Macalester College

St. Paul and Minneapolis provide Macalester’s student body a variety of distractions from their intense workloads. Students frequent nearby museums for class assignments and for fun. Other weekend day trips include visiting the Mall of America, just “an hour away by bus,” or the Science Museum of Minnesota. There are “plenty of restaurants and local bars” surrounding campus and “people will often go to coffee shops either around campus or around the Twin Cities to study or just hang out.” But make no mistake: folks are happy to stay on campus to socialize and unwind. “The program board runs events all the time,” one student says, citing trivia nights and student concerts as ongoing occasions. Meals are “very social times,” and “parties at upperclassmen houses are common.” In the warmer months, “you can walk between classes and see students sitting all over campus on the lawns studying, listening to music, doing yoga, slacklining, and playing frisbee….” Film buffs can “rent a projector from the library and have movie nights” in their dorms. “It’s a great place to have a routine,” says one student who details their typical day: “Wake up at 6 o’clock, have a nice swim in the pool, refresh yourself in the sauna, have breakfast, and then go to class….” Macalester students are “pretty active,” and “Macalester’s campus is perfect for those who like running,” which you can do by the Mississippi River.

Macalester College has shown its commitment to addressing climate change by adopting a campus-wide Sustainability Plan under which all the college’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint are organized. The plan focuses on three main areas—leadership, operations, and education—and outlines goals and strategies for building, energy, landscaping, paper use, purchasing, recycling/waste, storm water management, transportation, and water conservation. These focuses helped Macalester achieve a 53 percent diversion rate. Macalester’s LEED Platinum Markim Hall made Macalester the first college or university in Minnesota to achieve this impressive rating. Several other construction projects recently completed have also incorporated green building features. Indeed, all new construction or major renovations on campus are to build to the Minnesota B3 or LEED Silver standards. Macalester has also implemented several innovative programs designed to build enthusiasm among community members for the college’s sustainability efforts. Among them: preferred parking is available for carpools and low-emitting vehicles, and free coffee is provided on a biweekly basis to any college community member who bikes, walks, or buses to work. The MacFreeSwap, Food Waste as Pig Food, and Move-Out Waste Reduction Program are other programs that have helped Macalester College earn a Minnesota Waste Wise Leader Award. Macalester’s Environmental Studies department serves as the primary academic component of Macalester’s sustainability efforts. The interdisciplinary department supports sustainability on campus through courses, events, internships, study abroad programs, and student projects, among others. The Institute for Global Citizenship was recently awarded a grant to expand education for sustainability through the college.