Staff engagement

Seventy-five University departments, student groups and external organizations came together during Earth Month to host and participate in numerous successful events.  The campus community gained awareness about sustainability initiatives, were invited to assist in beautification efforts and celebrated the natural environment. Here are some of the highlights.

The Office of Sustainability, the Charlotte Green Initiative (CGI) and the Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the Sustainability Summit, allowing students to engage with researchers, student leaders and local organizations about UNC Charlotte’s ecological efforts.

The Office of Sustainability has launched the Green Workplace program, a performance improvement and recognition initiative to support campus units by addressing challenges, applying solutions and celebrating efforts to become more sustainable workplaces.

Cai Fox joined UNC Charlotte in 2024 as the assessment coordinator in the Office of Sustainability. Fox coordinates data gathering, information management and reporting for the assessment of campus sustainability from initiatives to operations. Fox talks about discovering his passion for sustainability and what his reports reveal about the University’s efforts. 

The Niners Bike team (formerly the Business Niners) from the Belk College of Business recently won the top fundraising team category in Sustain Charlotte’s Biketoberfest by raising $1,000.

WSOC-TV takes a behind-the-scenes look at Charlotte’s Zero Waste Stadium initiative.

Charlotte’s faculty and staff are promoting a culture of sustainability on campus through the Sustainability Ambassadors program. Forty employees participated in the program’s inaugural cohort in 2023-24, and were recognized recently for their efforts at a campus celebration.  

Zero waste is an ambitious goal that Charlotte’s Office of Sustainability is achieving through the Zero Waste Stadium initiative with help from volunteers, including students from the Honors College.

October is Campus Sustainability Month, an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. UNC Charlotte’s Office of Sustainability has published a list of campus and community events to celebrate

urbanCORE, UNC Charlotte’s hub for urban research and community engagement, led a 10-month participatory action research effort that catapulted public-private support to build The Three Sisters Market, a community-owned food cooperative in one of Charlotte’s most notable food deserts.