Environmental Sustainability

Our Mission for a Sustainable Future

At Albertus Magnus College, care for the earth is an extension of our mission. In 2021, we were the first college in Connecticut to sign on to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, an international initiative sponsored by the Vatican to guide Catholic institutions in organizing action plans centered on sustainability. Our Laudato Si’ Action Team invites students, faculty, and staff to build a culture of sustainability on campus and beyond.

Learning for the Future

In their courses, students consider how environmental justice relates to their own interests and career goals. Popular courses related to sustainability include Environmental Ethics, Spirit and Nature, Urban Gardens Studio, Social Entrepreneurship, and Nature and American Literature. Students can choose to focus their General Education credits on sustainability through the Mission Earth Pathway.

Living Sustainably

Bike Share

There are many ways to live sustainably as a member of the Albertus community. Here are just a few:

  • Join the Falcon Bike Share. You can check out a bike for a few hours or a day. Riding a bike gives you more options for exploring New Haven, whether for a leisurely ride at a park, a visit to a cafe or restaurant, or a trek to a job or internship.
  • Reduce your consumption of plastic bottles by using water refill stations across campus. These stations have saved over 220,000 plastic bottles since they were installed.
  • Connect with nature and support local food organizations in the Community Garden. Located between Siena and Sansbury Hall, the Community Garden is a site for experiential learning and community-building. As of 2023, Albertus has donated over a thousand pounds of produce in response to growing food insecurity in the New Haven community.

Over the past decade, Albertus has made major strides in reducing its environmental footprint:

  • Solar panels over the Tier Parking Lot and outside the Hubert Campus Center were installed in 2017. These panels provide 40% of electricity on campus.
  • Albertus partners with All American Waste to provide single-stream recycling. Bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, and most plastics are diverted from bulk waste.
  • Albertus’ food service partner, Chartwells Dining Services, is dedicated to recycling and reducing food waste. They also offer plant-based options at meals for students who want to eat more sustainably.

Growing a Green Culture

Each spring, we celebrate Earth Fest to promote appreciation for our common home and commitment to its protection. Student clubs and departments across campus sponsor service opportunities, poetry readings, outdoor excursions, art events, and conversations with local environmental justice groups.

Garden

Throughout the year, the Eckhart Center sponsors lectures, panels, and workshops about contemplation and action in pursuit of a more just and peaceful world.

Student clubs on campus promote sustainable living and ecological exploration. For example, the Student Government Association has sponsored improvements to our recycling program and the Outdoors Club hosts regular excursions into nature.