Green College Spotlight: University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is well known as a research institution, and it’s also gaining a reputation as a leader in sustainability, so it’s no surprise that U-M is home to a wide variety of collaborative projects, research centers, initiatives and individual studies that focus on environmental sustainability.

There is a seemingly endless list of centers, institutes, research programs and initiatives that offer opportunities for innovation, from the renowned Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise to the Ecosystem Management Initiative. It isn’t hard to see just how dedicated U-M really is to solving the many environmental, economic and social challenges that we face while also minimizing our impact on the planet’s natural resources.

U-M is educating the green leaders of the future, offering a wide range of sustainability courses across nearly all disciplines. The schools and colleges at U-M that focus on sustainability challenges include the College of Engineering, the Ford School of Public Policy, the Ross School of Business, the School of Public Health and many more.

Of course, in addition to learning about how they can incorporate sustainability into their chosen careers, students are also incorporating green values into their everyday lives on campus. Students can get involved in environmental organizations that tackle sustainability issues from specialized angles – there are clubs available for fraternity & sorority members, car enthusiasts, politics junkies and sports lovers. Students are also encouraged to be as green as possible through residential contests like the ‘Ecolympics’.

The University of Michigan has implemented a broad range of sustainable initiatives on campus, from serving fresh organic meals in their dining facilities and composting waste to purchasing green products and organizing efforts to donate or recycle students’ unwanted stuff at the end of each term. Campus vehicles run on ethanol, employees have been vanpooling since 1970 and students can get around on free buses, bicycles or through the ‘GreenRide’ carpooling program.

U-M will soon be home to a new Children’s and Women’s Hospital, set to be the largest LEED-certified health care institution in the nation. Its School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE) building is certified LEED gold after a five-year renovation that involved teaching and demonstrating sustainable principles and design.

The University of Michigan received a B+ rating on the College Sustainability Report Card for 2009, and with as many efforts as they’re working on right now, they seem to be on the fast track to becoming one of the nation’s greenest institutions within the next couple years.

Link [University of Michigan Sustainability]

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