Introduction
From small college campuses located in rural America, to major universities in the nation’s cities, a revolution is afoot in higher education.
The leaders of more than 500 colleges and universities have committed themselves and their institutions to a mission of sustainability – “Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
That commitment affects – in varying degrees – curricular development, campus operations, facility construction and renovation, even financial management.
Through its grantmaking, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund works with more than five dozen institutions of higher education from Toronto, Canada, to Miami, Florida and west to San Antonio, Texas. Two-thirds of these institutions have adopted some type of sustainability program.
Through this virtual issue of Notes from the Field, the Fund’s semi-annual publication, we take a closer look at the changes taking place at three of the Fund’s eligible organizations – Berea College, the University of Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We are impressed by their comprehensive strategies, from facilities management and instruction to public policy work. We trust you will find in these vignettes hopeful news and a can-do spirit.