Sustainability at Hanover

Aunt Flow

Hanover has a pilot program with Aunt Flow, which produces biodegradable/sustainable feminine hygiene products. These products are available to students, free of charge, with locations in a classroom building, campus center and Horner Center. An expansion is planned in the future to include residence halls and Greek houses.

Campus management

Hanover’s 650-acre campus includes 550 acres of managed property. Of this space, 500 acres are managed organically without the use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. In addition, the College’s 34 major buildings use energy-efficient LED lighting and feature water bottle fillers.

Community gardens

Hanover has two spaces that are considered to be community gardens. The original is located adjacent to the athletic complex and includes a greenhouse area and water collection system.

A second garden space was initiated as a collaboration with the Town of Hanover in 2022. The Hanover Community Garden was formed as a non-profit organization to bring a diverse group of people together to grow, harvest and share healthy food. It was also designed as a community meeting place to enjoy nature and connect with the community. The community garden is raising funds to develop its infrastructure to purchase items such as raised beds, materials for vertical gardening, children’s area, fire pit, pavilion for farmers markets, pollinator garden and demonstration area.

E-cycling events

Twice each year, Hanover hosts opportunities for members of the campus community to dispose of electronic waste such as televisions, monitors, cell phones, microwaves, vacuum cleaners and more.

Food pantry

Hanover has a food pantry available to the campus community in the J. Graham Brown Campus Center, offering non-perishables, refrigerated and frozen items, toiletries and personal hygiene products. It is overseen by the campus chaplain and offers a work-study position to take inventory, purchase groceries, etc. Also, there is also a student organization that organizes food drives/basic education about the pantry.

Free Store

Hanover has a free store available to the campus community in Lynn Hall, offering new and gently used non-perishables, clothing and more. It is overseen by the campus chaplain.

Bee-keeping Club

Possibly forming – A student organization dedicated to beekeeping.

Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC)

The Environmental Stewardship Committee reviews the College’s procedures and practices that affect sustainability, environmental quality, and education for the campus and for the larger community and world. 

Membership: Three appointed faculty members, two students nominated by Student Senate, director of operations (or designated representative) and director of environmental health and safety. Current chair: Eric Dodge 

The procedures and practices to be reviewed might include materials chosen for the activities of the College; use, reuse, recycling, and disposal of materials; energy use; environmental quality of living and working spaces; transportation and parking; sound and visual environments of the campus. The Committee develops ideas for improvements or expansions of practices, educates the College community about good stewardship, and makes recommendations to the President and Cabinet for new practices or expansion of existing good ones. The Committee may also take action by organizing programs to elicit others to join in improving environmental quality.

Environmental Stewardship Committee on Facebook

Garden Club

Reforming – A student organization dedicated to gardening.

Green Panthers

A student organization dedicated to implementing sustainable practices on campus as well as educating and serving the world through community service.

Contact: greenpanthers2022@HanoverCollege.onmicrosoft.com / Green Panthers Instagram 

Outdoor Wilderness Leadership (OWL)

Outdoor Wilderness Leadership (OWL) sponsors outdoor trips and an outdoor equipment rental program to provide affordable access to equipment that gets the campus community into nature and exploring the outdoor world.

See all: Campus Clubs and Organizations

The Bruce K. Bunger ’77 and Deborah Wisner Bunger ’78 Endowed Environmental Sustainability Fund

Created by Bruce Bunger ’77 and Deborah Bunger ’78, the fund will support projects that help the Hanover College community improve sustainability culture and promote a better understanding of the human-environment relationship.

The Green Fund

Funded by Bruce K. Bunger ’77 and Deborah Wisner Bunger ’78, the Hanover College Green Fund (HCGF) promotes student participation in and provides funding for research and projects that lessen the impact of campus on the local and global environment and creates a culture of environmental, social and economic sustainability on campus.

Green Fund Project Application (Hanover login required)

Previously Funded Projects

For our first major project since returning as an active club on campus, with the help of Dr. Bevis, Green Panthers decided to target Hanover’s campus garden. As an entity on campus, the garden exists for students and staff alike to grow whatever they please. Using the Hanover College Green Fund, we were able to replace nine garden beds as a part of what will be an ongoing process of returning the garden to its former glory.

With the Green Fund I placed aluminum can recycling bins in the four fraternity houses on campus. This hopefully will create a more environmentally conscious campus and increase aluminum recycling in the fraternity houses! 

-Andrew W. Denham ’25

Academics

Hanover has 19 academic departments with sustainability course offerings. Campus-wide, 546 courses are offered with 117 being sustainability-inclusive and four being sustainability-focused. The College offers an environmental science major and minor, as well as an environmental studies minor.

Diversity and equity

The students, faculty, staff, and trustees of Hanover College are committed to providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus so that all feel welcome to seek academic, personal, and moral growth within a community that is safe, challenging, and responsive. We embrace diversity in recruiting and retaining students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds regardless of age, race, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, marital status, political viewpoint, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status. We recognize that our definition of diversity must be inclusive, porous in its boundaries and ever evolving, changing as our campus, our society, and our vision of the world changes. It must also create a safe space for the discussion and debate of well-reasoned, thoughtful, and constructive ideas of all kinds. We strive to practice respect, compassion, and understanding for one another, so that all may participate in the open and free exchange of ideas necessary for a meaningful education and a successful democracy.

Student orientation

Hanover hosts a “Hike to the Point” to introduce new students to the 650-acre campus and encourage nature activities as part of the College experience. During welcome week, OWL facilitates a day trip to a Clifty Falls State Park. This trip connects new students with current student leaders interested in sustainable student involvement. Welcome Week also includes a shuttle trip to local farmers market to promote carpooling and connection to locally grown products, as well as an on-campus pop-up farmers market to create connections with local producers and encourage future participation.

Wellness plan

Employees and students have free access to licensed mental health counselors on campus for face-to-face counseling. Counselors offer wellness workshops and classes on yoga, mindfulness and meditation. Students are able to enroll in wellness-related May term courses for college credit.