Pima Community College Among First in Nation to Earn New Carnegie Sustainability Classification
PCC joins University of Arizona and Tohono O’odham Community College among 14 institutions nationwide receiving inaugural classification
TUCSON, Ariz. — Pima Community College has earned the new Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability, becoming one of the first 14 institutions in the nation to receive the classification.
Pima is joined by two of its Southern Arizona educational partners – the University of Arizona and Tohono O’odham Community College – giving the region a distinctive presence among the inaugural group. All three successfully earned the new classification.
The classification recognizes higher education institutions that demonstrate how sustainability is integrated across areas including curriculum, research, operations, career preparation and community engagement.
“We are honored that Pima Community College is among the first institutions in the nation to receive this new Carnegie classification,” said Pima Community College Chancellor Dr. Jeffrey P. Nasse. “To share this distinction with our partners at the University of Arizona and Tohono O’odham Community College makes it even more meaningful. Southern Arizona’s strong representation in this inaugural group reflects our shared commitment to sustainability and to the communities we serve.”
As a participant in the 2025 pilot program, Pima completed a collaborative and rigorous application and provided feedback on the Carnegie framework, prompts, evidence requirements and review process.
The recognition builds on Pima’s college-wide approach to sustainability, which includes academics, facilities, operations, planning, employee engagement and community partnerships. In May 2026, the Pima Community College Governing Board adopted environmental sustainability as one of the College’s overarching principles, integrating sustainability considerations into long-term planning and decision-making. The College’s ongoing priorities include reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, expanding climate action and sustainability education, engaging students and community partners, and developing a new Climate Action and Sustainability Plan.
The Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability is hosted by the University of Colorado Boulder, working alongside the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education. The classification provides a framework for institutions to assess and advance sustainability efforts across their academic missions and operations.
“The first group of inaugural institutions help bring this new classification to life,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. “We’re proud to recognize their leadership and the many ways they are advancing sustainability across their campuses and communities.”
The 14 pilot institutions receiving the classification are:
- Bennett College
- Carleton College
- Clarkson University
- George Mason University
- Mt. San Antonio College
- Pima Community College
- Tohono O’odham Community College
- Universidad del Sagrado Corazón
- University of Arizona
- University of California, Merced
- University of Idaho
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
The 14 institutions will be part of the inaugural cohort of classified institutions, which will be announced in June 2027 alongside institutions participating in the first full classification cycle. Institutions receiving the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability will retain the classification for six years, through 2033.
Applications for the current classification cycle are underway, with a deadline of Dec. 18, 2026.
Learn more about the Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability.
More information about sustainability at Pima Community College is available through PCC's Sustainability website.
About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education. For more information, please visit www.carnegiefoundation.org.
About the American Council on Education
ACE is a membership organization that leads higher education with a unified vision for the future, galvanizing our members to make change and collaborating across the sector to design solutions for today’s challenges, serve the needs of a diverse student population, and shape effective public policy. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, our strength lies in our diverse membership of about 1,600 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X (@ACEducation) and LinkedIn.
About Pima Community College
Pima Community College is a comprehensive two-year institution serving students and employers throughout Pima County and Southern Arizona. The College offers university transfer programs, career and technical education, workforce training, adult education and lifelong learning opportunities designed to support student success and the economic vitality of the region.
Contact:
Justin Kree
Director of Media Relations
Pima Community College
Cell: 520.710.7170
jkree@pima.edu