The University of Colorado Real Estate Center and
the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado Chapter today are beginning a
pilot program to prepare CU Real Estate Center students to take the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, Green Associate
exam.
An experienced LEED accredited professional who has trained
hundreds of green building practitioners in Colorado will teach the
course, which lasts six weeks. Students receive a copy of the latest
version of USGBC Colorado's internationally acclaimed "LEED
Professional Accreditation Study Guide and Practice Exam." The guide
provides valuable information, tools and practice exams for the Green
Building Certification Institute's new LEED 2009 Green Associate and
LEED Building Design and Construction credentials.
The CU Real
Estate Center, located within the Leeds School of Business, emphasizes
sustainable real estate and development practices, according to Susan
Watts, executive director of the CU Real Estate Center.
"Being
LEED certified is a significant plus for our students," said Watts.
"Our goal is to prepare graduates to assume positions within the broad
field of real estate with an emphasis on sustainable practices."
Brad Weinig, a first-year MBA student in the real estate track, took the lead to make the pilot class a reality.
"We
are excited to incorporate LEED accreditation into our curriculum,"
Weinig said. "Many of us chose to study here because we want to be
leaders in sustainable development and this partnership with USGBC will
help us to accomplish that goal."
USGBC Colorado published its
first study guide in 2002 as the result of a successful partnership
between the organization and author Timothy Moore of Whole Systems
Design. The guide has gained an international following thanks to its
reputation as the best study guide for LEED AP candidates.
"USGBC
Colorado has helped literally thousands of green building professionals
gain their LEED credentials," said Deb Kleinman, executive director of
the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado. "We are excited to pilot this
exam prep course with CU-Boulder as we continue to work with the green
building community around the world to train professionals and to
transform our built environment."
USGBC Colorado's mission is to
advance and promote sustainable planning, design, construction and
operation of the built environment through education, improving
industry guidelines, policy, advocacy, and information and resource
sharing.
The CU Real Estate Center offers a real estate
curriculum at the graduate and undergraduate levels that prepares
students to be leaders in the real estate industry. The center fosters
the partnership between the university and the CU Real Estate Council
to create dynamic and relevant dialogue to further land use related
research and develop meaningful internships for students with job
placement opportunities as the ultimate goal.
The new USGBC
Colorado LEED Professional Accreditation Study Guide and Practice Exam
for LEED 2009 Building Design and Construction is available for
purchase. Discounts are available for members of USGBC Chapters, USGBC
National Member Companies and bulk purchases.
For more information on the program visit www.usgbccolorado.org, or call Sarah Michaels at 303-454-3393.
Contact
Susan Hebel Watts, Leeds School of Business, 303-492-8966
susan.watts@colorado.eduJessica Pascoe, USGBC Colorado, 303-454-3392
jpascoe@usgbccolorado.org