Ithaca College’s Environmental and Sustainability Model

Ithaca College has been a front-runner in the area of sustainability education among U.S. universities for the past five years. We signed the Talloires Declaration for environmental stewardship and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, built two new buildings that are seeking the highest level of LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, developed a program to infuse sustainability concepts across the curriculum, and instituted award-winning compost, recycling, and food services programs.

As our environmental studies program rapidly grows in response to our reputation, we now look to take the next significant steps in our evolution. We aim to provide the best education possible for tomorrow’s environmental and sustainability leaders, and to share our best practices with colleagues regionally and across the United States to advance environmental stewardship and protection. As a single institution, we have demonstrated how to successfully combine teaching, research, operations, and student life with sustainability, and we have brought together stakeholders in the region and within higher education internationally to catalyze environmental change and move towards climate neutrality.

We don’t simply teach about global climate change threats; we also offer our colleagues and students hands-on opportunities to respond via research, creative collective brainstorming, teamwork, and action. This positions us well to push the educational envelope with respect to sustainability, to serve as an institutional role model for climate neutrality and environmental stewardship, and to create productive partnerships between education and society.