Haywood is only N.C. college to be named finalist

Press release from Haywood Community College, shared March 29:

Haywood Community College is a finalist in the Second Nature 2012 Climate Leadership Awards, a national competition among colleges and universities to earn the title of “Most Innovative Climate Leader.” HCC is the only college in North Carolina that was named as a finalist and one of twenty nationwide.

According to Anthony Cortese, Second Nature co-founder, “The 2012 finalists represent the best of the best institution-wide approaches to teaching and action. We urge all colleges and universities to build off these ideas to promote sustainability systemically.”

Upon receipt of the news, HCC President Dr. Rose Johnson stated, “It is an honor for HCC to be recognized as a finalist for this prestigious award and for its community-based approach to teaching, practicing, and modeling sustainability. Plus, it is wonderful that the community has a chance to view and vote for HCC’s sustainability video, which is part of this competition.”

HCC and other finalists have produced and posted a sustainability video that can be viewed at www.planetforward.org/climate-leadership-awards. The public is urged to vote for HCC between March 14 and April 14. The finalists with the most votes will be profiled by Planet Forward’s “Move the Planet” conference the week of April 16.

The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) will announce the official 2012 Climate Leadership Award winners during its Leadership Summit at American University in Washington, DC June 21 and 22. One to two institutions from each Carnegie Classification will receive an award. ACUPCC is an agreement between nearly 700 colleges and universities to promote sustainability through teaching and action. Second Nature is the lead sponsor of the ACUPCC. More information on the awards is at http://secondnature.org/awards.

HCC’s campus community has embraced sustainability and is incorporating sustainable practices in many new and exciting ways–from the college’s everyday processes to its new programs and building projects.

About Second Nature

Second Nature works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable society by transforming higher education. Second Nature is the lead supporting organization of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, a growing network of over 675 signatory higher education institutions in all fifty states that have made a public commitment to transform the educational experience for all students so they are prepared to solve the climate crisis.

Learn more at: www.secondnature.org.

About the ACUPCC

The ACUPCC is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments from college and universities to accelerate the education, research and community engagement to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate, and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from their own operations.

Learn more at: www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.

2012 Finalists

Listed According to Their Respective Carnegie Classifications

Doctorate Granting University

  • Arizona State University, Ariz.
  • Georgia Institute of Technology, Ga.
  • New York University, N.Y.
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
  • University of South Florida, Fla.

Master’s Colleges & University

  • Florida Gulf Coast University, Fla.
  • Goddard College, Vt.
  • University of Central Missouri, Mo.
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey, N.J.

Baccalaureate College

  • Allegheny College, Pa.
  • Carleton College, Minn.
  • Luther College, Iowa
  • Spelman College, Ga.

Associate/Tribal College

  • Austin Community College District, Texas
  • Chandler – Gilbert Community College, Ariz.
  • Glendale Community College, Ariz.
  • Haywood Community College, N.C.

Special Focus Institutions / Other

  • Pratt Institute and PALS, N.Y.
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University, N.Y.
  • University of California System, Calif.

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Angie Newsome was the executive director and editor of Carolina Public Press. Contact her at (828) 774-5290 or e-mail her at anewsome@carolinapublicpress.org.

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