According to Toby Peters, associate vice president of administration, the university is looking into it.

"We are evaluating all new buildings for sustainable design possibilities using the evaluation by the U.,”Will Marquette's new buildings be officially "green?"

According to Toby Peters, associate vice president of administration, the university is looking into it.

"We are evaluating all new buildings for sustainable design possibilities using the evaluation by the U.S. Green Building Council," Peters said in an e-mail.

The USGBC is a nonprofit organization focused on promoting "environmentally responsible" buildings. The organization offers a certification program called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to environmentally responsible building projects.

The university is evaluating LEED certification for the planned law, engineering and administrative buildings, Peters said.

Qualifications for LEED certification include waste reduction, water and energy conservation and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Connie Lindholm, director of Wisconsin Green Building Alliance, USGBC's local chapter, said she was unaware of Marquette's upcoming building projects.

The new engineering building, the Discovery Learning Complex, will feature solar panels, Peters said, and the university is considering other renewable energy opportunities. The building will be constructed with the goal of having LEED certification.

Plans for the Law School have not been finalized yet.

One organization deemed Marquette's commitment to green buildings average. The Sustainable Endowments Institute issues an annual report card on environmental sustainability of colleges.

Marquette received a "C" for its commitment to green buildings, although the report gave the university credit for energy efficient designs for new buildings and for its "innovative" rain garden, a project that diverts rain run-off from one building away from the combined sewer system and instead uses it to irrigate a garden.

Art Scheuber, administrative vice president, will lead a task force next semester focused on environmental sustainability to assess what further sustainability initiatives Marquette can pursue.

According to Marquette's Web site, the university has worked with Wisconsin's Focus on Energy Program, a state program focused on energy efficiency. Marquette has invested $7 million in energy and water efficiency improvements, reducing its annual energy use by the equivalent of more than 1.5 million kilowatt hours and water use by more than 13.4 million gallons.

McGee Young, assistant professor of political science, said university officials should be more forthcoming about their commitment to the environment.

Young suggested the university hold a forum to discuss environmental goals.

"In an abstract sense, the goal should be to come to a consensus on what our commitment should be," he said.

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