Adaptive Reuse in Ennis Hall

Georgia College recently reopened Ennis Hall after a 2-year renovation.  Check out Connection Magazine for the whole story on how the university has repurposed this building.  Originally built as a residence hall in 1918, it is now the new home of our art department.  Rather than do a complete restoration project that would have restored Ennis to its original glory as a residence hall, the university chose adaptive reuse instead.  In adaptive reuse, you take a building that has good bones and use it in a way that makes sense for your organization, the environment, and your budget.  Most of our campus buildings are restored for adaptive reuse because their original use is no longer relevant for a modern campus.

Picture available at gcsu.edu website

A Blast from the Past.  The original Ennis also had a circular drive and green space.  In recent years, this drive was a parking lot. The regional, drought tolerant plants add to the sustainability of this LEED Silver building.

I just thought this was interesting.  It looked like a stage with lights in the center of the green space.  I am not sure of the purpose of this square stone with lights.  I'll just call it art since it's in front of the art building, but I wondered if it has some sustainable purpose.

As I walked around the building, I did not see any signage noting the sustainable aspects of the building like we saw summer during our tour of Athens Tech this summer.  I think that with a historic building, extra signage would clutter the space and take away from the beauty of the building.

Careers in Sustainability

When we were at UGA this summer, I was fascinated by the different landscape and building designs that supported a sustainable landscape.  I always feel wasteful if I water my lawn and I always forget
to water drought resistant plants.  It would be a dream come true to have a yard that was built in a way that collected rainwater in just the right way.

I went to look up this information online but instead, stumbled upon graduate programs that focus on sustainable landscapes.  The career services professional in me could not resist.  And the farm girl in me could not resist.  Of course, I must write a blog about sustainable careers!

In addition to some information on what a "green" career really is, I havee also included a link to graduate degrees in sustainability as well as links to green companies and jobs.  Share with your students!

Bureau of Labor Statistics
Definition of Green Jobs
Economic Outlook for Green Jobs

Sustainable Focused Master's Degrees Programs
460 programs listed on website for 
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Sustainable Companies to Work For
Students can use these lists to identify companies that may share their values on sustainability as well as to find jobs specific to sustainability.
Forbes List of Most Sustainable Companies (from the Global 100 Index)

The College Sustainability Report Card

Various Green Job Websites
These sites can be helpful but always make sure you are also going straight to the source.  If you dream of working for a specific organization such as EPA or a non-profit, you want to go to their website to identify listings and possible networking contacts.  Searching LinkedIn for possible contacts who work at the company or do what you want to do is also a great strategy.
GreenBiz.com

Green Dream Jobs

Environmental Career Opportunities

Solar Today

I must also mention the positions with your state cooperative extension offices.  In Georgia, those jobs are located at http://extension.uga.edu/about/join/careers.cfm through UGA.  The Cooperative Extension Internship Program is also a great opportunity to get experience in the field before graduation.  In many states, these individuals are employees at a flagship university with an agriculture program. Use your favorite search engine to search for "state" and "cooperative extension office jobs" to find these opportunities.

Use your favorite search engine to identify other green job sites or green companies.  The more you explore, the more you will discover!

Infographic by Jobvine Jobs

Old Motor Lodge Gets New Life

While I was in Young Harris, Georgia this past week at a conference, I noticed something unique on the Young Harris College campus.  They have converted an old motor lodge into office space.  According to their website, an old restaurant provides strength and conditioning space.  The individual hotel rooms from the past have been converted into offices for all athletics staff.  I love how they took an old relic and transformed it into usable space. In the description on their website, they reference the former restaurant in the motel by name, which made me think that the former restaurant holds special meaning for the local community members.

Like many mountain campuses, Young  Harris relies on the beauty of the surrounding area, which makes even an old motor lodge seem beautiful.  I took a few additional photos to show how the space has been repurposed.  Being sustainable sometimes means taking what we have and making it better.

Picture and information credit:  http://www.yhc.edu/about/facilities#department_athletics

My Favorite Spaces

As a part of my Campus Ecology class at the University of Georgia, I am creating a blog to document my thoughts and perceptions of sustainability efforts on our college campuses. The title of my blog, The Campus GREEN, is inspired by a well loved part of many campuses. Memories of my own undergraduate campus, Presbyterian College, often take me back to times spent on front and back plaza.  For me, sustainability is preserving the experience that our campus green spaces and historic buildings provide. Those shared experiences connect graduates across several generations.  The need for convenience and a quick-fix to our educational needs threatens the opportunity of future generations to enjoy these experiences.

As a student affairs professional, I have been lucky to always go to school and work on beautiful campuses that provide its inhabitants a strong sense of place.  When I think of my current and past institutions, the pictures below are what comes to mind.  Enjoy!

Presbyterian College - Neville Hall
My undergraduate campus has plans to change some of the campus layout.
Interested (and nervous) to see how that evolves.  I spent a lot of time in Neville Hall.
Changes being made will ensure that other students get to spend a lot of time there as well.

University of South Carolina - The Historic Horseshoe
One of my favorite places as a graduate student at USC.
Although near the heart of the city, this part of campus felt far removed
 from the rest of the world.

Maryville College
My first job out of graduate school was at this beautiful place in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.  

University of Georgia - The Arch
A symbol of tradition, walking through the Arch at UGA after graduation is a right of passage.
Although mostly an online student, this part of campus already has great meaning for me
because of shared experiences with my cohort.

Mercer University - Cruz  Plaza
While much different than what I remember as a employee, this space
provides a good example of a university creating and preserving green space.

Georgia College - Front Campus
Real community happens on front campus at my current institution
I love working with the students at this campus
.