About the Center

The Center for Sustainability was established at CSUF in 2009 and is a campus focal point for sustainability-centered activities. These include facilitating the development and inclusion of sustainability-centered topics in the university's curriculum, supporting external grant-getting by faculty members and other members of the university community, encouraging interaction among faculty members from different disciplines, reaching out to members of the greater community interested in sustainability, providing leadership in efforts to make the campus more sustainable, and coordinating sustainability-related activities on campus.

The 2002 U.N. World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held in Johannesburg, stated that sustainability is built on three "interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars" — economic development, social development and environmental protection — "at local, national, regional and global levels." The participants recognized linkages among poverty alleviation, human rights, biodiversity, clean water and sanitation, health, renewable energy, and the sustainable use of natural resources.

The Center has seven interrelated main functions:

  • Raising awareness and building capacity regarding sustainability on campus through the Center web portal, organizing town halls and other interactive events
  • Supporting sustainability-related educational activities by faculty and students through developing curriculum and providing a base for student organizations
  • Enhancing faculty capacity by promoting collegial interaction through symposia, workshops, webinars, and a virtual community
  • Providing educational resources to the community regarding sustainability through a community advisory board, and interface with area businesses, policy agencies, and community organizations
  • Acting as a resource center for developing research related to sustainability, including logistic support; and facilitating extramural grant acquisition
  • Coordinating sustainability-related activities across campus
  • Leading efforts to make the campus environment more sustainable