(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)March 2, 2012

(MAHWAH, NJ) – In response to the need for new leadership skills to advance sustainability practices in business and industry, government and non-profit sectors, the Ramapo College of New Jersey Board of Trustees approved a new Certificate in Sustainability Leadership grounded in the tenets of Compression Thinking at its public meeting held on February 27.

Designed for the convenience of the working professional, the Certificate in Sustainability Leadership is scheduled to launch on Saturday, April 21 and will run six Saturdays in a four-hour format. The first cohort will complete the program in seven weeks, concluding on June 9. Two online Information Sessions are scheduled in a Webinar-style format in the Anisfield School of Business, Room ASB-230: Tuesday, March 20, 1-2 p.m. and Thursday, March 29, 7-8 p.m. Pre-registration is requested at the Website: https://www.ramapo.edu/cipl/certificates/.

The program is appropriate for executives, managers and other professionals in business and industry, government and non-profit sectors who are tasked with projects that encompass sustainability/going green, implementing sustainability public policy, addressing environmental health and safety, and developing and implementing organization-wide sustainability programs. Those who successfully complete the certificate program will be able to immediately bring the knowledge, skills and attitudes learned back to their teams to begin implementation of sustainability strategies in their organizations.

Sustainability is grounded in a conviction that societies need to develop ways to meet their current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to provide for their needs. A shift in emphasis in organizations toward anticipating problems and adaptively managing growing public health concerns for the future is spurring demand for the sound grasp of a holistic approach to sustainability. Applying Compression Thinking in organizations is well aligned with this shift.  Compression Thinking focuses on the need to compress, or dramatically reduce, our use of natural resources in response to current data that shows natural resources are being overused at a rate that is expected to lead to severe shortages of common virgin materials within 30 years.

“As a leader in New Jersey in sustainability studies, Ramapo College is once again at the forefront by developing a new leadership cadre with a special leadership skill set that is strongly focused on sustainability goals,” said Ramapo College Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Ashwani Vasishth, program coordinator for the Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and director of the College’s Masters Program in Sustainability Studies. “We anticipate that a large number of cross-sector organizations in the region who may be working hard to establish and meet sustainability goals will choose to send an appropriate representative through the program.”

“In the Compression Thinking model, sustainability problem solving is accomplished through the formation of vigorous learning organizations (VLOs) comprised of cross-sector leadership members capable of rapid, effective and ongoing organizational change, said Jack Ward, a member of the Board of Advisors for the Compression Institute. “The first cohort of adult learners who complete the Certificate in Sustainability Leadership at Ramapo College will be well positioned to begin a local VLO comprised of cross-sector members to aid in problem solving within their organizations.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job projections for the environmental (sustainability) field continue to show faster-than-average employment growth with major corporations, government agencies, private consulting, construction firms, and universities shifting quickly to sustainable approaches to comply with regulations, to develop methods of fixing existing problems, and to prevent future ecological difficulties.

In addition to the new Certificate in Sustainability Leadership, Ramapo College offers certificate programs in Paralegal Studies (online), Advanced Paralegal Studies (online), Project Management, Business Essentials, Middle School Teacher Certification, Web Development (online), Yoga Studies and Yoga Teacher Certification. Certifications in Personal Training and in Pilates are also hosted at the college.

For curriculum information, please contact Professor Ashwani Vasishth at vasishth@ramapo.edu or (201) 684-6616.

For registration information, please contact the Center for Innovative and Professional Learning at Ramapo College at 201.684.7370 or visit: www.ramapo.edu/cipl.

###

About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Press Release Archives

| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 |