The committment to preserving the quality of life for current generations as well as for future generations is now shared worldwide. In the United States, hundreds of universities and colleges are providing critical leadership in sustainability through the Presidents Climate Commitment and the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Sustainability is arguably one of the strongest energizing forces on campuses, involving coalitions of students, faculty, staff, and administrators. Programs for “greening the campus” are widespread among American institutions, and their impact will be profound. The University of Arizona has clearly been a leader in many areas of sustainability for more than a decade and has recently been recognized as one of the top six universities having a comprehensive approach to sustainability.
The 2009-2013 UA Strategic Plan states: “The University of Arizona’s strengths in water, environmental science, energy and sustainable engineering practices must be mobilized to meet the challenges of growth.” In September 2007, President Shelton affirmed the University’s commitment to sustainability by establishing the Campus Sustainability Committee which now coordinates research, curriculum, operations, planning, and building design across the entire campus.
Fundamental to our approach to sustainability at the University of Arizona is that we believe that we must practice what we instruct. Ultimately, concepts of sustainability are likely to have little use unless we demonstrate the reality of their impact. This commitment to practice by the Campus Sustainability Committee is a core value that we believe is shared the entire university community, especially as a land grant institution. Therefore, the Committee calls for the transformation of the University of Arizona campus as a living, learning laboratory for sustainability. Our university must be community that is learning and demonstrating “what works” for sustainability through specific projects, case studies, demonstrations, and best practices which are delivered through an innovative curriculum. Importantly, we also need to partner with a broader community beyond the campus borders to prove the effectiveness of our approaches.
Red and blue have illuminated the modern banners of the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona is now committed to the concept of “greening the campus” in all aspects but the Campus Sustainability Committee would seek to remind our community of a deeply historical reference not necessarily to the color green but rather a more thought provoking shade: sage. Our experience more clearly resonates with this characteristic variance on the color green that is prevalent in Arizona. It reflects the both the reality of our location and the persistent tenacity of life in general in the Southwest environment.
In addition, the use of the word "Sage" adroitly conveys our need to impart wisdom and learning: the members of our university community must all endeavor to become sages who develop solutions for sustainability. The practicality of our approach through a living, learning laboratory will focus on the demonstrable impacts of sustainability projects.
© 2008 Arizona Board of Regents
