Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008 - (Page 19)

the green scene Continue Your Education in Green Style The boom in the “Green job” market is on the horizon and materializing in front of our eyes. National and state programs are setting aside funds to create training programs and learning facilities. Considering the demand for those knowledgeable about the maintenance of Green buildings, a challenge faces us is creating an educated, trained labor force in sustainability practices. Colleges and universities across the nation are now jumping on this opportunity, creating new certificate programs, as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees in sustainability and Green-related areas of study. Executive housekeepers with an expertise in sustainability issues will soon find themselves to be very marketable. Those with experience in managing facilities and initiating Green programs, along with the clout that comes with formal education in the field, will position themselves as strong candidates for leadership positions within the management structure of buildings in every city and state of the nation. For those that do not wish to jump into a full-time graduate degree program, certificate programs are plentiful, such as the “Green Your Enterprise” option within the Dominican University of California’s Sustainable Enterprise Certificate. This certificate is “offered to companies, non-profits, and other organizations that are prepared to sponsor a cohort of ten or more employees, taught right t “I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.� I � —Louisa May Alcott by Stephen Ashkin on their premises.” The program promises to help that organization create “highly-effective change agents prepared to design and develop new innovative sustainability solutions.” While this program does assume the enrollees have appropriate management experience, it does allow the participants to focus solely on the core of today’s sustainability issues and solutions, without having to retake basic courses in business and management. The Sustainable Enterprise Certificate is an offshoot of the University’s, groundbreaking Master of Business Administration degree in Sustainable Enterprise (www.greenmba.com). Those of you considering a full MBA in sustainability may want to consider this program, or one similar at a college or university closer to your location. Demographics of those enrolled within these programs seem atypical as well, with twothirds of students being female, and ages ranging from 22 to 65. A quick overview of the curriculum highlights courses such as Critical Thinking for Business Redesign, Environmental Performance Leadership, and Thriving Regenerative Enterprise. Subjects cover issues such as the triple bottom line approach of financial, social, and environmental responsibility; the social impacts of companies on customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, communities, and other partners; and new strategies for organizations, specifically regarding water, pollution, climate change and energy. These opportunities are not limited to the San Francisco Bay area. Colorado State University has launched a School of Global Environmental Sustainability that will eventually have its own majors and offer certificates. Antioch University New England in Keene, NH, offers an MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability. Boston University School of Management began offering a course this semester that explores how businesses are adjusting to clean technology and new Green markets by discussing legislation, technology, and consumer behavior. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has grown from developing its own Office of Sustainability, (originally created to launch a comprehensive set of efforts focused on the sustainability of the university itself), to now offering an impressive course list related to sustainability and Green business practices. Making the decision to take on continuing education classes can be a tough hurdle to face. Not many of us can say we have extra time on our hands or the extra money available to fund such an endeavor. Considering the opportunities that await those that wish to become leaders in the Greening of America’s buildings, if nothing else—this is a great time to take the plunge. We have discussed time and again the negative impacts our buildings have on our planet. Now (continued on page 25) October 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 9 http://www.greenmba.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008� Contents Executive Corner An Easier, Greener, and Healthier Approach to Floor Care Caring for Carpets in 24-Hour Facilities Frugal Housekeeper Case Study: University of Miami My Experiences with High-Speed Machines vs. Spray Buffers Vacuum Floor Care Q&A with Andre Motta Is a Spray-and-Vac System Really Better at Cleaning and Reducing the Risk of Disease? CEU Article The IEHA/CRI Partnership The Green Scene USGBC Green Tip What's in YOUR Janitor Closet? Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members REH/CEH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - October 2008

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