The Campus Environmental Center is UT’s largest sustainability-related, student-run organization, dedicated to helping students find their niche within sustainability. By providing our community with educational and action-based opportunities, we hope to build a community that is empowered to protect people and the planet. Our pursuit of this vision is carried out by our admin team along with our 3 project teams: Green Events, Microfarm, and Trash to Treasure. These teams host their own events to engage and captivate the broader campus community. For example, the CEC and its teams are the masterminds behind the Connects Series, West Campus Clean Ups, $1 Thrift Sales, Microfarm Workdays, Community Compost, and more!

Our Mission Statement

Through student leadership, the CEC provides unique opportunities to catalyze a sustainable culture that is regenerative and accessible to the UT community.

Our Pillars

  • Student Leadership- We develop leadership and professional skills through team-based projects, programs, and initiatives.
  • Innovation- We promote circular communities through cross-collaboration and dynamic, experiential learning opportunities.
  • Community Building – We foster an inclusive home for students navigating the integration of sustainability in their lives. We promote interdisciplinary practices and approaches to the nuanced world of sustainability. We strive to cultivate a diverse hub of backgrounds to enrich one another’s experiences.
  • Accountability- We provide a platform for students to hold each other and the university accountable to maintain open and productive feedback systems.

History of the CEC

2002 – 2003

The Campus Environmental Center was started in Fall 2002 by a group of students led by Corinna Kester. The students, members of the group Environmental Outreach, had tried to improve UT’s recycling program. They wrote a proposal to Facilities Services but it did not gain wide support.

The students then decided to found the CEC as an organization that could effectively build partnerships with UT administrators to improve the campus environment.

In Fall 2002, the Student Government agreed to have the CEC become an official agency of Student Government. The CEC officially launched in January 2003. The CEC was able to begin thanks to a grant from the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program and matching funds from Student Government, the Environmental Science Institute, and the Volunteer Service Learning Center.

2004 – 2009

 In spring 2004, Dr. Patricia Clubb, Vice President for Employee and Campus Services (now University Operations), agreed to fund the CEC’s Director position, starting in the 2004-05 school year. During 2004-05, Dr. Clubb also funded Corinna Kester as a Sustainability Coordinator working in Environmental Health & Safety; she served as the unofficial CEC staff person from fall 2004 – spring 2007.

This time period (2005) is when one of CEC’s most popular events, Trash to Treasure began. Its purpose was to serve as an independent source of funds for the CEC. During this period, Employee and Campus Services funding increased, as did funding from the Student Services Budget Committee (SSBC), enabling the creation of a part-time official staff Advisor position.

Since 2007, CEC has successfully applied for funds from the SSBC, the group that appropriates funds from part of the income from student fees. As of 2008-09, the CEC was considered a stable recurring line in the SSBC budget.

2009 – 2014

In 2009-10, the CEC took a “leap of faith” based on advice from Dr. Clubb and others and restricted the SSBC funds to use for student wages. Fortunately, the gamble paid off, as the Advisor was taken in by Facilities Services’ Recycling and Sustainability Branch and given a full-time appointment.

While the CEC remained a Student Government agency in 2009, the CEC leaders actively negotiated for status as a Sponsored Student Organization under Campus Planning and Facilities Management, a large portfolio which includes the Office of Sustainability as well as all of Facilities Services. This Sponsored Student Organization Status was obtained by the CEC in 2010 and has been renewed annually.

During this period the CEC grew substantially in size and scope, taking on new environmentally-related projects and employing over 20 student staff.

2015 – 2017

In January 2015, Campus Planning and Facilities Management divided its structure into Campus Planning & Project Management and Utilities, Energy & Facilities Management. The CEC became housed under the Office of Sustainability within Campus Planning & Project Management.

In September 2017, the CEC welcomed it’s first General Membership. These students were able to be involved in the organization without having to join a specific project team. The CEC also established a team to specifically handle Education and Outreach with the goal of educating students not involved in the CEC.

2018 – Present

Starting in Fall 2018, the CEC is focusing on fostering a community open to all to offer environmental experiences students on campus. The CEC strives to do this through increased promotion to various majors, backgrounds, and ideas. No application, no points system.