ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ is home to internationally renowned climate science faculty and researchers. The global climate change crisis is an urgent priority for faculty both in CU's academic units and in campus research institutes, some of which are the most highly ranked in the world. These faculty not only offer their service to the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Faculty Assembly, but also bring their research and expertise to shared governance processes in ongoing efforts to educate broadly and to effectuate change on campus, in the community, and around the world.

The ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Faculty Assembly focuses on addressing the climate crisis by engaging in campus conversations, working with students, staff and administrators, and by passing multiple resolutions and statements in support of climate action and education. In 2020 the BFA created a standing committee dedicated to prioritizing campus wide action addressing the climate crisis. That commitment was reaffirmed in a recent resolution passed by the entire ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ faculty Assembly: 2023 BFA resolution BFA-R-1-100923:

CU ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Faculty Resolution in Support of Urgent Climate Change Action 

 

BE IT RESOLVED that ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ faculty endorse prioritizing climate change and sustainability actions to be the central focus of our campus-wide initiatives, to be implemented as follows: 

•Education - by creating new climate-related classes, courses of study and projects in all CU departments and units, that will prepare our CU graduates for employment as climate solution leaders in their respective fields, 

•Research - by aggressively implementing more efficient and sustainable research operations practices across campus, and, in partnership with local and state-wide communities, by seeking ways to translate CU faculty research outcomes into equitable climate solutions,

•Outreach - by uniting faculty, students, staff, and administrators into a powerful cohort that advocates for and takes significant action toward reducing GHG emissions – across the campus, community, state, and nation,

•Communication - by urging policy makers, including the regents, system administrators, and campus leadership, to implement swift and systemic changes in order to avoid the worst impacts of extreme weather events, the devastation of human habitats, the collapse of ecosystems, and the loss of biodiversity.

The BFA Climate Science and Education Committee membership represents a broad range of disciplines, from humanities to social sciences to natural sciences. Collectively, we share a growing concern that we are not doing enough to join together with our students to become a major force for climate change solutions and maintain our reputation as a leading environmental university.