Sustainability and Academics
Sustainability Courses
Download a list of sustainability-focused or sustainability-related courses and programs at CNM.
Sustainability Embedded in Curriculum
CNM believes that when sustainability is embedded in curriculum, it gives students the tools they need to address issues of energy production, environmental health, economic development, culture, and society. Such curriculum encourages interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving.
CNM is proud to feature:
- Sustainability concentrations and UNM transfer agreements
- Over 150 sustainability-related and focused courses
- Sustainability classroom supplies budget
- Increased student participation in sustainability-related service learning opportunities, including Campus as a Living Lab, Water in the Desert, Campus Race to Zero Waste, and the Campus Gardens.
- Vermicomposting bins used in biology, anthropology, geography, and culinary arts classes.
Service Learning Opportunities
Campus as a Living Lab
The Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) program integrates campus infrastructure and operations with academics to address real-world challenges. Each campus has a sustainability-related challenge, and our faculty work together to design courses or course projects that provide students with the opportunity to learn about and address each campus's unique challenge. This offers students the opportunity to address a sustainability goal while solving a campus problem in an interdisciplinary team.
Projects may target one or more impact areas:
- Campus engagement
- Public engagement
- Air and climate
- Buildings
- Energy
- Food and dining
- Grounds
- Purchasing
- Transportation
- Waste
- Water
- Coordination and planning
- Diversity and affordability
- Investment and finance
- Wellbeing and work
Click the image above to view the full PDF of the Campus as a Living Laboratory guide.
Water in The Desert
Water in the Desert is a hands-on learning project centered on water resources management. It consists of service learning opportunities directed by the Sustainability Committee and the Physical Plant Department. Students may earn a Sustainability Certificate by providing at least eight hours of water resources-related service to CNM in two different ways:
- Through service learning that is a part of the existing course curriculum (instructor must give permission in advance), or
- on their own as an individual project (not related to a course).
Campus Race to Zero Waste
Each year, the Campus Race to Zero Waste Program calls for best practice case studies from campuses across the U.S. and Canada to showcase programs and strategies in waste minimization, food waste reduction, education, and awareness.
CNM recently hosted an Online Education Campaign so that students and staff who are not on campus may continue to learn about waste and recycling. The topics presented included buying in bulk, composting at home, plastic pollutants and pollution, recycling materials and contaminants, the recycling market, landfills, and environmental justice.
Campus Gardens
Several raised garden bed plots across CNM campuses serve as outdoor learning laboratories CNM students, faculty, and staff, providing opportunities to educate themselves and their communities about the practices and health benefits of growing one's food in sustainable ways. Through the Campus as a Living Lab program (CLL), CNM instructors and students can integrate the gardens with coursework credit. We invite our faculty, staff, students, and community members to pick fresh herbs for meals!
