Unity College Becomes First in Higher Education to Make Climate Change Central Focus

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Jan 29, 2013, 02:58 ET

UNITY, Maine, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Many institutions of higher education in the United States offer environmental majors. Additionally, some are also focused on sustainability. Now one college has tied every aspect of its curriculum to the mitigation of global climate change.

Unity College's focus is timely given the priority that President Barack Obama placed on the mitigation of global climate change during his second inaugural address. Severe weather events from the devastating flooding in New York to record high temperatures across the globe have spiked public interest in the subject. Environmental programs like those offered at Unity College have grown in popularity with students making the connection between global climate change and their future careers.

As an environmental college located in Unity, Maine, Unity College has always been focused on the "what's next" of ecological problem solving. Focusing on climate change has been an imperative since the arrival of President Stephen Mulkey in 2011.

Mulkey has championed sustainability science (the most leading-edge approach to ecological problem solving) as the defining framework for academic programming at the environmental college, known as America's Environmental College. This focus ties every major to the mitigation of climate change through the transdisciplinary (collaborative) approach.

Whether pursuing conservation law enforcement as a major or preparing for a career in environmental writing, every Unity College student graduates with a strong set of skills that will help them address the greatest challenge facing mankind: the mitigation of climate change.

In December, Unity College also became the first institution of higher education to divest from investments in fossil fuels, kicking off a growing national movement.

Unity College is a science-based liberal arts college that inspires students to be leaders in sustainability science, to imagine and enact solutions to 21^st century environmental issues, and to contribute to the renewal of civilization.

Unity College is a private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.

www.unity.edu

SOURCE Unity College