In the midst of visible campus movements on labor issues and foreign policy, many Stanford students are participating in a quieter campaign for social responsibility through the Graduate Pledge, a promise by students to consider the social and ecological implications of jobs they decide to take after graduating.

Now in its third year on the Farm, this on-campus campaign is part of a nationwide initiative that was established in 1987.

The text of the pledge reads, “I [name] 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 pledge is a voluntary commitment by graduating seniors — although not limited to [them] — who will soon be entering the work force to refrain from passively accepting jobs and work conditions and instead to take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job and to try to improve them,” said senior Jessica Mantooth, a member of Students for a Sustainable Stanford, the campus organization that oversees the Graduation Pledge campaign on campus.

The Pledge was founded at Humboldt State University in 1987 and has since grown to include numerous colleges and universities nationwide, including six Ivy League members, Duke University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Manchester College coordinates the national Graduate Pledge Alliance campaign.

Despite the lagging economy, the Pledge is again proving to be popular this year. As of earlier this week, 190 Stanford people had signed up, 120 of whom are seniors. Last year, around 300 students signed the Pledge, and coordinators hope to double that number this year, although they stressed the importance of quality over quantity.

“Ideally, we’d like half of the senior class to sign the pledge and hope to have at least double the number of sign-ups from last year,” said senior Lindsey Cox, also a member of Students for a Sustainable Stanford.

“We are targeting all graduates, seniors, master’s and Ph.D [candidates], GSB [students], etc.,” Mantooth said. “Underclassmen are also encouraged to sign as an affirmation of their beliefs and in support of the pledge. There is no target number. We want people to take the pledge seriously and only sign if it is something they agree with and will follow.”

The 2003 Pledge has been endorsed by over 45 Stanford groups and departments, as well as University President John Hennessy.

“I am encouraged that, even in difficult economic times, so many Stanford students recognize the importance of making principled decisions about their lives and their careers,” Hennessy said.

Stanford students who sign the pledge will receive a card indicating their commitment to the pledge and a green ribbon to wear at graduation, although there is currently no follow up or similar form of accountability involved in signing the Pledge.

“No one is going to call you in five years to see if your current job practices are in line with the pledge,” Mantooth said. “But we certainly hope that people who are taking the time to sign it will take it seriously. I think that many of the people who are signing the pledge are confirming socially and environmentally responsible beliefs that they already would take into consideration with any job or future activity.”

She continued, “The purpose of the pledge is to get people thinking about what their role is in society and what they can do to make a change. It is a call to action to remind students of the ethical implications of their privileged education. It can help lead to a socially-conscious citizenry and ideally a better world.”

The pledge can be accessed at http://sustainability.stanford.edu/pledge.html