Join a Student Organization
SGA Sustainability Commission
As part of the Executive Branch of our Student Government Association, The Sustainability Commission promotes economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable practices on the Missouri State campus. This includes researching, submitting, and funding proposals for the Sustainability Commission, educating the student body about sustainability through outreach and events, and proposing university policies that uphold its commitment to sustainability.
The Sustainability Commission meets monthly with student commissioners and once a semester with administrators to vote on student proposals, using the Sustainability Fund of over $200,000 to fund those proposals.
Interested in joining the Sustainability Commission? Become a Commissioner!
Contact Information
Email: SustainabilityCommission@missouristate.edu
Missouri State University Campus Garden
The Campus Garden is a community garden on campus, allowing students to plant, maintain, and harvest vegetables, while also providing healthy, organic produce for the university.
The mission of the campus garden is to serve as an all-natural educational resource for the University that provides fresh, nutritional produce to fellow students and members of the campus and Springfield communities through the Bear Pantry. The garden also serves as an environmentally and socially sustainable resource for service learning on campus, providing opportunities to grow skills in organic horticultural production, learn to work within a community, and understand the food systems that sustain humanity.
The MSU Campus Garden is a student-run sustainability project made possible by the Student Government Association's Sustainability Commission. Proposed and first built in 2011 by Jake Berger and Ben Wensel (with help from the SGA), the garden has continued to grow and thrive for over a decade. While funded by the Sustainability Commission, the garden is also a part of the non-profit organization Springfield Community Gardens and benefits from the organization's network of resources and knowledge.
Contact Information
Email: CampusGarden@MissouriState.edu
Instagram: @MSUCampusGarden
The Hidden Gem
The Hidden Gem is a student organization focused on thrifting and antiquing as a sustainable way to purchase clothing and other items. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide students an opportunity to engage in the community, lead through ethical decision-making, and influence their culture through thrifiting and antiquing.
Thrifting is a sustainable alternative to fast fashion trends and the modern fashion industry, which produces approximately 92 million tons of textile waste annually. The fashion industry is also responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions. Thrifting with The Hidden Gem is affordable, social, and green, meaning the organization promotes all three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social.
Contact Information
Email: thehiddengem@missouristate.edu
Instagram: @mostate_hiddengem
Other Ways to Get Involved
There are numerous other organizations that you can join to make an impact! Organizations that may intersect with sustainability include Advocacy & Alliance, Paws to the Polls, Bears Dream, Entrepreneurship Club, Wildlife Society, Habitat for Humanity, and many more of the 350+ student organizations on campus. Some organizations may not seem related to sustainability at first, but with the right perspective, any organization can incorporate sustainability into its programming.
Outside of Student Organizations, there are still many opportunities to get involved. You can volunteer at the Bear Pantry, Submit a Proposal for review by the Sustainability Commission and receive funding for your idea, and more!