Southern Oregon University has long been proud of its commitment to sustainability, advocating stewardship of the environment and a “more restorative form of capitalism,” according to the university’s website.
The university has received national attention for its progress toward a more ecologically friendly campus, and will be featured in a video series produced by the Department of Energy on sustainable communities.
The DOE’s “Clean Energy in Our Community” video series has already spotlighted several college campuses that have gone above and beyond in the name of sustainability, such as Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and Allegheny College in Meadsville, Penn.
SOU will be next on that list, according to James Beaver, director of Interactive Marketing and Media Relations.
The video series features “small communities throughout the country that are striving to become more sustainable, are investing in the green economy, and are bringing the benefits of clean energy to local residents and workers,” according to the DOE’s website.
The impetus for many of the sustainability initiatives on campuses across the nation was due to the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment. Signatories to the commitment promise to incorporate sustainability in all aspects of students’ education, and to achieve carbon neutrality sometime in the future.
SOU President Mary Cullinan was one of over 600 university presidents to sign the agreement. Cullinan promised to make the SOU campus carbon neutral by 2050.
The video will not be released until next week, according to Beaver. It was originally scheduled to air this Thursday. For more information on the DOE’s video series, click here.
