Welcome to Georgia College, Class of 2021!

Fig. 1. A picture of Georgia College’s front campus.

Hello, freshmen, and welcome to Georgia College. This article will introduce you to some of the interesting opportunities available at Georgia College. For starters, this blog is a part of the outreach efforts of the Sustainability Office which helps to make the campus a greener place for all. If you want to stay in the know about all of our activities, you can follow us on WordPress, Twitter, and Instagram. We will also be at the Bobcat Marketplaces for each orientation, feel free to stop by our table and learn more about the Office of Sustainability.

The Georgia College Office of Sustainability is always looking for volunteers and interns who care about the environment to help with events and projects. Email sustaingc@gcsu.edu for more information about these opportunities. Students are also encouraged to come to the monthly Sustainability Council meetings, which are held the second Friday of every month at 1 p.m., or to submit a proposal for sustainability projects you want to see on campus.

Outside the Office of Sustainability, Georgia College offers students many perks that are environmentally friendly. Georgia College Transportation Services offers shuttles that will take you to retail locations, Main Campus, and West Campus. If you prefer to ride your bike, Georgia College also has bike racks where you can safely secure it between classes. Also, you can fill your water bottles at Brita hydration stations on campus, use kinetic exercise equipment and climb the environmentally-friendly holds on the climbing wall at the Wellness Center, visit the West Campus Garden, and park under the LED lights at the Irwin Street Parking Lot.

Curriculum

Georgia College also offers many opportunities to learn more about the environment and sustainability in your coursework. You can take classes such as Intro to Environmental Science, Biodiversity, Ecology, Global Perspectives: Water and Society, and Sustainability. You can also minor or major in Environmental Science to get a deeper perspective of the environment. Once you are in upper level classes, consider performing independent research focused on your environmental area of choice or assisting professors with their research to gain experience.

In March, a Certificate of Sustainability was added to Georgia College’s educational offerings. The certificate is managed by the Department of Philosophy and Liberal Studies in Arts and Sciences. This provides a way for students to achieve competence in Ecology, Economics, and Ethics – the triple bottom line of sustainability. To learn more about this certificate and the course requirements for it, read our Certificate in Sustainability at Georgia College article here.

Clubs

Fig. 2. Bobcat Marketplace, where various clubs interact with incoming freshman.

There are many clubs on campus focused on sustainability and the environment where you can make a big impact. Among its many activities, The GC Gardening Club helps to maintain the community garden found at West Campus and is focused on practicing gardening methods that are environmentally friendly. The Environmental Science Club is another student-run organization focused on sustainability and environmental science in the community and on campus. The Environmental Science Club hosts river cleanups, power bike rides, EarthFest, and many other activities. Bobcats Against Hunger is an organization focused on making a sustainable impact in the community primarily by reducing hunger and poverty. They run canned food and clothing drives and help at the Potato Drop. There are many other organizations focused on a wide variety of interests and passions including philanthropy, sisterhood/brotherhood, various hobbies, and mental health. Make sure to try out many different ones because you never know which one may be the best fit for you. A full list of clubs at Georgia College can be found at the Georgia College student organization page.

These are just a few opportunities at Georgia College available for freshman. At Georgia College, you will have many chances for success and personal development, so make sure to take advantage of all of them. Have a great freshman year and remember to recycle!