Central College is joining colleges and universities across the country to respond to the challenges of climate change. Central College President Mark Putnam recently signed the Alliance for Resilient Campuses, or ARC statement of purpose, an initiative of the nonprofit Second Nature. The ARC statement urges higher education institutions to partner with local communities for greater sustainability efforts. Jim Zaffiro, professor of political science and coordinator of sustainability education, said Central College’s commitment to sustainability started over two decades ago.This agreement is an additional level of commitment that aims to spread efforts to local communities. The college received Iowa’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED rating in 2003 for its renovation of the Vermeer Science Center, and in 2010, the Roe Center earned the highest level of LEED certification. Zaffiro says that Central is also one of the few U.S. colleges and universities that make global sustainability part of the core curriculum for all majors.