History of Sustainability

At Denison
Sustainability Timeline

The college has devoted resources and careful consideration to the quality of its surrounding environment for decades.

Starting with the establishment of the Denison University Homestead in 1977, the college has undertaken a number of wide-ranging initiatives that address the relationship between humans and their environment. The campus recycling program was introduced in 1984, and later evolved into a community recycling center. In 1994, academic interest in environmentalism prompted the creation of an Environmental Studies major and minor.

In 2007, the Environmental Taskforce was established, and charged with the enormous goal of creating a plan to address all matters of concern relating to environmental sustainability. This includes addressing global warming, food issues, recycling, energy and more. The Task Force was finally able to push for the creation of the committee within the university council governance system. The Campus Sustainable Committee aims to maintain open communication on campus, assess current environmental practices, and establish benchmarks in regards to sustainability. In 2009, Denison hired Jeremy King as the Campus Sustainability Coordinator to assist the Committee and guide the University in its sustainability endeavors.