The Sustainability Office is in the process of forming a diverse committee of passionate individuals to generate green ideas and solutions to campus issues. We are looking for students, staff and faculty interested in sustainability, whether it be one specific idea or just a general interest in being green! First-years and transfer students welcome, no large time commitment required! Please email sustainability@smcm.edu for more information.
Transportation Grant Awarded to SMCM
SMCM has received a Federal Transportation Alternatives Grant to design and build bike paths across campus! The 15-year Campus Master plan includes plans for an extensive network of bike paths to keep pedestrians and bikers safe.
Geothermal Heat Pump in Admissions
During the Summer of 2013, a geothermal heat pump was installed in the Admissions Office. This system is expected to save up to 50% of our heating bill and 30% of our cooling bill for that building! For more information on geothermal units, see the Renewable Energy page.
Calvert Hall Recycling
Calvert Hall now has a recycling bin! It is located under the stairs at the main entrance of Calvert, inside of a brown and green storage container with recycling stickers. It will be collected daily thanks to Grounds!
Composting Program
The composting program at SMCM is up and running successfully! Compost is being collected from all residences with kitchens as well as the Great Room and is being delivered to the Campus Farm. For more information on the Campus Farm, email kchandler@smcm.edu, or to volunteer to help with the program, email Shelby Kalm at sustainability@smcm.edu
Oyster Shell Boxes
During Fall of 2013, the Oyster Shell food box program was converted from a token-based system to a computer-based system. All students now have the option of taking out up to two green “to-go” boxes at once, which are tracked using the student’s one card. Each student need only return his or her used Oyster Shell box to either the Pub, the Grab-n-Go or the Great Room to receive a cleaned Oyster Shell box at their next meal. This has cut down dramatically on the amount of styrofoam waste that is produced by SMCM, and students are happy to see the campus looking cleaner!
Heat Pump Installation
41 new 16 SEER/9.0 HSPF heat pump units will be installed this summer in all of the Greens units! These will replace the 8 SEER/6.8 HSPF units and will save the College an estimated 200 MWH per year and $21k in electricity bills! This project was funded by the GSMRF, so many thanks to the SGA and the Fellow for putting this together!
Admissions Field Renovation
The admissions field was renovated in order to provide a more useable recreational area for students. We identified admissions field as an important open space for the College and wanted to make sure that we maintain it in a way that benefits the campus visually as well as recreationally.
The turf on the admissions field was transplanted from the stadium field when that field was re-graded and renovated in 2007. The turf is a Bermuda grass which can stand up to higher recreational use and is more disease resistant than the fescue/bluegrass mix that we use elsewhere on campus. In order to establish and maintain the turf, the College came up with an innovative method of using the stormwater that is stored in the Townhouse pond. By using the pond water, we are eliminating the use of potable water for the irrigation of this field.
Route 5 Project Updates
Week of December 15-19, 2014
Awaiting the arrival of the new street light poles. Installation will commence once they have arrived.
Week of December 1-5, 2014
SMECO installing electric power cabling for new lighting system along Rt. 5.
Week of November 24-28, 2014
Crosswalks being laid down and painted. Placement of sod on the Center Center side of Rt. 5.
Week of November 17-21, 2014
Workers placing sidewalk paving bricks at the Rt. 5 campus center crosswalk. The sod arrives on site and the final grading at the sidewalks is complete. The BioTrench with the sod and and landscaping is in place.
Week of November 10-14, 2014
The last pieces of concrete have been installed, the transitions at the Campus Center crosswalk on both sides of Rt. 5 and the connector to the bridge. Both the Campus Center crosswalk and the north crosswalk by the bridge received new asphalt.
Week of November 3-7, 2014
The BioTrench is being installed on the northbound side of Rt. 5 by the bridge. The BioTrench will capture storm water runoff carrying sediments and pollutants from the roadway preventing them from entering St. John’s Pond and the surrounding waterways.
Week of October 27-31, 2014
The concrete finishers come in behind the curb and gutter machine and fill in the gaps and broom finish the surfaces.
Week of October 20-24, 2014
Installing concrete curb and gutter along the northbound side of Rt. 5. Raw concrete goes in one end and comes out as curb and gutter.
Week of October 13-17, 2014
Rip-rap at the storm drain outfalls has been installed. This slows the storm water down and prevents soil erosion. Light poles foundations and storm drain inlets have been installed.
Week of October 6-10, 2014
Paving is complete at the Trinity Church Rd entrance. Temporary stripping is in place. Storm water inlets are being installed along the northbound side of Rt. 5
Week of September 29 – October 3, 2014
Paving of the Trinity Church Rd. entrance has been completed and lines have been painted.
Week of September 22-26, 2014
The Trinity Church Rd. entrance is ready for paving.
Week of September 15-19, 2014
Work on the southbound side of Rt. 5 continues. The brick paver sidewalks are mostly complete. New curbing and sod have been installed at the Post Office. The Trinity Church Rd. entrance off of Rt. 5 is ready for paving.
Week of September 8-12, 2014
The work at Trinity Church Rd. and Rt. 5 continues. Half of the intersection now has a base layer of asphalt on the new entrance access from Rt. 5 onto Trinity Church Road. Work crews are removing the asphalt from the old entrance onto Trinity Church Road. Curb and sidewalk work continues.
Week of September 1-5, 2014
Work continues on the Rt. 5 Traffic Calming project with major work scheduled for Thursday, September 4th and Friday, September 5th at the intersection of Rt. 5 and Trinity Church Road.
On Thursday, September 4th, the new intersection will be paved and stripped. During the course of this work, traffic for Trinity Church Road will be diverted.
Vehicular access to the River Center, Calvert Hall, Kent Hall, the White House and the Trinity Church Parish House will be from the south via Old Statehouse Road. By the end of Thursday, the new intersection will be operational.
On Friday, September 5th, the old intersection paving will be removed, and access to Trinity Church Road from the north will be via the new intersection.
PEDESTRIANS – Please take note of the condition of the temporary sidewalk on the west side of Rt. 5.
Potential tripping hazards exist where the height of the pavement changes at future ramps.
Week of August 25-29, 2014
Removal of asphalt and sub-soils continues along the southbound side of Rt. 5.
Week of August 18-22, 2014
Rt. 5 Asphalt Cutting is complete. Contractors have begun excavating for the Trinity Church Road and Rt. 5 Intersection realignment.
Week of August 11-15
(August 14, 2014) – All sediment control devices have been installed and approved by Maryland Department of the Environment. Work on the road will begin shortly.
Week of August 4
(August 8, 2014) – Sediment and erosion control devices are being installed.
Week of July 28
(July 30, 2014) – Surveying of road continues. Underground utilities have been located and marked.
Week of July 21
(July 23, 2014) – This is the initial survey for the Rt. 5 Traffic Calming to delineate the Limits Of Disturbance (LOD) for the project to locate sediment and erosion control devices.