As an SGP board member, professor at Appalachian State University (ASU), and newly appointed president of the Accredited Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications (ACCGC), Dr. George Glisan is using 2020 to take his passion for sustainability to new heights and continue to inspire those around him. This month, SGP is taking a look at his impact in the classroom.
In 2014, Dr. Glisan began looking for resources to prepare for a new class he was teaching at ASU:
Sustainability in Graphic Communications.
He became familiar with the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP) program but needed information to validate the effectiveness of SGP certification. At the time, SGP had not conducted a detailed study. The issue was brought before the SGP Board of Directors which agreed that SGP Printers needed to be surveyed to develop quantitative proof of the benefits of SGP certification. By the end of 2014, Dr. Glisan found himself on the SGP board and conducting a study to assess the sustainability performance of SGP Printers post-certification.
When asked why he became a member of the SGP board of directors, Dr. Glisan said, “There are two reasons. First, I believed in SGP’s mission and purpose. Second, I knew that my participation on the board would enable me to bring knowledge of sustainability practiced in real-life industry back to the students in my classroom.”
This year, Dr. Glisan is celebrating his 10th year teaching at ASU. His class,
Sustainability in Graphic Communications
takes students on the journey, studying the relationship between graphic communications and sustainability, throughout history. The course spends time examining the tools that help us to understand, analyze, and measure the impacts of sustainable practices. Later in the semester, the course turns to more specific practices within graphic communications and how to be more sustainable when it comes to design, materials, and production.
When asked about his inspiration for the class, Dr. Glisan shared, “My inspiration for starting the class was twofold. First, I believe that sustainability is a critical issue for our country and our planet. Second, it is clear that the business practices of Graphic Communications have an impact on sustainability. At the time, there was nothing in our curriculum that was educating our students about the subject.”
Dr. Glisan wants his students to have four major takeaways from
Sustainability in Graphics Communication:
- Sustainability is a real issue and what the facts are that support the conclusion.
- The right choices, both in our personal and professional lives, can make a positive difference with regard to sustainability.
- Knowledge of what those choices should be and why.
- The knowledge that those choices can be profitable.
For Dr. Glisan, the fourth takeaway ties back to one of his initial discoveries while conducting his study with SGP certified printers and their facility’s performance post certification. Companies do not sacrifice profitability when it comes to pursuing sustainability.
Stay tuned for our February newsletter to see how Dr. George Glisan is bringing attention to sustainability in ACCGC.
