ASU business degree gets greener

By Andrew J. Shainker
CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE
TEMPE — Sydney Mullins planned to concentrate in management when she entered Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business. But the essence of business is recognizing opportunities, and she sees one in sustainability.
"I learned in orientation that businesses throughout the (Phoenix) Valley are constantly looking for college graduates that can promote and design an eco-friendly establishment," Mullins said.
In addition to a bachelor of science in business offering specializations in traditional subjects such as finance, accounting and marketing, starting this school year students can pursue a bachelor of arts in business with a specialization in sustainability.
Mullins, a freshman who started at ASU in August, is switching to the new degree.
"I love the environment and I love business, and now I can learn about both," she said.
ASU's interdisciplinary degree reflects a green trend among business schools. The University of Arizona's Eller College of Management is preparing a curriculum to add green business principles to its MBA degree, and Northern Arizona University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management make sustainability part of business studies.
The W.P. Carey School of Business developed its new degree after a team of professors and academic advisers saw a demand for individuals who could design and run eco-friendly companies or make existing companies greener, said Tim Desch, assistant dean for undergraduate admissions.
"We believe individuals who choose a sustainability emphasis will be in great demand," Desch said. "Many businesses are looking for experts in the field to come in and guide them through this process, from building green structures to converting a work force that will accommodate the environment."
ASU's new degree also offers concentrations in communication, tourism management and urban policy, which along with sustainability are areas that traditionally haven't been combined with business education.
About 1,000 students are pursuing the degree, and of those, about 100 are pursuing the sustainability concentration.
Luis Aguilera, a freshman, said the degree appealed to him because he enjoyed a high school class on the environment.
"I think understanding issues such as fuel efficiency and conservation will lead to people making great decisions in the future." Aguilera said.
Business students concentrating in sustainability will take classes at ASU's School of Sustainability, which was established in 2007 with a goal of developing professionals and scholars who can address environmental, economic and social challenges related to sustainability.
The UA's Eller College of Management plans to add green business principles to its MBA degree next year. Paul Portney, the school's dean, said the curriculum could involve case studies on solar power, water conservation, clean vehicles and other environmentally friendly technologies.
"Eller College students at all levels are interested in careers that will be both financially rewarding for them and also good for society," Portney said in an e-mail interview.