At Ithaca College, our natural surroundings are our second campus. From Cayuga Lake to Buttermilk Falls to the Ithaca College Natural Lands, our natural environment is worth protecting, and we take this responsibility seriously. Ithaca College's faculty, staff and students are dedicated to prioritizing sustainability in all aspects of campus life.

Sustainability at IC
IC Sustainability is Managed by the Office of Energy Management and Sustainability (OEMS)
OEMS focuses on supporting institution-wide, environmental- and social justice-focused projects initiated across the Ithaca College campus. We strive to integrate sustainability into every aspect of student, faculty, and staff life, with a focus on the following areas:
Institution: Ithaca College sets goals for our campus to improve environmental, social, and financial sustainability. We are committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 or sooner.
Academics: We strive to integrate holistic sustainability into curricula across all departments on campus.
Culture: We support and connect related groups and projects, nurture the community-wide conversation on sustainability, and host events. Our goal is to equip students, faculty, and staff with the tools to engage their communities in environmental stewardship and social justice.
Operations: Ithaca College establishes best practices for new campus development, retrofits, and building operations.
Sustainability Accomplishments
Nearly 80% of IC’s Academic Departments across all 5 Schools offer sustainability-focused courses
IC manages 560 acres of natural areas to preserve biological diversity, ecological functions, and ecosystem services.
Featured Stories




OEMS staff is currently drafting and updating a campus sustainability map. Please reach out to sustainability@ithaca.edu with any suggested additions or edits. Thank you.