Environmental Leadership

Lewis & Clark College took another step in environmental leadership when it became the first Oregon college to sign the international Talloires Declaration of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future. President Tom Hochstettler signed the document on April 22, the 35th anniversary of Earth Day.

The declaration was created in October 1990 when college and university leaders from all over the world convened in Talloires, France, to create a document that spelled out key actions institutions of higher learning must take to create a sustainable future. These actions include creating an institutional culture of sustainability, fostering environmental literacy, and collaborating for interdisciplinary approaches. More than 310 institutions around the globe have signed the declaration. “Institutions of higher education can lead the way toward a more sustainable future,” says Liz Fehrenbach ’05, environmental studies major and coordinator of Students Engaged in Eco-Defense. “Signing the Talloires Declaration gives evidence that we are eager to provide that leadership.”

Howard Hall Dedication 
The College dedicated John R. Howard Hall at a public ceremony on Earth Day, April 22. The new 50,000-square-foot academic building is the latest example of Lewis & Clark’s commitment to sustainable building practices. Earlier on that same day, the College became the first Oregon institution of higher education to sign the Talloires Declaration of International Sustainability (see above).