A new vision of equity is blooming on Harper’s Campus in the form of a community garden. 

Conversations between Harper Grows, Administration, Finance, and Facilities have been hopeful in approaching this endeavor, and Harper has begun to welcome new community partners such as the University of Illinois extension office, local non-profits, and garden clubs, who have also brought the project closer to fruition.

“When we walked into our meeting with [provost] Dr. [Ruth] Williams and [Executive Vice President] Mr. [Rob] Galick to follow up on our proposal in January, the first thing they said was ‘yes’,” Biology Professor Ginger McHugh-Kurtz shared. “Now we are just working on a few requests to finalize the proposal before presenting it to the Executive Cabinet in March.”

Six garden beds will reside near the observatory, with Access and Disability Services (ADS) being considered, ensuring all who wish to participate in and around the gardens have the opportunity to do so. 

Harper Facilities has agreed to provide a 500 gallon water tank to sustain the gardens, however, the maintenance will be managed through Harper Grows.

“The gardens will be led by a garden coordinator who will coordinate between garden club, promise scholars, and community members. It’s very much a Heritage Garden where other clubs are welcome to plant food from their culture,” McHugh-Kurtz emphasized. “For instance, if the Asian Student Association or Latinos Unidos wanted to plant food in the raised beds, we would welcome them to plant there. We hope to donate the rest of the food to Hawks Care.” 

Harper College students, faculty, and administrators previously found themselves at odds over efforts to establish a Heritage Garden on campus. The conversation triggered at the 2024 Diversity Symposium, where conversation took an unexpected turn when an audience member called out the campus project for its unexpected denial. 

The comment quickly stirred up debate among the approximately 100 participants, with some defending the project’s purpose and others questioning its progress and the decisions being made.

Some students and stakeholders believed the project may be struggling due to miscommunication and unclear direction, while others saw this as a chance to hit pause, regroup, and formalize the garden’s concept. 

The idea of a community style garden at Harper has been brought to light in recent years.

“In spring of 2020, we were drafting a recommendation and had established a timeline… but the proposal was never completed because COVID hit. And then [the sustainability manager] left. The idea of the garden did not die, but that proposal stopped,” Professor Emeritus Julie Ellefson explained. “Despite these challenges, it was a vision that I didn’t want to go away.”

For students, the garden represented more than a project—it was a solution to pressing issues such as food insecurity and mental health. However, some have felt that the responsibility of the project has fallen more heavily on their plate. 

“We scheduled a meeting with the Provost, and she just told us to do more, and get more students involved, but it’s a lot harder than it looks,” Molly Cochran, a member of Harper’s Environmental Club, said. “Why should the pressure be on us to make something happen when we are actively trying in ways, even if they don’t think it’s enough?”

Dr. Williams maintains the administration’s firm commitment to sustainability efforts as the administration works towards incorporating a new graduate distinction. 

“I met with a group of faculty that are bringing forward a Sustainability Distinction, similar to our Social Justice Studies Distinction and our Global Scholars Distinction,” Dr. Williams said. “We were discussing the job description, timeline, and other resources that need to be put forward to support that distinction.”

“I know there’s definitely an interest in infusing [sustainability] into the curriculum,” Dr. Williams stated, “which is also critical.”

If fully approved, the gardens hope to break ground in April as a symbol of unity alongside the International Education Symposium.