Creation Care Council

EMU’s Creation Care Council grew out of a faculty, staff and student initiative to consider how the campus pulls together its theology of care for the earth with practical everyday decisions made across campus. The council, which developed EMU’s official sustainability principles, coordinates with other groups to develop concrete steps and long-term plans for creation care on EMU’s campus. The council also serves as a visionary body directly involved in long-term sustainability planning for the University.

CCC Statement on Climate Change | ACUPCC – the climate neutrality commitment

The council works to:

• Support initiatives from students, faculty, and staff that amplify the work of sustainability practices at EMU.
• Guide and implement strategies to meet EMU’s Climate Action Plan, to achieve climate neutrality by 2035.
• Advise and make recommendations on all issues related to sustainability on campus.

Membership

The EMU president will appoint a vice president from the president’s cabinet, and SGA will appoint a student senator to serve as representative. The remaining members should consist of one staff person each from Facilities Management, one or more students chosen by Earthkeepers and/or Sustainable Foods Initiative (SFI), three additional faculty appointed by the Provost's office representing a wide variety of academic departments, and two additional staff members-at-large.

Additional Creation Care Council membership is open to anyone wanting to serve as a sustainability ambassador and agent of change. Contact the the Co-chairs if you’re wishing to join and represent your department, club, or area of campus.

Faculty representatives serve three-year terms. Terms for members are two years except for appointed members of Cabinet and SGA, who is a permanent member of the committee.

Creation Care Council Members 

Faculty/Staff

• Elliot Bowen (Administrative Assistant for School of SEAN) * Cochair
• Shannon Dycus (Vice President of Student Affairs, Equity, and Belonging)
• Doug Graber Neufeld (Professor of Biology) * Cochair
• Jenni Holsinger (Professor of Sociology)
• Jim Leaman (Professor of Economics)
• Ed Lehman (Director of Facilities Management)
• Audrey Shenk (Systems Librarian)
• Jim Yoder (Professor of Biology)

Students

• Malia Bauman (Earthkeepers)
• Madelynn Hamm (Earthkeepers)
• Aja Laun (SFI)
• Levi Myers (SFI)
• Ally Welty Peachey (Earthkeepers)