Growing a Green Culture

As the community at Mount Mary College grows and changes so does the so does the need for social awareness. New buildings and renovated areas are created with careful consideration for sustainability. Employees are engaged in active participation in that process.

Innovations 101

In 2009, members of the President's Council launched an internal program to generate ideas that would not only save costs, but also help the College ensure it was being good stewards of its resources at all times. Over 60 ideas from employees, including faculty and administrative staff, were submitted. A committee reviewed every idea and categorized them according to those requiring no expense to initiate, those requiring initial expense which would be recouped within 12-18 months, and those ideas that would require significant investment but would result in significant future savings. Implementation is ongoing.

Renew-Refresh-Replace Campaign

A generous challenge gift of $1 million from the School Sisters of Notre Dame was the catalyst for a capital campaign that began last July to make a number of campus improvements:

• The Circle Driveway in front of Notre Dame Hall was reconstructed to feature an environmentally sensitive drainage system that captures and filters run off from the pavement before it enters nearby Menomonee River. The new roadway provides a welcoming entrée to the College for visitors, friends and alumnae.
  
• A Campus Facilities Assessment project took place in 2009. Architects from southeastern Wisconsin prepared proposals related to space usage, including development of the Library Learning Center/Student Success Center and a relocated child care center, and the needs of other campus administrative departments.
  
• The Library Learning Center /Student Success Center was completed in 2011 turning the Haggerty Library into a "one stop shop" of resources geared toward student success. Offices and personnel now spread across the campus will come together in one location to offer students the services and facilities they need in a welcoming, student-centered environment. Academic tutoring, computer work areas, reference materials, and a Starbucks café are now conveniently located together on the first floor. The second floor of the Haggerty Library was also renovated to hold the library collection and now features a quiet study area.
• Funds from Phase II of the 3 Rs Campaign were earmarked for the replacement of the original windows in Notre Dame Hall, the signature campus building. Built in 1929, the windows are no longer energy-efficient. In an effort to maintain the integrity of the historic ambiance of Notre Dame Hall, the replacement windows will replicate the original windows but will use energy efficient materials and will provide long-term improvements in comfort, maintenance and energy use.