Sustainability

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Fashion Design Chair Rosemary Brantley shows sustainable student design projects

In Los Angeles, the impacts of environmental degradation due to fire, earthquakes, drought, and pollution are at the forefront. At Otis, we address the sustainability of the planet through our practices as an institution, and our instruction as educators. These pages document the initiatives on campus and in our classrooms that promote the practice and awareness of sustainability. We approach sustainability from its environmental, social and economic dimensions as a practice and way of life that supports and sustains resources for the future.

Otis supports sustainable practices on many levels. The Environmental Steering Committee (ESC), a committee of faculty and staff, initiated a green house gas audit that assesses the impacts of our buildings and activities on the environment. (see Campus Initiatives) The ESC initiative “Make Sustainability Visible at Otis” collects and highlights current activities. Ongoing presentations to the Otis community share current projects and activities that address recycling/reuse, ecological awareness, social justice and the environment. (see Academic Initiatives and Projects)

Designing for sustainability is designing for the future. At Otis, we provide the context for learning about sustainability by preparing our students to be aware of the environmental and social impacts of their creative projects. In addition to specific studio projects, Otis integrates sustainability into its core curriculum with a minor concentration (fall, 2011). Liberal Arts and Sciences is launching sustainability as one of five themes, and Integrated Learning projects support sustainability through its collaborative, interdisciplinary, context-driven curriculum. Otis artists and designers are not only conscious of the issues regarding sustainability, but also ready to take a position and become informed innovators who devise creative solutions.

Additional Resources

Sustainability Wiki