Ithaca College has joined the more than 300 institutions from around the world that have signed on to the Talloires Declaration, a 10-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations, and outreach at colleges and universities. President Peggy R. Williams was joined by other campus leaders at a signing ceremony on Tuesday, February 28.
“By signing the declaration, the College will continue to explore opportunities to support the global effort to build a sustainable future, develop and share relevant information, and educate our students to meet the challenges that will face them in the coming years,” said Williams.
The Talloires (pronounced Tal-Wahr) Declaration was developed in 1990, when leaders of 20 universities from all regions of the world gathered in Talloires, France, to discuss their concerns about the unprecedented scale and speed of environmental pollution and degradation, and the depletion of natural resources. These environmental changes, they said, threatened the survival of humans and thousands of other living species, the integrity of the earth and its biodiversity, the security of nations, and the heritage of future generations.
In keeping with the College’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, last fall President Williams asked the All-College Planning and Priorities Committee (PPC) to review how the Institutional Plan and Comprehensive Environmental Plan, both adopted in 2001, related to the Talloires principles. The committee determined that Talloires was consistent with the priorities and direction outlined in the plans, and identified opportunities for further advancement of the College’s mission by following the declaration's guidelines.
“We anticipate using the Talloires Declaration as a guiding framework for sustainability, as we implement the College’s Institutional Plan,” said PPC chair Peter Bardaglio, provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Joining President Williams for the signing ceremony were members of the President’s Council as well as representatives of campus organizations that were initial supporters of the College’s review of the Talloires Declaration, including Students for Sustainability, the Resource and Environmental Management Program, and the School of Humanities and Sciences Senate.
Pictured in the photo, left to right, are (front row ) Jason Hamilton, assistant professor of biology; Nancy Ramage, professor of art history; President Williams; Anna Day ’08; and Mark Darling, supervisor of the recycling and resource management program; (back row) Brian McAree, vice president for student affairs and campus life; Mike McGreevey, executive assistant to the president; Shelley Semmler, vice president for institutional advancement; Nancy Pringle, vice president and College counsel; Peter Bardaglio, provost and vice president for academic affairs; Ally Krasnow ’06; Marian Brown, special assistant to the provost; and Carl Sgrecci, vice president for finance and administration.
For more information, including the Talloires Declaration’s 10-pont action plan, visit the website of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (www.ulsf.org), an international nonprofit organization that serves as the secretariat for signatories of the declaration.
