Why Clarkson University Is Hiring a Sustainability Coach
Two jobs in one makes the best use of students’ tuition dollars. July 20, 2023 9:35 am ET Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto Clarkson University is known for its winter sports and recreation as well as its environmental sustainability practices. Rather than poke Clarkson for having a job opening for a sustainability coordinator/alpine ski coach (“Bidenomics and the Boom in DEI and ESG Jobs,” Life Science, July 17), Allysia Finley should have heralded our university. We attract employees who can combine areas of professional expertise, including those who care about saving winter for the next generation. To make best use of our students’ tuition dollars, we collaborate across departments wherever possible for open positions, particularly those with defined seasons, such as a coach. Since 2005, Clarkson has increased its facility footprint by 54%, reduced its
Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Clarkson University is known for its winter sports and recreation as well as its environmental sustainability practices. Rather than poke Clarkson for having a job opening for a sustainability coordinator/alpine ski coach (“Bidenomics and the Boom in DEI and ESG Jobs,” Life Science, July 17), Allysia Finley should have heralded our university.
We attract employees who can combine areas of professional expertise, including those who care about saving winter for the next generation. To make best use of our students’ tuition dollars, we collaborate across departments wherever possible for open positions, particularly those with defined seasons, such as a coach.
Since 2005, Clarkson has increased its facility footprint by 54%, reduced its electric-energy consumption by 2%, with a 9% saving on electricity cost, and reduced our natural-gas use by 16%, with a 17% cost saving, all while achieving a 31.4% decrease in greenhouse-gas emissions. Our energy savings from responsible management of athletic venues and transportation dedicated to winter sports and recreation are a big part of this. We measure and pay attention to what we manage—and save money.
Kelly O. Chezum
VP external affairs, Clarkson University
Potsdam, N.Y.
I have seen many fads come and go during my career. What makes DEI and ESG—diversity, equity and inclusion and environmental, social and governance—especially pernicious fads is that they are wrapped in a veneer of virtue that has made it career suicide for skeptical employees to challenge what is happening in their organizations. I hope we are nearing a wokeness inflection point, where more and more people will feel emboldened to say, “Enough is enough. Let’s get back to business and drop all this expensive progressive nonsense.” Let’s also be honest: The people in these DEI and ESG roles aren’t saving the world, no matter what they may believe.
Dana R. Hermanson
Marietta, Ga.
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