Campus Sustainability in Action

Since its founding in 1963 Pitzer College has been committed to sustainability. This is demonstrated through efforts campus-wide:

Building Green

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the national standard for sustainable buildings created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The first phase of Pitzer College's Residential Life Project was awarded Gold LEED certification by the USGBC. Pitzer was the first Claremont College to receive Gold LEED certification for its residence halls and is among the few colleges and universities in the nation to achieve this major milestone. Upon completion of its three-phase construction project in progress, Pitzer will likely become the first college in the nation to have all Gold or higher LEED-certified residence halls.

"Upon completion of the Residential Life Project, we will be one of the few liberal arts colleges in the nation to raze and completely rebuild our student housing. Our aim is nothing less than to re-envision and reinvent the student residential housing experience. This new housing will be designed so that our students will enjoy a wholly integrated living and learning environment, and working together we will complete this next phase in the history of the College," President Laura Skandera Trombley said on the occasion of Pitzer's 40th anniversary.

Sustainable Programs

The John Rodman Arboretum grows drought-tolerant and native landscaping and is an integral part of the Pitzer campus.

The Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology resides on 150 acres in Costa Rica and is a biological reserve and logistical base for undergraduate ecological research.

The Ecology Center sponsors activities, workshops and lectures, and supports campus-based projects. It takes hundreds of pounds of food from the campus’s main dining hall, composts it and turns it into organic fertilizer for campus gardens and landscaping.

The Leadership in Environmental Education and Partnership Program (LEEP) involves students in a local wild ecosystem.

The Green Bike Program provides bikes, locks and repairs for students at all the Claremont Colleges.

Environmental Analysis

The Environmental Analysis program provides robust interdisciplinary training for students interested in environmental issues.

Sustainable Practices

Green Housekeeping: Pitzer facilities are cleaned with Green Seal-37 approved products only, which are also available for students to use in their individual rooms.

Duplex Printing: All Pitzer College printers are set up with duplex mode as their default.

Low-water Landscaping: Much of Pitzer’s landscaping is low-water.

Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education