Dear members of the Gettysburg College community,
As an educational institution, we are committed to understanding the causes of climate change and the scientific, political, economic, and cultural efficacy of possible responses. We do this through our teaching in disciplines such as environmental studies, political science, and economics. We also do it through the research and scholarship of our faculty. This work – teaching, research, and scholarship – is central to our commitment to be a responsible steward of our natural environment.
We also have a responsibility, shared both institutionally and by each of us as members of the community, to make Gettysburg a more sustainable place.
To advance that responsibility, the College developed a Climate Action Plan in 2009 to achieve carbon neutrality by 2032. Through the hard work of many Gettysburgians, we have made meaningful progress toward that goal. Yet, we have more work to do if that progress is to continue and to endure, and if we are to reduce the campus’s overall environmental footprint. It is with this work in mind that I have constituted a campus-wide advisory group, the Climate Change & Sustainability Committee.
This committee will be co-chaired by Environmental Studies Prof. Randy Wilson and Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Peter North. With members drawn from the student body, the faculty, and administrative and support staff, the committee will start an ongoing conversation about what Gettysburg College can do to continue reducing its environmental footprint.
The committee will be charged with:
- Raising campus awareness of environmental and sustainability issues.
- Coordinating, promoting, and expanding campus recycling programs.
- Coordinating and promoting awareness of individual environmental responsibility.
- Participating in data collection and reporting activities for the STARS Report, which measures institutional progress towards carbon reduction and increased sustainability.
- Providing recommendations to the administration regarding future environmental and sustainability policies.
Your engagement is vital. I encourage you to share your thoughts with the Climate Change & Sustainability Committee about how ways in which the College and each of us can continue to make strides toward being a more sustainable campus
I am grateful for the willingness of Randy and Peter to co-chair the committee, and for the entire community’s engagement on these important issues.
Sincerely,
Bob Iuliano
President