Environmental Policy

Middlebury College as a liberal arts institution is committed to environmental mindfulness and stewardship in all its activities. This commitment arises from a sense of concerned citizenship and moral duty and from a desire to teach and lead by example. The College gives a high priority to integrating environmental awareness and responsibility into the daily life of the institution. Respect and care for the environment, sustainable living, and intergenerational responsibility are among the fundamental values that guide planning, decision making, and procedures. All individuals in this academic community have personal responsibility for the way their actions affect the local and global environment.

The above statement was prepared by the Environmental Council and was endorsed by the Middlebury College Board of Trustees in May 1995. The Environmental Council has developed the following expanded mission statement, which has been endorsed by the College administration:

These environmental values are a systemic part of the vision and operation of Middlebury College. This community both celebrates and is challenged by Middlebury's Environmental Peak of Excellence, seeking ways to responsibly transcribe this ethic into action and leadership for the common good.

As a College we are committed to:

consistently assessing and improving our environmental performance
integrating environmental concerns and sustainable development principles into all planning and design decisions, as well as maintenance and management of our infrastructure and lands
working towards becoming a pedestrian oriented campus
employing the goal of making environmentally and fiscally responsible purchasing choices, recognizing entire life cycles for energy and material resources
supporting the local economy and community through environmental education, purchasing, and other College operations
encouraging and facilitating research on environmental sustainability while maintaining support for existing campus sustainability programs
supporting initiatives of students in building Middlebury's Environmental Peak of Excellence
ensuring that academic, co-curricular and institutional training programs enable students and employees to develop their environmental awareness and their understanding of the importance of environmental responsibility
utilizing the residential Commons system to build vibrant communities of students who are environmentally responsible citizens and have an understanding of and respect for this bioregion
challenging every College member to share the environmental values that develop through teaching, learning, working, research and living at Middlebury with wider lifetime communities around the world.