Our Dedication to Environmental Responsibility
The University of New England is uniquely positioned as an educational institution to make a tremendous impact on the health of the Earth and its inhabitants. We foster innovation in the field of sustainability, contribute to research on both the need for and the positive effects of sustainable systems and interventions, and provide a model for environmental responsibility to our campuses and the greater community. Teaching environmental stewardship, both by example and through living and learning experiences, ensures UNE’s contribution to a cleaner, healthier environment and promotes more widespread awareness and adoption of sustainable options.
Get Involved
Caring for our planet takes time, effort, and dedication. It also requires that our institutions empower people to do the right thing and provide them with the tools needed to make a difference. Fortunately, UNE offers countless ways to get involved in sustainability efforts. Join the Environmental Council or one of the student organizations focused on environmental responsibility, such as the Honeybee Conservation Club or the Aquaponics Club; intern with the Office of Sustainability, building bat houses, weeding the community garden, or promoting the University’s waste reduction programs; or take on a sustainability project to earn your Citizenship credit. There are so many ways at UNE to love the Earth. Which ones will you choose?
My work with the Office of Sustainability during the school year led to a summer job with Groundskeeping. To me, it’s a first step into Environmental Science because it helps me learn all of the various species of plants and trees and get familiar with the land." — McKayla Arsenault ’22
The Office of Sustainability
The Office of Sustainability works collaboratively across the University to propose, implement, and evaluate sustainability measures employed throughout UNE’s campuses. The office enables students to deepen their understanding of sustainable practices and gain invaluable experience by offering a plethora of environmentally focused, hands-on opportunities. In addition, the Office of Sustainability enhances a wide range of academic programs through guest lectures and support for research, programs, and events related to environmental stewardship and responsibility.
Contact the Office of Sustainability
Facilities Management/Safety and Security 132
Biddeford Campus
(207) 602-2507
acariddi@une.edu
By the Numbers: Biddeford Campus
acres of preserved land on campus
vernal pools
feet of on-campus coastline
Academic Programs
At UNE, we don’t just encourage our students to adopt environmentally sound practices, we prepare them to be leaders and innovators in the field of sustainability. From our marine programs to our environmental programs to more niche programs like sustainability and business, sustainable ecological aquaculture, and climate change studies, UNE offers a variety of undergraduate majors and minors that are centered around ecological curricula. Our master’s degree programs in marine science, environmental science, and the Professional Science Master’s in Ocean Food Systems further prepare our students academically for exciting professional careers in the green economy.
Aquaculture, Aquarium Sciences, and Aquaponics
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Marine Affairs
Marine Entrepreneurship
Marine Sciences
Sustainability and Business
Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture
Aquaculture and Aquarium Sciences
Environmental Studies
Marine Affairs
Marine Sciences
Climate Change Studies
Sustainable Building Design
UNE is acutely aware that construction methods, materials, and operations all contribute to adverse consequences for the planet and worsen the climate change problem. Combined with the amount of energy and natural resources consumed in the ongoing operation of a building and the long-term environmental impacts of altering the natural landscape, each new structure has the potential to negatively affect the environment.
As an institution that, on one hand, has been fortunate to experience tremendous growth in the past decade-plus, and, on the other hand, has a deeply rooted commitment to the health of the planet, UNE has worked diligently to build responsibly, limiting potential adverse environmental impacts and keeping our carbon footprint as minimal as possible when adding new buildings to our campuses.