As 2017 came to an end, the Lehigh Department of Marketing finished out the year strong. The Department of Marketing was awarded a silver certification through the Sustainable Office Program (SOP). 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 decided 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. Based on the checklist, each office is awarded either a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum certification.
While pursuing the SOP, each office must select one member to become the Sustainable Office Representative. The job of the representative is to be the key contact between the Office of Sustainability and their office. The representative is in charge of filling out the necessary forms and meeting with the Office of Sustainability. For the Department of Marketing, Morgan Nelson took the lead as the Sustainable Office Representative. Many offices in the Rauch Business Center have joined the program and have become certified, and Nelson felt as if Marketing could not miss out. The department chair, David Griffith, says, “Sustainability is one of the most important topics of society, and has been a key issue discussed in the business today. The SOP was a wonderful opportunity for all faculty within the Marketing Department to consider what they could do to address sustainability in their workplace.” The entire department got together and discussed what they currently do, and what new sustainability goals they hope to achieve. Griffith explains, “The checklist of actions are extremely helpful in not only directing new actions, but reminding us all of how we can more fully contribute to the mission of Lehigh University.”
For many people, a new year is a fresh start to set new goals. With just three simple steps, you can achieve the goal of greening your office. The SOP can be completed in just a few weeks. Green your office, learn about sustainability, and celebrate your achievements. You can join in on the progress by registering for the SOP here.