Butler University was recently awarded a grant from the McKinney Family Foundation that will expand capacity for the University’s new Office of Sustainability and support the Lacy School of Business (LSB) with exploratory research and planning for an expanded sustainable business curriculum. The grant represents the first major gift dedicated to supporting the University’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, which outlines Butler’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability leadership. Along with funding a new position in the Office of Sustainability, the grant will support research to inform future curriculum development as the Lacy School of Business strives to become Indiana’s leading institution in developing future leaders in sustainable business for the state and nation.
“The McKinney Family Foundation believes environmental sustainability is the key to the future of Indiana,” Stephanie Goodrid Lawson, Executive Director of the McKinney Family Foundation, says. “This includes ensuring that tomorrow’s business leaders are equipped with the skills, expertise, and knowledge to lead sustainable business practices, uphold ESG requirements, and lead the transition to a clean energy economy. We are energized by Butler University’s innovation and commitment to sustainability, and we are proud to partner with the Office of Sustainability and the Lacy School of Business in their work of developing Indiana’s future workforce.”
Butler’s Office of Sustainability was established in 2024 to provide campus-wide leadership in support of the University’s sustainability goals, including its multi-phased, multi-decade Decarbonization Roadmap, a plan to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050. With its centralized leadership, the Office drives campus operational improvements in areas such as energy efficiency, waste diversion, and land and water stewardship, while also expanding sustainability initiatives across Butler’s curricular and co-curricular programs to reach all Butler students. Grant funding from the McKinney Family Foundation will support a new staff position, ensuring staff capacity to support the dual goals of operational improvements and expanded academic programming.
“The Office of Sustainability is committed to advancing Butler’s academic mission and strategic vision through sustainability initiatives across all areas of campus, inspiring the next generation of leaders to become change makers for environmental, social, and economic well-being,” says Julia Angstmann, Executive Director of the Office of Sustainability. “We are extremely grateful to the McKinney Family Foundation for supporting these efforts by expanding our capacity to pursue these ambitious goals.”
The Office of Sustainability actively collaborates with academic partners across campus to infuse sustainability into the broader curriculum, including current efforts to add a sustainability component within the core curriculum. The course will be piloted with a subset of students in spring 2025, with the goal that by fall 2026, every Butler undergraduate student will be required to complete at least one online sustainability course prior to graduation. The requirement aligns with the interests of current and prospective students, who are considered the most climate-conscious generation and are increasingly expressing interest in environmental-related degrees and careers.
The need for climate change expertise within the business sector is growing rapidly, too. Corporate America is under increased pressure for more explicit carbon reporting and reduction efforts, and according to the World Economic Forum, green jobs are growing twice as fast as workers with green skills.
The Lacy School of Business has already begun addressing these gaps, with nine existing courses that are either sustainability-focused or sustainability-inclusive, including a course called Sustainability Auditing and Accounting. Grant funding from the McKinney Family Foundation will allow for a more in-depth curriculum analysis to identify opportunities for additional sustainable business course offerings. The grant will also support summer faculty research on sustainable business topics in order to expand faculty expertise across all nine LSB majors.
“In the Lacy School of Business, we have a long history of developing future leaders for every industry with the relevant skills and hands-on experiences that employers need,” says Craig Caldwell, Dean of the Lacy School of Business. “Businesses are increasingly being held responsible for environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. For example, the SEC requires ESG disclosures for all publicly traded firms. Our curriculum should reflect the workforce needs of business and the state of Indiana, which is why leadership development in sustainability is a part of our strategic plan and is reflected in the expectations of our accrediting bodies. This grant will accelerate our efforts in this important area.”
LSB has also identified opportunities for students to gain hands-on learning experiences and expertise in sustainable business practices through its existing partnership with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC). Since 2018, LSB has been the home of the Central Regional Office of the ISBDC. This partnership offers LSB students unique access to over 1,000 small businesses throughout Central Indiana, including direct client interaction, problem-solving, and applied solutions.
The McKinney Family Foundation grant will provide funding for four student interns to assist ISBDC clients with securing funding to advance sustainability-focused projects. The student interns will also collaborate with Indiana Energy Independence Fund (IEIF), Indiana’s first green bank, to establish a knowledge base of green finance programs for reference by ISBDC clients. Through these partnerships and hands-on learning experiences, Butler students will gain in-demand skills while contributing meaningfully to sustainability in the region.
To learn more about Butler University’s sustainability goals and how you can get involved, visit butler.edu/sustainability.