Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility

As part of this programme, students voluntarily take and then sign a pledge to shape their future decisions and direction based on consciousness of the social and environmental context in which they and the world operate. The Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility reads as follows:

I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.

(The wording may be modified to suit particular schools' needs and cultures). Students define for themselves what it means to be socially and environmentally responsible, and then vow to take action by considering the broader consequences of whichever employment path they choose.

Graduates who voluntarily signed the pledge have turned down jobs they did not feel morally comfortable with and have worked to make changes once on the job. For example, they have promoted recycling at their organisation, removed racist language from a training manual, worked for gender parity in high school athletics, and helped convince an employer to refuse a chemical weapons-related contract. In this sense, the strategy involves students promising to think beyond themselves and to keep an eye on the "greater good", taking on advocacy roles when called for or putting their own needs (say, financial) aside by giving up opportunities that they cannot morally support.

The campaign effort has taken different forms at different institutions. For example, at Manchester College (Indiana, USA), the Pledge is one part of a community-wide event involving students, faculty, and staff. Typically, over 50% of Manchester students sign and keep a wallet-size card stating the pledge, while students and supportive faculty wear green ribbons at commencement (graduation) and the Pledge is printed in the formal commencement programme. Organisers at Manchester have worked to engage several campus groups/departments in the campaign, and to seek media attention both on and off campus. The project has been covered in newspapers, magazines, national radio networks, and local television stations throughout the United States.

The Graduation Pledge website is a tool for supporting participating schools and students. Schools who wish to join the Alliance by implementing campaigns are provided with various forms of information and resources, including downloadable support materials such as press releases and posters, as well as a step-by-step strategy list for building support for and participation in a campaign. Several resources for Pledge signers are also offered here, such as links to online postings of socially responsible jobs, listings of questions one might ask a potential employer, and communication strategies for how to influence one's employer to be more socially and environmentally responsible.

In 2008, the pledge concept expanded to include new college students, as well. In partnership with the GPA, the American College Personnel Association (representing 1,500 private and public institutions from across the US and around the world), initiated a First Year Pledge of Social Justice, Economic Strength, and Environmental Responsibility. The goal is to start students on a lifetime of responsible behaviour while still in school.

Environment, Rights.

As of 2008, students at nearly 150 colleges and universities had used the Pledge at some level. Organisers urge, "Think of the impact if even a significant minority of the one million college graduates [in the USA] each year signed and carried out the Pledge." They ask that those schools engaged in Pledge efforts communicate with them (please see below), as they provide periodic updates on national efforts and gather global experiences and strategies for sharing with prospective participants.