Hi Owen Bloggers -
First of all, thank you for putting so much information on the OwenBloggers website. It has been an extremely valuable way to learn about the MBA program as I’ve gone through the application process.
As someone who plans to make a career in sustainable business, I was pleased to read about Owen’s involvement with Net Impact. But one thing I was wondering (that I’ve noticed when researching other schools) is whether or not Owen has its own sustainable plan for the facilities?
Some schools have LEEDS certified buildings, while others have student led organizations that try to make the buildings as ‘eco friendly’ as possible (ie – using carpet squares that can be changed individually
instead of requiring an entire new carpet, bamboo for flooring/counters, solar panels, etc.)If you could let me know what Owen does in this regard, I’d certainly appreciate it!
Thank you,
Dan
From Mark (VP, Sustainability – Owen Net Impact)
Hi Dan,
Owen is not a LEED certified building, but we are trying to make it as eco-friendly as possible.
The Owen Net Impact chapter is one of the strongest clubs on campus, and we are actively making our community more sustainable. Initiatives in the past include:
- Flush-free urinals and low-flush
toilets. - Energy Star LED lighting.
- Light timers.
- Duplexing our printers and using a 30% recycled paper product.
- Increasing over-all recycling and waste reduction.
We are also about to initiate a campaign to decrease total campus paper consumption. We are also finding alternatives to using cups at our social events and trying to install a water filter for drinking tap water.
The first year participation in Net Impact has been awesome this year, so there will be some great leaders in place next year, and I know the club will be even stronger.
As much as we are doing, there are always more ways to make Owen better, and there will be as many projects as you would like to tackle including influencing the new building design committee to get LEED certified.
Lastly, Vanderbilt University just completed construction on a LEED building last year.
Check out the website. www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu for more details.
Thanks for your interest,
Mark
Read the full article: Ask An OwenBlogger: How Green Is Owen?