Talking Stick - May/June 2008 - 49

on many campuses, or consider the Lawn, Thomas Jefferson’s “academical village” at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “What’s important is each institution has to decide their own personality, and each serves a demographic group that represents many constituents,” says Chuck Werring, assistant vice president of housing and dining at Kansas State University in Manhattan. “Many traditions and history go into their architectural style, as well as the programmatic things that may be unique to your own campus population. What it boils down to is supporting the academic mission.” on their Web site, there is a culture of activism and vision, where it is expected that by “undertaking social responsibility and by examining the ethical implications of knowledge, students learn to evaluate the effects of actions and social policies and to take responsibility for making the world we live in a better place.” One of its core values has been environmental stewardship. Pitzer’s community leaders aligned themselves with the Clinton Global Initiative on Energy and Climate Change. In early 2007, Pitzer signed onto the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment and pledged to develop an action plan and a target date to become carbon neutral – essentially making as much energy as it uses – within two years. A group of students, faculty, staff, trustees, and administrators then collaborated on deﬁning the college’s vision for sustainability. Student housing surfaced as a primary area of focus, and the planning of three new residence halls began. The goals of the residential project, according to Pitzer College President Laura Skandera Trombley, has been to offer students a college lifestyle consistent with its culture. “Our objective is nothing short of entirely re-envisioning and reinventing the Pitzer residential housing experience,” she said. The vision is a self-contained community – complete with a wide selection of amenities – that would keep students living on campus for all four years. This lifestyle supports the school’s environmental commitment by encouraging a local lifestyle, thus enabling students to shrink their carbon footprints through less driving and fuel consumption. As an added beneﬁt to staying on campus, students gain extra time for study and community activities. HESTER + HARDAWAY When Green Is the New School Color For Pitzer College in Claremont, California, social responsibility has long been one of several educational objectives. Recently those goals were crystallized as the core values that constitute the Pitzer identity. As stated Developing the new residences gave a new dimension to the school’s brand, says Jim Marchant, Pitzer’s dean of students and vice president for student

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Talking Stick - May/June 2008

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