Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
Updated Fall 2020
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Required talking points
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RSENR offers 6 different academic programs
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Forestry
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Natural Resources
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Parks, Recreation and Tourism
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Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
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Environmental Sciences & Environmental Studies (RSENR is one of three schools in which you can study the environment)
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Community & student support
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RSENR is one of the smallest schools/colleges at UVM (approx. 800 students) which allows for a close-knit community.
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First Year Advising Program: students take courses with their first-year advisor and advising group (~20 students) throughout their whole first year at UVM​.
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There is an emphasis on hands-on and experiential learning (mention a couple)
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Melosira​ Research Vessel:
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Docked in Lake Champlain
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Students learn all aspects of water sampling, plankton sampling, sediment coloring, bottom and mid-water fish trawling.
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10 Natural Areas managed by UVM:
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This offers opportunities for teaching and research through field experiences.
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Jericho Research Forest:
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UVM’s largest forest
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Students in RSENR take a class called “Dendrology”, which is the identification and study of trees (your final exam is to identify all trees studied in the course!)
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Rubenstein Aquatic Research Laboratory at ECHO Center:
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Houses state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities for the study of aquatic ecology and watershed sciences
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Opportunities for field work, internships, research, and study abroad.
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LEED Certifications & dedication to sustainability
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​Aiken is LEED Platinum... other buildings across campus have LEED certifications, too! The Davis Center is LEED Gold, and all new buildings at least LEED Silver.
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Eco-machine in Aiken Center Atrium (another opportunity for hands-on learning; direct visitors to look at the plaque if they'd like to learn more about it - no need to explain the science behind it)
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No bottled water for sale across campus
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Additonal optional talking points
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40% of RSENR students go on to earn a master's degree
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Over 400 students involved with the “Greening of Rubenstein” to improve the energy efficiencies of our building. This is completed through internships, research, projects – students continue to work with faculty and staff to further efficiencies in RSENR buildings and analyze building data & research
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AdvoCat Stories
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RSENR Classes/Labs
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I always like to use Tom Demouth's story about RSENR that I learned on his tour. He explained how his favorite class that he took in RSENR was Dendrology, the study of trees. The outdoor lab for the course every week was spending 3 hours in the woods looking at trees! The final exam for the course, he explained, was very unique - you walk into the exam room, sit down at a table with many different twigs on the table, each from different trees. The final exam grade for the class was how well each student could identify the tree species just by each tiny piece of twig. I find it to be a very cool story he shared with a perfect example of outdoor, hands-on learning in RESNR! ~Charlotte Graf
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Whenever I think about RSENR, I think about all the hands-on learning that you get to do when you take a class within the school. My best example of this was my first semester my first year, I had an 8:30 soil science lab every Wednesday. I would get up early and go completely clean, and come back 4 hours later covered head-to-toe in dirt because I had been waist-deep in a soil pit in the middle of the forest. I honestly do not know how my roommate put up with it because every Wednesday like clockwork our floors and bathroom would be covered in mud. Despite that, it really does go to show how in depth you get to be with the environmental labs, which is really good experience for any job prospects. One of the reasons I was able to get an environmental consulting internship the summer after my first year was because I had performed soil bores before in my soil science lab. ~Jake Gess
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I have a lot of stories about RSENR, I usually like to highlight some of the outside of the classroom learning I've been able to do through my classes. All Rubenstein first year students are required to take a class called NR-1, Natural History and Human Ecology. Through this course we learn about all sectors of the environmental field and pressing environmental issues. This lecture class also has a lab component where students travel all across the state of VT to learn technical skills out in the field. Some of the popular labs including going out on Lake Champlain on the Melosira to collect plankton samples and taking the Stowe gondolas up Mount Mansfield. ~Mariah Rivera
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my first year in RSENR i went to a farm for a lab and a donkey ate a mint out of my mouth -Grace Budd
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