Envr 401 - Environmental Research
Class Concept
A final year environmental research class that allows students from different environmental disciplines to work together on a real world problematic. The group is asked to consult the project’s proponent regularly to better tailor their research to his needs.
Topic Fall 2009
Rethinking Food Choices at McGill: Defining “sustainability” in the context of McGill to help guide purchasing decision for poultry and greenhouse tomatoes in the cafeterias. Presentation materials can be found by clicking here
Outcome: The ENVR 401 project group worked with the McGill Food and Dining Services to inform their Strategic Plan. Currently, McGill Food and Dining purchases 10% of chicken from independent producers, and has 2% of chicken purchases sourced from organic farms. All chicken is Canadian, with the majority of chicken sourced from Quebec.
Topic Fall 2010
Sustainable Seafood Practices at McGill University:Seeing which type of sustainable fishery certification makes more sense in McGill’s provincial context
Outcome: Applicable guidelines to help the McGill Food and Dining Services purchase from sustainable fisheries. Resulted in MFDS achieving Marine Stewartship Certification (MSC) in 2013!
Topic Fall 2012
Energy-Wise Dining Project: Determining which technical and behavioural modifications should be made in the Royal Victoria College (RVC) and Bishop Mountain Hall (BMH) cafeterias in order to increase energy efficiency.
Outcome: Implementation of the project will be led by MFDS' student sustainability coordinatior. This research has initiated current initiatives including a large Green House Gas audit of McGill Food and Dining Services.
Geog 302 - Environmental Management
Class Concept
A project based class that requires students to write a project proposal and describe the steps necessary to it implementation
Topic 2009
Best Practices for Sustainable Food Purchasing at Mcgill: A study of other universities’ sustainable food sourcing models and how it could be applicable to McGill’s situation. (Management Proposal [pdf])
Outcome: Creation of a new full-time position that worked within the McGill Food and Dining Services as a purchasing agent, overseeing that local and sustainable food purchases be favored in the coming semesters. Today, this position has been modified to a part-time "student sustainability coordinator."
Envr 490 - Independent Study in Environment (3 credits)
Class Concept
A class that allows a student to conduct a study on a particular topic independent of subjects already offered within their faculty to deepen his/her understanding of the problematic at stake.
Topic Winter 2009
Labor Rights in Agriculture:Analysis of the labor rights issue within the Québec agriculture system
Outcome: Creation of guidelines for best labor practices to be inserted into contracts of our next food service provider call for tenders
Topic Fall 2010
Student Engagement for a Localized Food System at McGill: The aim of this project is to increase awareness of systems thinking towards issues of sustainability, identify and analyze the student decision-making process, determine the most effective methods for fostering student engagement regarding issues of sustainability, and provide recommendations for the best ways to approach students living in residence for the greatest change of a lasting impact.
Outcome: Discovered student desire to take action to reduce their impact on the environment in their personal lives; discovered that personal engagement with students was the most effective way to reach them regarding issues related to sustainability and increasing awareness; provided recommendations for stakeholders involved in the McGill food system.
Agri 310 - Agriculture and Environment Internship
Class Concept
Internship on working farms or in other appropriate businesses of the agri-food/environment industries.
Topic 2009
Meatless Monday at McGill: Investigation on the ways to improve the sustainability and health of the foods offered by the MFDS.
Outcome: Establishment of an information campaign directed at MFDS residence halls to raise student awareness about the environmental and social impacts of meat consumption. Once a month, information is displayed and more vegetarian and vegan meal options are available in residence cafeteria.
Urbp 506 - Environmental Policy and Planning
Class Concept
Analytical and institutional approaches for understanding and addressing urban and other environmental problems at various scales; characteristics of environmental problems and implications; political-institutional context and policy instruments; risk perception and implications; cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, multiple-objectives approaches, life-cycle analysis; policy implementation issues; case studies.
Topic 2009
Food, Sustainability, and Institutional procurement Policy at McGill: The Limitations to Demand-Side Change: A founding member of the MFSP used his Urban Planning course to explain the connections of our sourcing practices at McGill to the larger food system, and the importance and potential dangers of the model.
Outcome: Assessment of challenges faced by demand-side using the McGill Food and Dining Services as a case study
Envr 495 - Independent Study in Environment (6 credits)
Class Concept
A student chooses to conduct a two semester research project on a particular topic independent of subjects already offered within their faculty to deepen his/her understanding of the problematic at stake.
Topic 2010
Improving McGill's Supply Chain: Keeping track of what has been done in the MFSP since its debute and documenting the findings relating to the Québec poultry industry and how it can be used to influence McGill’s poultry purchasing practices
Outcome: Creating institutional memory and refining purchasing guidelines for sourcing poultry from best practice producers
BUSA 400 - Independent Studies in Management
Class Concept
Research reading or field projects in the Faculty of Management, permitting independent study under the guidance of a Faculty member.
Topic Fall 2014
Constructive Consumerism Project: The Constructive Consumerism Project is an ASR project that was carried out in three phases between Summer 2012 and Fall 2014. The purpose of this project is to examine the food choice process of residence students at McGill University and to assess what barriers and incentives can change diners’ current behavior. Its three core objectives are to a) tangibly measure the overall attitude of McGill students towards local and sustainable food in McGill dining halls, b) determine the most effective ways to communicate the benefits of sustainable food options to the student body and c) provide recommendations for future marketing strategies to communicate with students regarding sustainable food in McGill cafeterias. The final report of the Constructive Consumerism project can be found here:
constructive_consumerism_final_paper.pdf.
GEOG 490 - Independent Study in Geography
Class concept
Research project permitting independent study under the guidance of a staff member specializing in the field of interest.
Topic Winter 2014
Measuring the Sustainability of Food Choices for a Smartphone Application: This research project lays out a comprehensive and easily understood metric to assess the environmental impacts of 14 primary ingredients in the meals served at two McGill cafeterias. Water use, land use, and climate impacts are calculated for each ingredient, and sample meals are simulated. The original aim of this project was to contribute to the creation of a MFSP smartphone application that would provide students with information about the environmental implications of their food choices. The results of this project have been integrated in the Myko app, a sustainability scoring app that aims to educate McGill students about the impacts of their actions based on six environmental and social metrics. The MFSP is now partnering with Myko to further the results of this analysis with two new ASR projects. Found here: