Dear Members of the University Community,

On this Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of all who study and work in the fields of ecology, I write to share some developments in Santa Clara’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental justice.

First, I am pleased to announce a three-year Initiative on Environmental Justice and the Common Good. This presidential initiative is grounded in our mission as a Jesuit, Catholic university that aspires to educate for justice by connecting environmental concerns with social justice issues, such as poverty, racism, and migration. It also reflects the recently announced Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Jesuits.

During the last eight years, Santa Clara has established a broad foundation for leadership in sustainability and environmental justice work. Thanks to the efforts of many across the University, SCU is consistently top-ranked in surveys for its sustainability work. Our faculty across disciplines have been recognized nationally for their research and service on environmental justice issues. Students engaged in research that has an environmental justice component have won two Rhodes Scholarships, two Udall Scholarships for environmental policy, as well as multiple Fulbrights.

The goals of the Initiative, for which Fr. Engh began planning last quarter, are three-fold:

• Promoting environmental justice across SCU through faculty development initiatives and research and teaching partnerships with community-based organizations;
• Building a network to resource innovative models of research and teaching for environmental justice across Northern California through partnerships with other academic institutions and community-based organizations;
• Expanding and resourcing collaborations among faculty, staff and students at Jesuit universities in the U.S. and around the world.

The Initiative is a natural next step, after the Environmental Justice and the Common Good conference held at SCU in May 2019 (see summary report) and a prior Bannan Institute collaborative. The Initiative is led by a cross-disciplinary steering group of faculty: Chris Bacon (Environmental Studies and Sciences); Iris Stewart-Frey (Environmental Studies and Sciences); Ed Maurer (Civil, Environmental, and Sustainable Engineering); Chad Raphael (Communication); and Tseming Yang (School of Law). This phase of the initiative will culminate with an international conference on environmental justice hosted by Santa Clara in 2023. The Dean's office in the College of Arts and Sciences will coordinate with offices and departments across campus to help the Initiative’s team achieve their goals. For more information, please contact environmentaljustice@scu.edu.

Second, I am proud to share that I have signed the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Carbon Commitment, which joins us with leading colleges and universities around the nation who have committed to carbon neutrality and to education and research across our campuses. My predecessors, Fathers Locatelli and Engh, signed the pledge. Today, we extend that commitment. I’m grateful to our faculty, staff and students who have consistently advanced our sustainability commitments over the years, with a special note of thanks to all those engaged with our Center for Sustainability.

Each of us can contribute to our common effort. I invite you to read our current Sustainability Strategic Plan, which details concrete actions that we can make daily.

Together, we have accomplished much, but there is more work to do. And there is no better place than Santa Clara to realize the promise of a more just, gentle, and sustainable world. May God bless our labors.

Gratefully,

Kevin F. O'Brien, S.J.
President