Sustainability | University of St. Thomas - Minnesota

Sustainability | University of St. Thomas - Minnesota
About
Sustainability
Sustainability
Empowering Future Leaders for a Greener Tomorrow
At St. Thomas, sustainability is woven into the fabric of our community. From green buildings and energy-efficient operations to real-world learning on campus and in the community, environmental stewardship is a core part of the St. Thomas experience. As a student, you'll have the opportunity to engage in hands-on experiences, work in cutting-edge labs, join sustainability initiatives and student-led sustainability groups, and be part of a community committed to the well-being of people and the planet. At St. Thomas, you'll gain the tools to succeed and make a lasting impact—on campus, in your career, and beyond.
sustainability@stthomas.edu
See our Campus Sustainability Initiatives in Action
Take a tour of our campus with 2023 Tommie Award recipient Katie McGinnis to see how we're leading the way in caring for our common home!
Explore Opportunities in Sustainability at St. Thomas
At St. Thomas, we offer unique opportunities for students to connect sustainability with their personal interests and career goals. Choose your own pathway in sustainability to transform your student experience and unlock future career opportunities.
Academics
Research
Student Experience
Student Leadership
Tommie Traditions
Facilities and Operations
Academics
At St. Thomas, we equip you with the skills and experience to drive sustainability in any career through diverse majors, minors, certificates, and hands-on learning opportunities both locally and abroad. With 80% of academic departments offering courses that integrate sustainability, you'll gain the knowledge to work creatively and effectively toward a sustainable future.
Sustainability-Focused Majors, Minors, and Certificates
Study on a green campus and tackle local and global environmental challenges. Embrace sustainability to lead change and make an impact.
Sustainability Minor
Department of Earth, Environment, and Society Majors
Graduate Certificate in Sustainability
Sustainable Communities Partnership
Apply classroom learning to real-world challenges on campus and in the local community through collaborative research and problem-solving with sustainability practitioners. Gain valuable experience that will shape your future career while advancing community sustainability goals.
Sustainable Communities Partnership
Study Abroad
Join one of over 50 study abroad programs focused on environmental solutions and gain firsthand experience in global conservation efforts. Bring back valuable insights and innovative approaches to apply on campus and within your community, all while expanding your global perspective on eco-friendly practices.
Study Abroad
Research
Explore real-world solutions with St. Thomas faculty. Faculty from diverse disciplines at St. Thomas lead research tackling both local and global environmental challenges. With opportunities like the Sustainability Scholar Research grants, undergraduates can explore their own sustainability-focused research questions. Additionally, on-campus research centers and initiatives provide hands-on experience in addressing real-world environmental issues, offering students valuable opportunities to contribute to sustainable change and prepare for future careers.
Renewable Energy
The St. Thomas Applied & Renewable Technologies (START) Center and the Center for Microgrid Research drive innovative, applied research to develop advanced clean energy technologies and build a resilient electric grid for the future. Through collaborative efforts, these centers are shaping the future of sustainable energy and addressing critical environmental challenges.
St. Thomas Applied & Renewable Technologies (START) Center
Center for Microgrid Research
Pollinators
The Pollinator Path, a network of gardens planted across campus to support pollinators, acts as a "living laboratory" for research on pollinator activity and habitat conservation. Students and the community actively study pollinator behavior and explore strategies to protect and support declining pollinator populations.
Pollinator Path
Urban Agriculture
Located at the edge of campus, the Stewardship Garden is a key site for experimental research aimed at improving urban agriculture practices and boosting urban ecosystem health. This innovative garden also plays a vital role in supplying fresh, healthy food to the local community.
Stewardship Garden
Urban Ecosystem Lab
Student Experience
Enhance your college journey with transformative student experiences. St. Thomas offers innovative opportunities to engage with sustainability both on campus and beyond through living-learning communities, the arts, and entrepreneurship.
Sustainability Living Learning Communities
Build a close-knit community at St. Thomas as you engage in hands-on activities to understand key environmental challenges and explore sustainable solutions. Embrace a shared commitment to caring for our common home, while developing practical skills to address pressing global issues.
Sustainability Living Learning Community
Sustainability Arts Initiative
Explore the connection between human and environmental well-being on campus and in the community by collaborating with local artists. Engage in projects that foster sustainability and create meaningful change through creative partnerships.
Sustainability Arts Initiative
Entrepreneurship
Pitch a venture that addresses a social or environmental challenge while advancing one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the Fowler Challenge. Develop innovative solutions to promote sustainability, equity, and global well-being, and contribute to a positive impact for both local and global communities.
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge
Student Leadership
Build leadership experience and make a lasting impact by driving positive environmental action on campus, shaping a greener future, and empowering sustainable solutions for tomorrow.
Student Sustainability Leadership Program
Develop leadership skills through hands-on experience in implementing campus sustainability initiatives and leading peer-to-peer education and activities that inspire environmental learning and empower change.
Student Sustainability Leadership Program
Changemaking for the Common Good
Be a Changemaker for the Common Good by using empathy, thoughtfulness, creativity, action, and collaborative leadership to work toward solving a social problem.
Changemaking for the Common Good
Student Clubs and Organizations
Make your mark and drive change through student clubs and organizations. Join the Sustainability Club, the Undergraduate Student Government Sustainability Committee, or Tommie Outdoors to connect with like-minded students and take action on campus to create lasting environmental change.
Student Clubs and Organizations
Tommie Traditions
Tommies have created exciting traditions that bring the entire campus together to celebrate sustainability and put into practice our commitment to caring for our common home. Get involved, make a real impact, and be part of a community dedicated to caring for our planet and building a greener future.
Mississippi River Cleanup
Explore the natural beauty around campus and join our community in conservation efforts by participating in the Mississippi River Cleanup each fall and spring. Since 1993, Tommies have been dedicated to preserving the river through this longstanding tradition of environmental stewardship.
Sustainability Week
Celebrate Earth Day every April with a week-long series of events hosted by campus departments and organizations. Discover sustainable practices, learn how you can make a difference, and get involved in sustainability initiatives on campus.
Campus Sustainability Month
Discover sustainability at St. Thomas during our month-long celebration every October. Each week highlights events and activities focused on sustainable living, offering opportunities to engage with the campus community and promote eco-friendly practices.
Facilities and Operations
Experience sustainability in daily life on campus through our facilities and operations. From green buildings to waste-reduction and water conservation efforts, St. Thomas integrates sustainable practices into every corner of campus life, making it easy for you to live sustainably every day.
LEED Buildings
Facilities Management
is designing all new buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to a minimum of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver standards. LEED buildings on campus include:
Anderson Student Center
(LEED Gold)
Frey Residence Hall
(LEED Platinum)
Schoenecker Center
(LEED Gold)
Schoenecker Hall North
(LEED Silver)
Green Operations
Dining Services
and
Facilities Management
are committed to advancing sustainability through sustainable operations and management across campus including reduction of food waste, reuse and recycling across campus, energy and water conservation, and much more.
Sustainable Transportation
As a centrally located university, a variety of
sustainable transportation options
are available to the campus community. You'll also find bike repair stations, electric vehicle charging stations, and secure bike storage on campus.
Sustainability Impact on Campus
20%
of building square footage on St. Paul campus is LEED certified
51%
reduction in carbon emissions since 2007
57%
waste diversion rate in 2023
Recognition and Commitments
STARS
Gold rating in 2024 for sustainability efforts
St. Thomas STARS report
Carbon Commitment
Committed to carbon neutrality by 2035
America is All In
One of the 5,000 U.S. organizations declaring support for climate action
Laudato Si Movement
Member of the Laudato Si Movement in response to Pope Francis' call to care for our environment
Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition
Placed 12 out of 81 in the waste diversion category in 2024
USGBC Regional Leadership Award
Honored by the US Green Building Council for our commitment to designing new buildings to a minimum of LEED silver standards
Stories about Sustainability from St. Thomas
December 4, 2025
Tommie Takeback: Students Reduce, Reuse, Refurbish Furniture
When Abigail Paulino arrived as a first-year student at the University of St. Thomas, she felt the same mix of emotions felt by thousands of newly enrolled students across college campuses each fall. But unlike most, she had traveled more than 6,000 miles from her home in Guam to begin her college career in Minnesota.…
The post Tommie Takeback: Students Reduce, Reuse, Refurbish Furniture appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
October 29, 2025
University of St. Thomas Ranked No. 21 Among Top 50 Green Colleges
The University of St. Thomas is ranked No. 21 in the 2026 edition of Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges, marking the first time Minnesota’s largest private university has placed in the top 25. This recognition highlights the university’s growing national leadership in sustainability and its ongoing commitment to infusing sustainability throughout the university, including…
The post University of St. Thomas Ranked No. 21 Among Top 50 Green Colleges appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
October 17, 2025
Can AI Solve Iran’s Dire Water Crisis? Global Research Has the Answer
Iran is running out water. But artificial intelligence is providing solutions, according to research from University of St. Thomas Professor John Abraham and his Iranian colleagues. They have partnered on 50 studies over six years to provide solutions to address the crisis. Abraham has co-authored two studies with Dr. Farzin Salmasi, a water engineering professor…
The post Can AI Solve Iran’s Dire Water Crisis? Global Research Has the Answer appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
October 15, 2025
Diving In: How St. Thomas Helped One Student Find Her Direction
When Katie Iverson ’26 first stepped foot onto the University of St. Thomas campus, she knew she would fit right in as a student, and not just because she had a place on the Tommie's D-I Swim and Dive team. It was because of the numerous opportunities available to allow her to grow as a…
The post Diving In: How St. Thomas Helped One Student Find Her Direction appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
May 2, 2025
Tommies Build Community With Habitat for Humanity in Maplewood
More than a dozen University of St. Thomas students spent Saturday, April 26, volunteering with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity on a home build that is part of The Heights development in Maplewood. Organized through the Shelter Crew program and supported by the Center for the Common Good, this hands-on experience allowed students to take…
The post Tommies Build Community With Habitat for Humanity in Maplewood appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
See All News Related to Sustainability