Demonstrating Sarah Lawrence College's commitment to campus sustainability, the Monika A. and Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Visual Arts Center, one of the first environmentally responsible visual arts buildings in the country, opened in the fall of 2004.  Heimbold earned the distinction of being the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified college or university visual arts building.

In November 2006, sixteen members of the Sarah Lawrence community attended the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities' conference at Purchase College. The consortium’s theme –Greening the Campus: Exploring Practices, Curriculum and Management in Higher Education– served as a springboard for establishing a comprehensive long-term plan for campus greening, including the formation of a campus-wide sustainability committee.

Furthering that aim, the campus community participated in Focus the Nation in January 2008, joining over 1,000 colleges and universities around the country in a national teach-in on solutions to global warming. Raising awareness at the local level, Sustainable SLC –a student environmental group– planned campus-wide events including: a bike ride to promote freedom from fossil fuels, an art show, and a clothing swap. The following month, February 2008, SLC welcomed one of the nation’s leading experts on climate change and president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone. In a lecture titled “Climate Change: Human Causes and Responses,” Cicerone addressed ways to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions such as geoengineering.

Taking a stand against climate change, February 2008 became Footprint Forward Month at SLC. Campus dorms and offices engaged in an energy-saving competition in an effort to reduce the community’s carbon footprint and increase the overall sustainability of our campus. Aiding in this endeavor, the office of Operations and Facilities encouraged students, faculty and staff to turn in an incandescent bulb in exchange for a CFL light bulb provided by Facilities.