Chancellor's Letter on Sustainability
Dear students, faculty, and staff:
As Chancellor of UMass Dartmouth, I convey my full commitment to sustainability. Our university was an early signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment Compact, a formal declaration of our support and obligation to achieve climate neutrality.
Out of respect for the dignity and privacy of our individual employees, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on decisions made about the Office of Sustainability. Suffice it to say that sustainability is widely integrated across UMass Dartmouth in our academic programs, operations, and research.
In academic programs, the Sustainability Minor and Certificate will continue. In operations, the initiatives involving power co-generation, solar panels wind turbine, recycling and others will continue. In research, our facility's work at SMAST in coastal preservation, marine estuaries, offshore energy and fisheries sustainability will continue. These efforts will remain under the administrative purview of Provost Karim and the Deans for academic programs, of Vice Chancellor Mark Preble for operations, and of Dean Steve Lohrenz for SMAST research.
We will continue the Living Classroom, the Community Garden, the Green Navigators and outreach to community partners. We also look forward to new ideas and activities emerging from conversations among students about the Green Fee fund, which will generate about $100,000 for projects.
Our UMass Dartmouth community will continue our sustainability initiatives because nothing less than the futures of our region and our planet are at stake. I was committed to sustainability long before I came to UMass Dartmouth - having led the creation of the first Leed-certified building and the first green roof in my prior university - and remain so, inspired by the passion and conviction expressed by our students and community.
Divina