About Us

Mission

The mission of the Office for Sustainability is to guide and assist the Western Michigan University community in fulfilling and growing its sustainability commitments. Through building a diverse and flourishing learning community around sustainability, we will continually explore and develop new opportunities to create a culture of sustainability and improve quality of life for all.

Goals and strategies

• Make Western Michigan University a national higher education sustainability leader.
• Identify and help implement innovative and cost-effective strategies for reducing WMU’s eco-cultural wake, which span all of our policies, programs and activities.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary and cross-college collaboration, research and inquiry around sustainability.
• Encourage and support weaving sustainability and climate change education into existing curriculum.
• Assist in the development and implementation of new undergraduate and graduate sustainability courses, certificates and degree programs.
• Support active learning and real-world problem solving through student sustainability research, internships and co-curricular activities.
• Graduate knowledgeable, open-minded, well-prepared and engaged planetary stewards.
• Serve as a resource and advocate for sustainability on campus and in the community, region and state.
• Collaborate with all offices and colleges across campus to secure resources for these efforts.
• Report regularly and transparently on both our achievements and shortcomings in these endeavor.