by Michelle Dyer, Chief Operating Officer, Second Nature
On March 17th, I had the honor of addressing an audience of higher education professionals at the Greentown Lake County conference.
The panel, entitled “Greening of the Campus: How Educational Institutions Combat Climate Issues,” kicked off with a welcome from representatives of our host, College of Lake County (a signatory to theACUPCC): President Jerry Weber and Acting Assistant Vice President for Workforce Development Ali O’Brien. We then transitioned into a lively panel discussion featuring Richard Schultz, Sustainability Center Coordinator at Kankakee Community College; Kana Wibbenmeyer, Associate VP of Facilities at Loyola University Chicago; and David Agazzi, Vice President, Administrative Affairs at College of Lake County and Former Chief Financial Officer of Joliet Junior College.
Panelists addressed the questions:
- How has sustainability been integrated throughout your campus culture?
- What were some strategies used to incorporate sustainability into both curriculum and operations at your institution?
- Who are the important players for funding, buy-in, etc.?
Loyola University Chicago Information Commons building
I was very impressed with the sustainability efforts at all three schools, particularly the ways they are bringing a sustainability lens to the academic experience of their students, and the beautiful high performance buildings being built. Loyola’s story of pursuing sustainability goals while also turning around a serious financial situation in a short time resonated with me in this difficult economic climate, reinforcing our position that the sustainable path is also the best economic path.
View College of Lake County’s Implementation Profile in the ACUPCC Reporting system, here.
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