In the spirit of Earth Month, USC and President Carol Folt held their fourth annual Student Sustainability Town Hall on Wednesday afternoon.
In collaboration with the Presidential Working Group on Sustainability (PWG) and the Environmental Student Assembly (ESA), the event gave students a platform to ask questions, voice their concerns and learn about sustainability at USC.
Jon-Marc Burgess, co-executive director of ESA and co-moderator of the event, returned to help organize the event for a third year. He emphasized the importance of creating a space where students could participate in shaping sustainability at USC.
“We really want students to be able to ask questions,” Burgess said. “Through this town hall, students will be able to be more exposed to the types of initiatives that USC as a body has been taking towards sustainability.”
In Folt’s opening speech, she acknowledged the work being done by students to promote sustainability, including Assignment: Earth, a student-led initiative that aids USC in its goal of achieving a university-wide sustainability literacy goal by 2028.
“I see that here at USC, there’s been amazing progress just in the last six years,” Folt said. “And that isn’t because I’ve been here, that’s because you’ve been doing it.”
Folt stuck around after her speech to answer brief questions from students. Kira Sano, a master’s student studying sustainability management, raised concerns about the future of sustainability after Folt’s retirement.
She questioned Folt on how USC planned to “maintain research funding for environmental projects” amid recent research funding cuts.
“I didn’t see research being in the direct line of fire at the start. So I think we’re all a little bit shocked by it,” Folt responded. “We’re trying to figure out what can be done to help people through. I personally believe that many of these things will be restored, if not immediately, fairly soon.”
The discussion shifted to a panel of prominent sustainability leaders on campus, including USC Chief Sustainability Officer Mick Dalrymple.
Kai Lincoln, a freshman studying mechanical engineering, questioned the panel on students’ role in the smooth transition between presidents.
Dalrymple answered by urging the USC community to voice sustainability as a priority in the search for a new president. He expressed confidence that sustainability efforts would remain intact under incoming Interim President Beong-Soo Kim.
“I feel personally that Interim President Kim is probably not going to make any major changes, and so I think he’ll carry on with the path that we’re on right now with President Folt,” he said.
The hope for USC’s sustainability initiative in the upcoming years remained high as the incoming interim president was in attendance at the town hall. Burgess echoed the importance of Kim’s presence.
“We want to keep that connection between students and [administration], and we really hope it is a clear indication USC is still involved in sustainability in the future,” Dalrymple said.
The town hall served as a reminder that sustainability at USC is an important initiative for many students, who are powered by a community of leaders and guided by a vision of a greener future at USC.