Sustainability Office
Commitment to Sustainability
Sustainability literacy and efficacy are critical skills for leadership and service in today's world.
As an organization, Davidson College seeks to model sustainability leadership in its campus facilities, grounds, and operations. As an educational institution, Davidson is committed to leveraging the liberal arts tradition to advance understanding of systems impacts in a rapidly changing world.
The Sustainability Office pursues a cross-campus approach to evaluation, project management, communications, programming, and capacity building. The work can be characterized by Kate Raworth's Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries. This model conveys that the pursuit of a "safe and just space for humanity" must consider both 1) an ecologically-informed ceiling to our planet's ability to support life, and 2) a social foundation that ensures foundational components to quality of life for all mankind.
Our world is a dynamic place. Sustainability, then, is not an endpoint.
Rather, it is a thoughtful journey that honors the world we have inherited while seeking a just existence and future for all fellow travelers. As a liberal arts college, Davidson is perfectly suited to engage pressing questions of sustainability.
The Sustainability Office strategically bridges and guides the efforts of students, faculty, staff, and the greater community towards collective, significant impact.
Sustainability Goals
- Build knowledge, values, and skills so students can fully participate in society as justice-oriented citizens
- Cultivate a community of practice so we can develop daily the behaviors and changes we wish to create in the world
- Develop campus facilities that serve as exemplars so others can learn about innovative sustainable systems and design
- Bridge campus, community, teaching, and research to leverage the assets of each in a mutually beneficial manner
- Enhance vocational preparedness so students can translate learning into a lifetime of leadership and service.
Did You Know? Major Initiatives
- In 2016, Davidson joined the "We Are Still In" network. This broad coalition was a grassroots response to the U.S. administration's statement of withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, recommitting businesses, cities, states, and educational institutions to carbon goals regardless of federal action.
- The college leads in campus food system responsibility, with a year-round Farm at Davidson College and a partnership with Crown Town Compost that redirects campus food waste.
- To date, the college has pursued U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification in seven major campus renovations. This framework ensures the highest standard of environmental and social responsibility throughout the building design and construction process.
Community Map Sustainability at Davidson
Looking for a water bottle refill station or a rack to store your bike? Curious where campus art engages with sustainability? Taking your first trip to the College Farm or one of the many nearby greenways and not sure how to find your way there? Check out this Google Map of Sustainability at Davidson.
Young Alumni Spotlight From the Farmer's Market to Graduate School
Two young alumni share how their experiences with Davidson’s Sustainability Office got them to where they are today, post-Davidson.
Student Spotlight How A Work Study Position Prepared Two Students for Summer Experiences
Two students share how their work study positions with the Sustainability Office prepared them for professional experiences during the summer.
Student Involvement
Student involvement inspires and informs sustainability initiatives, programs, and policies on campus. Student engagement is the strongest asset in positive change efforts at the college. Students build their capacity and impact through work study positions with the Sustainability Office and Farm at Davidson College, Davidson Outdoors activities, student organizations such as Patterson Court Sustainability Council, and many other student-led efforts.
Academics
The Environmental Studies program offers both a major and an interdisciplinary minor which provide overview courses, breadth and depth components, and a capstone project in the senior year. Students regularly collaborate with faculty on research projects that investigate and advance understanding of campus and community sustainability initiatives. Additionally, Davidson's 200-acre Ecological Preserve supports unique research opportunities while also providing outdoor recreational opportunities in a forested setting adjacent to campus.