
Striving to be the Leaders and Best in Sustainability and More

The Dana Building
SEAS has been housed in the Samuel Trask Dana Building, on the Diag in the heart of central campus, since 1961. Inside the Dana Building, environmental principles are not only taught but also upheld and demonstrated to the community. The building is a state-of-the-art example of green renovation, featuring materials that were recycled or manufactured from renewable resources. It was the first academic building in Michigan to earn LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Due to the pandemic, access to Dana is currently limited to those who have business in the building (classes, research, etc.). If you need to enter Dana for another reason, contact SEAS Facilities at seas-facilities@umich.edu.
Campus Sustainability
The University of Michigan has promoted a culture of sustainability for over 130 years. U-M began offering courses in forestry in 1881 — the first university in the United States to do so.
The U-M motto "Planet Blue begins with you!" extends to all aspects of the university, from operations to culture. How we live impacts our planet in many ways. Sustainability scholars, researchers, and advocates at the University of Michigan strive to maintain our planet’s life-support systems and to ensure that future generations can thrive here. Learn more about Planet Blue.
The University of Michigan Campus Farm at Matthaei Botanical Gardens is a living, learning laboratory for students and interns, providing educational, research, and employment opportunities related to the production of sustainable food and the study of food systems.
Going Carbon Neutral
The President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality, established in February 2019, is charged with guiding the university toward carbon neutrality and developing strategies that can be used by other institutions and larger communities to achieve the same goal. Read the draft recommendations here.
The carbon commission‘s work spans all three U-M campuses and Michigan Medicine. Membership includes students, faculty, administrators and local partners. SEAS Dean Jonathan Overpeck and Professor Greg Keoleian are both members of the commission.
While the commission’s work is underway, the University remains committed to reaching its current campus goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2025, and, through a planned expansion to the central power plant and finalized wind power agreement with DTE, reach it ahead of schedule.
COVID Safety on Campus
The University of Michigan takes student health and safety seriously. Below is information about how U-M is dealing with COVID on campus.
Campus COVID Data
The University of Michigan tracks COVID numbers and data on campus. That data is posted on this dashboard.
Vaccine Plan and the Blue Queue
The University of Michigan takes student health and safety very seriously. The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines arrived Dec. 14 at Michigan Medicine in the first step of a massive effort to vaccinate everyone interested within our U-M community.
Vaccine supply is currently limited. Until sufficient doses become available for all 130,000 eligible University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine faculty, staff and students on our Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses, the vaccination is being distributed in accordance with Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
Please visit Michigan Medicine for more information on the evolving plans for the COVID-19 vaccination.
To facilitate the vaccine distribution process, all faculty, staff and students are asked to complete a personal health and vaccine interest questionnaire through Blue Queue. Even if you do not yet know if you want to receive the vaccine, please complete the questionnaire as soon as possible. If you change your mind about receiving a vaccine at a later date, you can resubmit the survey and change your response. *For students: You must be a University of Michigan student with a umich.edu email address to complete the Blue Queue questionnaire.
Other Systems and Services
The University Library System offers access to research databases, books, study spaces, special exhibits, and a wealth of other knowledge resources.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is a free, confidential counseling service for all currently enrolled U-M students.
Quick Links:
- SEAS Facilities
- Planet Blue
- U-M Carbon Neutrality Initiative
- U-M Library System
- U-M Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Other Campus Resources:
SEAS Office of Academic Programs team created this robust google doc that lists resources on campus by category.