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Moderator: Lee Bodner, Executive Director, ecoAmerica Marshall E. Drummond, Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District Jonathan C. Gibralter, President, Frostburg State University C. D. Mote, President, University of Maryland College Park Why sign the American College and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment? For President Gibralter, it was the students who really convinced him to sign the commitment. He watched his FSU students and students around the nation rally for the cause. Gibralter has always been passionate about sustainability issues, and this was his chance to take action. Here are two quote that President Gibratler had in his slides:

“If higher education is not relevant to solving the crisis of global warming, it is not relevant, period.” David Hales, President, College of the Atlantic “More than ever, universities must take leadership roles to address the grand challenges of the 21stcentury, and climate change is paramount amongst these.” Michael Crow, President, Arizona State University

"Working towards carbon neutrality is extremely important. I know there's going to be a commitment and I know there's going to be a cost commitment... I don't think there is any intent to embarrass anybody for not meeting the goals," says Gibralter. President Mote also had a few encouraging words. "If you don't have a goal, you can't get anywhere.... Higher education has to take a leadership role... You have to do what's right." When he decided to sign, he focused on the students as well. Not only was there a push by students at the University, he knew the commitment would affect each student as they pass through the institution into society. For Chancellor Drummond, being from a community college, his experience has been a little different. "Community college students are typically very engaged. They work an average of 25 hours a week," says Drummond. Students often don't feel that they have time to engage directly in the movement. Working a part or full time job and attending school limits your ability to get involved. Personally, I believe that community college presidents and chancellor owe it to their students to either sign the commitment or start big sustainability and climate change initiatives on campus. If students don't have the time to participate in sustainability initiatives outside of school, they should receive this traininginschool. (i.e. sustainability in the curriculum) It is coincidentally a sustainability issue to input sustainability into the curriculum. We need to target this group. Community colleges are often technical training institutions. These students need to understand how their work will affect the rest of the world in regards to climate change. Whether students get involved outside or inside their courses, they need to understand the big picture. Additionally, being part of a community college, Drummond doesn't feel that as many people are watching. There's not as much pressure to sign the ACUPCC (whether that be because students don't have the resources to pressure institutions or because community colleges don't get as much attention in the media and aren't as well known.) Drummond made the commitment so that his community college district could participate and lead (being that LACCD is the largest community college district in the nation) the campus climate neutral movement. Another motivating factor was the fact that saving energy saves money on energy costs.As a student trying to convince their president to sign the PCC, what process should I use to accomplish this mission?"Student can have a lot of impact - more than you give yourself credit for," says Mote. He suggests that students make a commitment to the institution (and president) as well, whether that be commit ting to creating a composting program or promising to help with the GHG inventory. Mote also added, "Embarrassing pressure is always helpful too." Drummond responded, "I would hope that students get more engaged and more interested... Once regents and trustees realize that it's important today and it's important to students, communities, and states, they'll join in." He's suggesting that students need to put pressure on trustees and regents as well as presidents and chancellors.The overall feeling I got out the PCC panel was that students can really make a difference in convincing presidents to sign the commitment. So, don't give up. Continue to build your coalition. Keep knocking on your President's door. Climate change will affect our current lives and our future (not to mention our friends' and families' futures). The cause is worth fighting for. Inspire your peers to participate. This is and will always be remembered as the movement of our generation. And, with any luck, the glaciers will still exist when, in 20 years, we look back of what could have been.Los Angeles Community College District, Sustainability Homepage: LACCD Builds Green Two month reporting forms : East Los Angeles College Los Angeles City College Los Angeles Harbor College Los Angeles Mission College Los Angeles Pierce College Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles Trade-Technical College Los Angeles Valley College West Los Angeles College Frostburg State University, Sustainability Homepage: Learning Green, Living Green Two month reporting form University of Maryland College Park, Sustainability Homepage: Campus Sustainability Two month reporting form