Innovation.” From her perspective, the workshop had a profound impact. “It was tremendous to see the students being struck by their own sense of inspiration and to ultimately want to build on their passions.”

Assistant Professor of Education Teri Wagner co-teaches “Sustainability and Social Innovation” with Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Mary Jane Carmichael. “At the heart of the concepts of sustainability and social innovation is stewardship – the responsible use and protection of the environment around your through thoughtful and intentional practices that enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being,” Wagner said. The concept of stewardship, she added, is applicable not only to the environment and nature, but also to economics, health, information, theology, cultural resources, and beyond.

“In this seminar, we challenge students to develop innovative solutions to complex problems by applying design thinking principles while working in multidisciplinary collaborative teams. We challenge them to ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community.”

 

 

 

Hollins Honored As Tree Campus Higher Education Institution

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The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Hollins University as a 2020 Tree Campus Higher Education institution.

Launched in 2008, the program honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.

“Over the past year, many have been reminded of the importance of nature to our physical and mental health,” said Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe. “[Hollins’] campus trees provide spaces of refuge and reflection to students, staff, faculty, and the community.”

To obtain this distinction, Hollins met the five core standards for effective forest management, including establishment of a tree advisory committee, evidence of a campus tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and the sponsorship of student service learning projects.

“Your entire campus should be proud of this work and the leadership of [Assistant Professor of Biology] Elizabeth Gleim and the committee,” Lambe noted.

 

Arbor Day Foundation Honors Hollins with 2020 Tree Campus Higher Education® Recognition

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For its commitment to effective urban forest management, Hollins University has been honored with Tree Campus Higher Education® recognition for 2020 by the Arbor Day Foundation.

“Tree Campuses and their students set examples for not only their student bodies but the surrounding communities showcasing how trees create a healthier environment,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Because of Hollins’ participation, air will be purer, water cleaner, and students and faculty will be surrounded by the shade and beauty trees provide.”

The Tree Campus Higher Education program honors colleges and universities for effective campus forest management and for engaging staff and students in conservation goals. Hollins achieved the title by meeting Tree Campus Higher Education’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance, and a student service-learning project. Currently there are 403 campuses across the United States with this recognition.

“This is our fifth year receiving the Tree Campus Higher Education designation, which really speaks to Hollins’ commitment to responsibly managing and caring for trees while also engaging students in that work,” said Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Elizabeth Gleim ’06. Over the past several years, students in Gleim’s Conservation Biology course have completed a full inventory of trees on campus and quantified the ecosystem services that provide, such as the amount of carbon these trees sequester.

“Through service projects, students have also planted over 100 trees on campus over the past several years in an effort to mitigate the impact of the invasive emerald ash borer, which is currently killing many of our ash trees on campus,” Gleim added.

This spring, Hollins will be celebrating both Arbor Day and Earth Day on Friday, April 23, as Gleim will conduct a Hollins Tree Tour for students, faculty, and staff. “I’ll share some cool facts about the services trees provide, some of their medicinal properties, and how to identify these trees.”

The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. It has helped campuses throughout the country plant thousands of trees, and Tree Campus Higher Education colleges and universities invested more than $51 million in campus forest management last year. This work directly supports the Arbor Day Foundation’s Time for Trees initiative — an unprecedented effort to plant 100 million trees in forests and communities and inspire five million tree planters by 2022. Last year, Tree Campus Higher Education schools collectively planted 39,178 trees and engaged 81,535 tree planters — helping the foundation work toward these critical goals.

 

Hollins’ Community Garden Opens To Students For The First Time Since March

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One of the unexpected results of the COVID-19 pandemic has been more people and households gardening. This fall, Hollins students are getting to see if they have a green thumb, too, as the university’s community garden recently reopened to students who are interested in planting an autumn crop. This semester marks the first time since March that Hollins students could step foot inside the university’s garden, which is actually a greenhouse comprising ten garden beds.

“It’s a great opportunity that gives students experience in gardening, and it’s also an outlet for activities that are a lot of fun,” said Stephen R. Wassell, an associate professor of mathematics at Hollins who also helps maintain the community garden. While the garden was closed over the spring and summer, Wassell and his wife took care of the garden beds, even planting a summer crop. Now, Wassell’s been getting the greenhouse ready for the school’s Community Garden Club to take over. “I’ll provide guidance while students do most of the gardening work,” explained Wassell, adding that students will be planting a fall crop very soon. “The students will decide what to plant,” he said. “My intention is just to hand it back over to them and be a hands-off advisor.”

Mackenzie Sessoms '24
Mackenzie Sessoms ’24 is president of the Hollins Community Garden Club.

The Hollins Community Garden Club is a free, student-run club open to all students, with or without prior gardening experience. The club’s president, Mackenzie Sessoms ‘24, said that the club currently has about 20 members, many of whom are first-year students. “Gardening in general is like a type of therapy for me,” said Sessoms, who became the Community Garden Club’s new president this semester. “I usually walk to the garden almost every day when I have the chance to, just to see how the plants are doing, and it’s something I’m very passionate about and something that I would love to pursue. I enjoy taking care of plant life and receiving a type of reward for all the work I put in, the reward being harvest!”

The whole gardening club collectively decides what’s planted in the community garden’s beds, and harvests are purchased by the university’s dining services, which pays for next harvest’s seeds and soil as well as some extra activities. Normally, the Community Garden Club would offer a couple of intern or work-study positions as well, but this semester (because of the COVID pandemic and reduced resources) all work in the greenhouse will be volunteer-based. “For at least this semester, we’re setting up a system where the students get credits for the weeding and mowing and watering and various things that need to be done,” said Wassell. “Then with those credits, the students can have some of the produce that the community garden is producing.”

For more information about Hollins’ Community Garden Club, check out the club’s Instagram or email communitygarden@hollins.edu.

Jeff Dingler is a graduate assistant in Hollins’ marketing and communications department. He is pursuing his M.F.A. in creative writing at the university.

 

 

Hollins Featured in The Princeton Review’s “Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition”

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Hollins University is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to the 2019 edition of The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges.

The Princeton Review chose the 413 schools it profiles in the tenth annual edition of the guide based on a survey the company conducted in 2018-19 of administrators at hundreds of four-year colleges about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability.

“We strongly recommend Hollins to the many environmentally minded students who want to study and live at a green college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief.

Franek noted a high level of interest among college applicants and their parents about environmental and sustainability issues. Among the nearly 12,000 teens and parents The Princeton Review surveyed earlier this year, 64% said that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a specific school.

An overview of how Hollins is “keeping it green” can be found on the university’s environmental sustainability web page.

 

 

Hollins Honors Earth Day, Arbor Day with Free Tree Seedlings

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UPDATE (04/15/2019): We’re pleased to announce that all the available tree seedlings have been claimed. Thanks to the campus community for your enthusiastic response!

The Hollins Tree Committee is celebrating Earth Day (April 22) and National Arbor Day (April 26) by giving away free tree seedlings this month to members of the campus community.

“The tree committee has sponsored numerous tree plantings on campus, most recently on March 18 along Carvin Creek during our annual Hollins Tree Planting Day,” said Assistant Professor of Biology Elizabeth Gleim, who serves as the faculty representative on the Tree Committee. “Now we’re hoping to make an impact beyond our campus.”

The seedlings are available to any faculty member, staff member, or commuter student who has a place to plant a tree. Nine different tree species are available through April 18, or while supplies last: red maple, silver maple, bald cypress, river birch, persimmon, black walnut, black cherry, silky dogwood (a shrub), and red osier dogwood (also a shrub). The seedlings are approximately one to two feet in length.

Members of the campus community can contact Gleim at egleim@hollins.edu to arrange a time for pick-up. There is a limit of two seedlings per individual.

 

Photo: Approximately 40 students, faculty, staff, and their family members took part in the annual Hollins Tree Planting Day in March. The group planted 90 seedlings along Carvin Creek on the Hollins campus. The work was an effort to mitigate the loss of the nearly 100 ash trees along the creek that are dying due to infestation by the emerald ash borer. The trees planted are all native to Virginia and well-adapted to the soggy soil along the creek, and include river birch, silver maple, and silky dogwood.

 

 

New Charging Station to Serve Campus Community

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In coordination with the university’s Environmental Advisory Board (EAB), Hollins has installed its first electric vehicle charging station.

Located in the Dana Science Building/Moody Student Center parking lot, the SemaConnect charging station is fully operational and available for use free-of-charge by Hollins students, faculty, and staff.

Vice President for Finance and Administration Kerry Edmonds says the station offers a number of benefits to Hollins.

“It supports those who already use electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids to commute to and from work or school, and encourages others to consider green modes of transportation for themselves. It also sends a clear message to campus visitors and prospective students that Hollins is committed to clean transportation and our green campus mission.”

The charging station was the winning proposal from the campus community in 2018 for using the university’s Green Fee. Established by students in 2008, the Green Fee is a $5 charge that is added to undergraduates’ tuition each semester. It funds projects that uphold Hollins’ commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, conserving energy, and/or supporting the institution’s sustainability efforts. The university welcomes Green Fee proposals each spring, evaluates project ideas, and makes recommendations to the President for approval.

Edmonds notes that while access to the charging station is currently limited to students and employees, “we will monitor usage by the campus community on an ongoing basis and then determine whether to open the station to the general public.”