At the close of 2019, the College of Business Dean's Office decided to pursue the Sustainable Office Program. After working tirelessly during winter break, they became gold certified, completing 92 sustainable actions from the checklist. Their strongest category was Participation and Engagement, where they were able to check of 71% of the possible actions. This shows that the Dean's Office faculty and staff are active members of the Lehigh community through participation in many programs and events throughout campus. Additionally, the Dean's Office scored very high in the Food and Dining category. When they cater events, they are very conscious of where the food is coming from and the packaging and waste that is associated with it.
The Dean's Office appointed Anita Dechellis as the Sustainable Office Program Representative, who acted as the main communicator between the Office of Sustainability and her office. Anita expressed her interest and engagement in the program by saying, "We, in the Dean's Office, care about the environment and want to do our part. Plus, after looking through the Checklist of Actions, we realized that we are already doing so many things listed! We decided to delve a little deeper to make a bigger impact." Through their participation in the Sustainable Office Program, the Dean's Office was able to take some time to evaluate their sustainability practices and set goals for the future.
The Dean's Office is proud to be one of our 43 certified offices. The certified offices on campus span across various buildings, departments, and colleges. Anyone can get involved! The Sustainable Office Program is a simple, self-paced four-step process. If your office would also like to join the movement and contributre to positive, sustainable change on Lehigh's campus, you can register here, or email sustainability@lehigh.edu to learn more.