Colgate University

Profile

Colgate, founded in 1819, is a nationally recognized liberal arts college set on a beautiful campus in the rural community of Hamilton in central New York State. The campus serves approximately 2,800 undergraduates enrolled in 51 academic programs under 277 full-time faculty members. Colgate’s commitment to sustainability is sweeping, ranging from construction practices to efficient power usage. Administrators, faculty and staff members, and students meet regularly to explore and implement practices that reduce the university's impact on the local environment.

The Environmental Initiative provides a structure for monitoring programs, generating new ideas, and setting a course for Colgate’s efforts moving forward. The Green Strides effort with its associated annual Green Summit is an ongoing, university-wide commitment to promote environmental citizenship and reduce Colgate’s environmental impact. In 2005 Colgate created the Environmental Council to give advice to the President and the university at large. Colgate hired a full-time sustainability coordinator in 2008.

Students get involved through a variety of organizations including Students for Environmental Action, a group of students with the common goal of leading the Colgate community in creating a healthy and livable future based on a sustainable relationship with our natural environment. The Student Government Association has an environmental coordinator on its executive board. The class gift of the Class of 2008 was the creation of an Environmental Sustainability Fund; the student gifts were matched by donations from Colgate’s Board of Trustees.

Colgate’s Environmental Studies Program includes courses on climate change as well as other environmental issues. The spring 2008 senior seminar explored alternative energy options for Colgate while students in the fall 2007 introductory course gathered information for Colgate’s second campus greenhouse gas inventory.

In both 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 Colgate’s Center for Ethics and World Societies had themes related to global climate change.

Recognizing climate change as a leading concern in the environmental arena, in 2004 Colgate partnered with Clean Air - Cool Planet in a committed effort to address its greenhouse gas emissions.

Past Initiatives

Colgate’s Green Print, a comprehensive strategic plan of initiatives to be implemented through the collaborative work of students, faculty, staff and administrators of the University, serves as an historical record of past initiatives. The plan outlines initiatives regarding air quality, water and energy management, facilities design, grounds and land management, resources and materials, dining and food services, transportation, marketing and education. 

Current Initiatives

The second campus greenhouse gas inventory is essentially completed and will lead to several efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Colgate has implemented a program to cultivate willow biomass on university-owned land as a pilot project to investigate the feasibility of this utilizing this source of fuel for the heating plant. The campus Green Bikes program, which rents bikes to students to use instead of driving to or around campus, is being expanded. Colgate is working towards more local sources for its dining services.

Future Initiatives

The 2008-2009 student government has initiated a carbon-neutral campus initiative encompassing energy, transportation, and food issues. Colgate is investigating expanding its wood-chip heating plant and growing willow biomass as a fuel. Construction of a wind turbine and conversion of a shuttle bus to run on waste vegetable oil are being considered. Students and faculty are working together to promote composting, purchase of local foods by Colgate’s food service, and a community garden.

Institution's Goal

Colgate's mission is to provide a demanding, expansive educational experience to a select group of diverse, talented, intellectually sophisticated students who are capable of challenging themselves, their peers, and their teachers in a setting that brings together living and learning. The purpose of the university is to develop wise, thoughtful, critical thinkers and perceptive leaders by encouraging young men and women to fulfill their potential through residence in a community that values all forms of intellectual rigor and respects the complexity of human understanding. As an educational institution, Colgate recognizes its responsibility to protect the surrounding environment and promote a sense of environmental stewardship among its faculty, staff, and students. Collaborative efforts by administrators, faculty, staff, students and members of the surrounding Hamilton community promote greater environmental awareness and protect Colgate’s campus and land holdings.