Gardenside

Sustainability Living Learning Community

What is Gardenside?

Gardenside is a sustainability living learning community created through a Sustainability Office and Residential Life partnership. Residents are required to take a graded 1-credit corresponding 鈥淐ampus Sustainability鈥� course, offered by the Sustainability Office. The class is designed to cultivate an understanding of fundamental sustainability concepts, foster a sense of community among residents, and provide an opportunity for service-based experiential learning. Along with mini-lectures and discussions of academic readings, classes include tours and hands-on 鈥渨ork days鈥� in the North Woods, Community Garden, and on-campus compost site. Students in this course will also examine building systems and personal behaviors with a sustainability lens as related to their lived experience in the residence hall and on campus. A few additional activities and events may be offered during the year, outside of the class, such as sustainable crafts or a community meal.

Where is Gardenside?

Gardenside housing (named for its proximity to the Skidmore Community Garden) is located on the first floor of Wiecking Hall. The class will meet weekly in the Wiecking basement common room and on-campus for hands-on field work.

Who Is in Gardenside?

Gardenside is one of the special interest housing options offered through Residential Life. For Fall 2025, the program will accept 16 first-year residents. Residents are chosen through a special application and selection process (separate from the Residential Life special interest housing application).

When is the class?

In Fall 2025, the 鈥淕ardenside Campus Sustainability鈥� class will be offered on Wednesdays from 2:30-4:30 pm (with a possibility of moving to 2:45-4:45 pm, if necessary and based only on a specific Scribner Seminar conflict). Gardenside residents must plan their schedules so as not to conflict with the class time.

Why should someone apply?

Gardenside brings together a group of sustainability-minded students and offers unique and experiential learning opportunities. Residents will become more literate in sustainability and systems-thinking, learn about campus sustainability projects, examine personal and collective consumption, and contribute to student-run programs, all while building a shared sense of community.

How can I apply?

If you are an incoming first-year and would like to apply for Gardenside, please complete the by the May 19, 2025 deadline.

Please note that if you are selected for Gardenside and you have been placed in a conflicting Scribner Seminar, you will be asked to choose your preference (Scribner Seminar or Gardenside). As you are selecting your preferences for the Scribner Seminar, keep in mind that the following six Scribner Seminars conflict with the Gardenside class time: (003) Picturing Time, (010) Defense Against the Dark Arts (Technology Edition), (024) Dynamics of Chaos, (028) The Intersction of Social Identity and Sport, (033) Hurricanes and Forest Fires, (042) Human Dilemmas (Instructor: Berheide). The Wednesday section of (008) Pollinators in Peril ends at 2:35 pm. If necessary, the Gardenside class could be moved to 2:45-4:45 pm, based only on this specific conflict and in consideration of the actual selected Gardenside applicants.