ST. THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE JOINS CATHOLIC CLIMATE COVENANTON SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE CHANGE:STAC TAKES ST. FRANCIS PLEDGE!

Press Release
For Immediate Release
Contact: Danielle N. Kobryn, dkobryn@stac.edu, 845.398.4016

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS COLLEGE JOINS CATHOLIC CLIMATE COVENANTON SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE CHANGE:STAC TAKES ST. FRANCIS PLEDGE!

(August 14, 2013- Sparkill, NY)- St. Thomas Aquinas College, through the work of its National Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, will join the Catholic Climate Covenant and take the St. Francis Pledge with a daylong study and action day on Thursday, October 3, 2013, announced Dr. Margaret Fitzpatrick S.C., President of the College.

“The College will offer forums for educating students, employees and the greater community about the causes and moral dimensions of climate change; assess how we contribute to climate change; and will act to change individual and institutional choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change,” said Dr. Fitzpatrick in making the announcement.The St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor and the Catholic Climate Covenant are two initiatives that will be incorporated into the daily operations and academic life of the College. The St. Francis Pledge is a commitment to protect God’s Creation and advocate on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change.

By joining the Covenant, the College commits to the St. Francis Pledge elements. They are: to reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable; to educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change; to assess how we contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc.; to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change; and to advocate for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.

“St. Thomas Aquinas College seeks to be a part of the solution through education, advocacy, and action. The College will seek to mitigate the climate change damage and to suggest adaptive behaviors for positive change,” the President added.

The National Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility will devote much of its energies this year to teaching and learning about climate change by understanding the causes and moral dimension of climate change as it relates to sustainability; bring national experts to the College and broader community to address the issue of climate change; opine about climate change and sustainability through the distribution of information through media outlets.

“We developed The National Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at the College to address issues such as Sustainability and Climate Change,” said Fitzpatrick. “It is important that we, as an institution, are focused on areas that not only affect our students’ future, but the much broader global society. We look forward to being a part of the discussion of this issue and bringing it needed attention”.

More Information on Climate Change
Mary Robinson, the president of the Mary Robinson Foundation and former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, states as part of her Foundation’s mission that “climate change is already undermining the realization of a broad range of fundamental rights for many people - the right to health and even life, rights to food, water, shelter and property, rights associated with livelihood and culture are all affected. Our challenge is to build accountability for human rights into future efforts to address climate change. By doing so, we will better understand who most is at risk and how we should act to protect them.”

According to the Foundation, one of the major threats to global sustainability is the escalating impact of climate change. The more vulnerable the ecosystems, the more damaging consequences will likely occur. In this decade there have been floods in Pakistan, Australia, China and the USA; heat waves in Russia, Europe, and the USA; and collapsing ice shelves in the Antarctic and Artic. The environmental effects include shrinking glaciers, warmer oceans, and weather extremes. A key factor driving climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases to meet the needs of the global society. Consequences of climate change include: disrupted ecosystems, water scarcity, threatening of agricultural development, weather-related health effects, rising sea levels affecting coastal communities, and so forth.

St. Thomas Aquinas College National Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility 
The Center was established in Summer 2012 by President, Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick, a Sister of Charity and the 8th President of the College, who began at St. Thomas in 1995 and is entering her 19th year as President of the College (1952).

The Mission
To advance the knowledge and practice of organizational ethics;to identify the tools, resources and best practices that contribute to achieving an ethical organization;develop ethical and socially responsible leaders committed to serving the global community and;opine on national issues and events.

The Vision 
The Center strives to become an authoritative resource on organizational ethics for faculty, students and alumni of STAC, as well as for the larger business community.

Goals 
The Center has identified the following initial goals: develop a library of books, periodicals, articles and other resources; bring subject matter experts to engage with students and faculty; prepare best practice articles for college publications and local media; host periodic forums for peer-to-peer interaction with the business community; host periodic forums for alumni; develop baseline seminars for the business com-munity for in-person and distance learning delivery; and to opine on national issues and events.

The STAC National Center Board
Mr. Keith Darcy
Executive Director, Ethics and Compliance Officer AssociationChair, National Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, St. Thomas Aquinas College 
Mr. John O’Byrne
Executive Director, National Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, St. Thomas Aquinas College & Former Chief Ethics Officer, New York Life Insurance Company
Mr. Lanny Cohen 
CEO, North America CapgeminiBoard of Trustees, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Ms. Joan Elyse Dubinsky
Director, Ethics Office United Nations
Dr. L. John Durney
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Mr. Robert M. Eberley
Executive Director, Asset Management J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick
President, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Mr. Jack Kopnisky
President/CEO Provident Bank
Mr. George Kraus
Former CEO, General Background Music Corporation and Data Line Corp
Dr. Michael Magee
President, Positive Medicine Inc.
Mr. Charles Maikish, Esq.
Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Citigroup Inc. Board of Trustees, St. Thomas Aquinas College 
Mr. James Mooney
Chairman of the Board, Virgin Media Inc.Board of Trustees, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Mr. Joseph McSweeny
President, United States and Canada, Marsh McLennan, Inc. Board of Trustees, St. Thomas Aquinas College
Ms. Barbara J. Piascik, CHC, FHFMA
SVP/Chief Compliance Officer Brookdale University Medical Center
Mr. Joseph Reganato
Corporate Communications Manager, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)
Sr. Maryann Summa, O.P.
Former President of Dominican Sisters of Sparkill Assistant to the Vice President of Administration and Finance;
Mr. Jacques Tortoroli
CFO/EVP of MTV NetworksBoard of Trustees, St. Thomas Aquinas College

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College was recognized by U.S. News & World Report (2011 & 2012) in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.