As a Jesuit, Catholic liberal arts university, Loyola University Maryland is committed to taking care of the Earth while remaining anchored in service to the local Baltimore community.
In fact, environmental sustainability has been determined as one of Loyola’s top priorities during a recent community-involved Mission Priority Examen and inspired by the vision set forth by Pope Francis in Laudato Si.’
In fall 2021, Loyola joined the first cohort of universities enrolled as a Laudato Si‘ University by committing to the pope’s 7-Year Journey Toward Integral Ecology, an action-oriented and holistic approach to addressing social challenges in the world.
“Following the recent COP26 [26th United Nations Climate Change Conference] agreement to ‘urgently accelerate climate action’ and our commitment to Laudato Si,’ it is important that we continue to push for action towards a more sustainable and equitable planet,” said Tracy Harvey, Ph.D., Loyola’s program director of sustainability. “Our continued commitment to sustainability, caring for the Earth and its people, is ingrained in who we are here at Loyola and exemplifies our mission to inspire students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world.”
Loyola strives to foster global ethical leadership and social responsibility and leave the world a better place for future generations through the following ways…
Loyola offers the first BBA in Sustainability Management in the state of Maryland—and one of a few such programs in the country. This innovative interdisciplinary major enhances students’ abilities to strengthen communities through the creation and growth of sustainable and responsible businesses.
Students learn about plant diversity, structure, and function from the perspective of how plants are important to humans
“Our BBA in Sustainability Management focuses on enhancing students’ critical thinking, structured planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and consulting skills, while considering strategies that organizations pursue to create lasting economic value through social and environmental performance,” said Patricia Kanashiro, Ph.D., visiting scholar in the Sellinger School of Business and Management.
Additionally, Loyola offers an environmental studies minor, which includes a variety of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, communication, economics, engineering, fine arts, history, law and social responsibility, philosophy, theology, and writing.
Loyola’s Climate Action Plan is the University’s roadmap to reduce its carbon footprint and act on climate change, both locally and globally. The Climate Action Plan is complemented by Loyola’s Energy Management Policy, which outlines campus-wide guidelines to reduce energy use. Sustainability initiatives include sustainable transportation; local, seasonal food offerings and a newly launched Choose to Reuse reusable to-go container program through Dining Services; waste reduction and recycling; and others. Notably, the University recently signed a 25-year renewable energy agreement with Maryland-based Chaberton Energy Holdings to support clean energy development in the State of Maryland.
Evergreen’s 80 wooded acres are an accredited arboretum
Loyola’s 80-acre Evergreen campus arboretum embraces biodiversity while inspiring environmental stewardship. Encompassing more than 2,200 trees that represent at least 114 varieties, the University’s arboretum achieved level II accreditation in 2019 from ArbNet for its expansion efforts and enhanced preservation.
Loyola was named a 2020 and 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education institution by the Arbor Day Foundation for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. The arboretum also received the 2021 PLANT (People Loving And Nurturing Trees) Award, making this the fifth year the University has earned the highest level of Green. Loyola’s arboretum includes nine Champion Trees, which are among the largest of their species.
Loyola’s new Miguel B. Fernandez Family Center for Innovation and Collaborative Learning is as dedicated to inspiring innovation as it is to serving as a new model for green buildings on campus. With state-of-the-art efficient lighting, air purification, stormwater management, and water conservation features in place, the Fernandez Center received LEED Gold Certification in Spring 2022, notably becoming the first LEED-certified building on campus.
For more than a decade, Loyola has been a sponsor of the Govanstowne Farmers’ Market, which provides the University’s neighbors in the York Road corridor of Baltimore City with produce that is affordable, fresh, and local. The farmers’ market helps alleviate food insecurity and build community while promoting sustainability and supporting farm-to-table agricultural practices and the local food economy.
Everyone in the Loyola community can do their part to care for our common home. The University invites students and faculty, administrators, and staff to get involved in its many green opportunities, including joining a student group like the Environmental Action Club, committing their department or division to sustainability by earning a Green Office Program recognition, participating in community cleanup days, ecoservice, environmental education, and more.
Loyola University Maryland is more committed than ever to education surrounding and actionable measures toward sustainability.
—Patricia Kanashiro, Ph.D., visiting scholar