The Office of Sustainability recently awarded the Community Service Office with a bronze certification of the Sustainable Office Program by completing 40 sustainable actions! The Community Service Office is the 13th office to be certified bronze, and the 44th office to be certified since the launch of the program in the spring of 2015. The Community Service Office is the first office on campus to be certified by the Office of Sustainability’s updated Sustainable Office Program that aligns with the Lehigh 2030 Sustainability Strategic Plan.
Located in the University Center, the Community Service Office strives to “provide a coordinated effort for students, faculty and staff to engage in service to the greater Lehigh Valley area.” Through the Sustainable Office Program, one office member is responsible for being the lead for their office and acts as a point of communication between the Office of Sustainability and their office. Amy Miller, Assistant Director of Community Service, acted as the Sustainable Office Representative for The Community Service Office and pushed her office to become more conscientious of sustainability’s involvement in its workplace culture. Amy described her office’s experience by saying, “Our office decided to join the program when Chelsea Gilbert from the Pride Center nominated our office to participate. We were excited to see how the CSO could reduce our environmental footprint. I found the certification process to be an easy one because it was self-guided with specific questions that address day-to-day behaviors. In the CSO, we hope to make a difference and know that one way we can do so is by being mindful of our environmental footprint. This program not only celebrates what we are currently doing but also helps us to discover more ways to be sustainable. I'd encourage other offices to participate in order to identify areas where sustainability can be improved within their space.”
The Sustainable Office Program is a voluntary, self-guided initiative, where individual offices can take the lead in promoting sustainability in the workplace. Faculty and staff who decide they want to work toward greening their workspace simply register for the program, take a general audit of their office space, and then fill out a checklist of actions. If your office would like to become a sustainable leader on campus you can register here, or email sustainability@lehigh.edu to learn more.
By: Ben Murphy-Schmehl '24