Project Title: Educating Business Managers in Environmental Choices: A Joint Proposal of New Mexico State University and Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

SCERP Project Number: PP97-1

Principal Investigator: Grace Ann Rosile

Task Manager's affiliation: New Mexico State University

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Goal: This project will develop a course for businesses along the border about environmentally sound management practices. The course will address the requirements of environmental legislation and regulation, incorporating models of business that expand the definition of quality to include how to limit natural resource consumption and minimize toxic output into the environment.

New Mexico State University, through its College of Business Administration and Economics, proposes to offer border business concerns an opportunity to learn about environmentally sound management practices that are of particular concern to the U.S.-Mexico border region and how to incorporate environmental strategies to address these problems. The College proposes to initiate the program using existing university satellite connections into Mexico and through a bilingual videotape format allowing for simultaneous course offerings on both sides of the border. An evaluation of the effort is planned through a bi-national survey to highlight the best possible means to continue this environmental effort into the future.

Initial partnerships in this project include the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) and the Southwestern Maquiladora Association. The College of Business Administration and Economics is also working with the Department of Languages and Linguistics at New Mexico State University to produce the highest quality Spanish language translation support for this project.

In addition, partners in this project propose to address the requirements of environmental legislation and regulation, incorporating models of business that expand the definition of quality to include how to limit natural resource consumption and minimize toxic output into the environment. It is the belief of the project partners that successful enforcement of environmental laws and regulations will largely depend upon the willingness of businesses and individuals on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border to promote awareness of environmental issues and support sound, environmentally sustainable business management practices. As is often the case along the border, lack of environmental awareness and education are cited as chief barriers in resolving the border zone's environmental problems.

Project in progress.

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