_Chronological News FeedApplied LearningCommunity EngagementDevelopment/FoundationFaculty/Staff NewsInstitutionalStudent NewsSustainability

New sustainability funding empowers faculty to create farm-based learning experiences for students

Andrew Bruso

SUNY New Paltz faculty are invited to apply for up to $1,000 of funding per year to create farm-based experiential learning opportunities for students, thanks to new funding created by a generous donation from Campus Auxiliary Services to the SUNY New Paltz Foundation.

The agreement establishes two funds: the Campus Auxiliary Services Sustainability Endowment Fund, and a Campus Auxiliary Services Sustainability Expendable Fund. The latter is established to allow the endowed fund time to grow and produce income.

The overall purpose of both funds is the same: to empower New Paltz faculty members to develop course curricula that include sustainable lessons and activities that draw on the rich agricultural resources and infrastructure of the Hudson Valley.

“The CAS Board is proud to sponsor this initiative, which we believe will improve sustainability awareness as well as the educational experience for students for years to come,” said Campus Auxiliary Services Executive Director Steve Deutsch.

The agreement outlines a few examples of courses, across a variety of academic disciplines, which are already ongoing at SUNY New Paltz and may be eligible for support through this new agreement, including:

  • Liberal arts, science and education courses that deal directly with agriculture and food
  • Courses in subjects like geography and biology that deal with general topics in ecology
  • Visual arts courses (such as photography) that find inspiration for assignments in farm landscapes and the regional environment more broadly
  • Business courses in corporate strategic sustainability

Faculty can submit proposals including information about how sustainability experiences will support course learning objects. Up to $1,000 per proposal will be awarded, with a total spending cap of $6,000 per year for the first three years of the program.

Funding can cover such eligible expenses as transportation and site fees for non-profit educational partners.

Proposals are currently being accepted for courses set to take place in the 2018-19 academic year. The funding will be administered by Assistant Professor Michael Sheridan, in conjunction with the SUNY New Paltz Foundation.

Learn more online about Campus Auxiliary Services and the SUNY New Paltz Foundation.