Students at many colleges and universities nationwide have recognized the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. It reads:

"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 organization for which I work."

Whether you take the pledge is voluntary. It allows people to determine for themselves what they consider to be environmentally and socially responsible.

Different universities have had different levels of official administrative and faculty participation in supporting the pledge and in having recognition of the pledge be an official part of the graduation ceremony.

Manchester College started supporting the pledge in 1988, a year after its inception at Humboldt State University. In 1996 Manchester became the headquarters for the Graduation Pledge Alliance (GPA), the national pledge effort, which further emphasizes Manchester's leadership. Over the years, typically 50-60 percent of students have worn green ribbons at commencement in recognition of the pledge. To our knowledge, Manchester was the first to wear ribbons, and now a number of other colleges and universities do also.

We have recognized that the pledge can be supported by anyone who wants to be intentional about the responsibility of his or her employment. It is our hope that your support of the pledge will contribute to the cooperative effort to build responsible citizenship for a sustainable world.

The Pledge asks only that you consider social and environmental responsibility as you see them; however, we hope that many will out of their convictions and work for social change.

Attached to the handout you will receive is a green ribbon and pin. Your wearing a ribbon at graduation will make a public statement of your intent to consider the well-being of the world and its inhabitants both when you consider job possibilities and after you are on the job.

Thank you for your support!