Building on the momentum of last year’s projects—like the LED retrofit at the Animal Holding Facility and a helium recovery system for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers—this year’s cohort brings fresh energy and ambition to our Climate Action Plan’s four core pillars: waste, energy & buildings, transportation, and land use.

Each winning proposal stood out for its environmental impact, cost-saving potential, and clear plan to repay funds within the required 10-year window.

“This year’s submissions were truly inspiring,” says Raman Dhaliwal, Associate Vice-President (Administration). “We’re delighted to invest in six projects that will help us realize our net zero greenhouse gas emissions goals, while engaging the UM community in hands-on sustainability action in pursuit of our Climate Action Plan.”

Green Investment Fund projects

Fixing fume hoods

Fume hood.

Energy consumption from heating buildings is one of UM’s largest source of emissions, with labs being some of the highest energy consuming spaces on campus.

Fume hoods – enclosed workstations that exhaust harmful fumes to the outside environment – are an integral part of lab safety. Unfortunately, fume hood sashes are regularly left open after experiments are complete. Each fume hood sash left open can have more impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than leaving the front door of your home open in winter.

Two Green Investment Fund projects are tackling energy loss from fume hoods.

Shut your sash!

Most fume hoods are variable air volume hoods – which exhaust air in proportion to the sash height. Essentially, the higher the sash height, the greater the amount of air exhausted and the greater amount of energy used.

An educational campaign spearheaded by the Science Students’ Association, with support from Daniel Heschuk, program development specialist in the Faculty of Science, will highlight the high energy requirements of fume hoods, beginning with a university-wide “Shut your Sash” contest to build awareness and engagement. The Environmental Health and Safety Office is updating their Fume Hood Program to include training materials and new fume hood stickers to not only identify optimal sash heights for safety and lower-energy use, but to help advertise the Shut the Sash campaign.

With significant uptake, this project has the potential to realize annual energy savings of $342,600 and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by up to 1,000 tonnes annually.

Fume hood presence detection program

A walkthrough of select labs in December 2024 found all were left open after term had ended. If these had been left open during the winter break, they would have had a significant impact on energy consumption and GHG emissions.

The UM Fume Hood Presence Detection Program will install 79 fume hood presence sensors in Parker building 200 level undergrad labs, integrated with the fume hood control/exhaust systems.

When no user is detected near the sensor, the fume hood will reduce airflow through the fume hood, resulting in a reduction of energy needed to heat and move more air into the lab. This project is estimated to reduce energy costs by $59,250, decreasing UM’s GHG emissions by 160 tonnes annually.

Cardboard recycling for the win

Cardboard recycling makes up 40 tonnes of the overall UM waste stream. The current cardboard baler in the basement of Helen Glass is at the end of its lifespan, and replacing it, along with adding an additional cardboard baler at Pembina Hall, will divert even more cardboard waste from the landfill.

Baling cardboard reduces contamination in the recycling stream and earns the university a rebate. This project will reduce waste going to the landfill and save $9,640 annually.

Electromagnetic air filters

What if we could increase indoor air quality and reduce waste and energy consumption at the same time? A team from Operations and Maintenance is leading a project to replace traditional cardboard pleated air filters with electromagnetic filters which capture particles 40 times smaller than traditional filters and outperform HEPA filters at the viral range.

The pilot project in the Wallace Building will also reduce waste, since only the fiberglass filter media is replaced, meaning the entire filter doesn’t enter the waste stream. As the filters are more efficient, it is anticipated they will save 63,100 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity annually, reduce demand on infrastructure and save $5,000 a year.

Lights, safety… parking

Upgrading the Bannatyne campus parkade with improved LED light fixtures and occupancy sensors will reduce the energy consumption of the parkade by more than 130,000 kWh/year, while providing a safer parking experience for both those driving and walking in the parkade. As a bonus, maintenance costs will be reduced by a further 50 per cent, for annual cost savings of more than $10,000.

Smart heating and cooling

This pilot project will see the installation of data acquisition devices on a variety of existing heating and cooling sensors on equipment in three buildings: EITC-E3, Biological Sciences and UMSU University Centre. Using an algorithm, pattern recognition techniques and machine learning, the system will highlight areas where energy consumption can be decreased, equipment efficiency will be improved and mechanical issues will be detected quickly, extending the life of the equipment. This, in turn, will enhance comfort in heating and cooling.

Energy savings of at least two to seven per cent are projected. These energy reductions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water use, waste and demand on infrastructure, with projected annual cost savings between $21,000 to $76,000.

Got a project idea?

This year’s application period for the UM Green Investment Fund will be opening soon! Keep an eye on UM Today for all the details.

If you have any questions about the Green Investment Fund or its projects, reach out to greenfund@umanitoba.ca.

And this February, the BookStore is partnering with the Office of Sustainability to host an e-bike pop up shop in UMSU University Centre.  

There will be four models of e-bikes from Olympia Cycle and Ski on display from Feb. 11 to 13 and Feb. 25 to 27 in front of the BookStore, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Ideal for commuting, the e-bikes on display run from $2,274 to $4,014, depending on the model. The BookStore is offering an Employee Purchase Program for eligible employees. E-bikes are anticipated to be available for pick up by May.

Accessories like panniers, helmets, locks, and maintenance packages are also available.  

Benefits of commuting by e-bike

The e-bike pop up shop supports the UM Climate Action Plan and net zero goals by supporting the UM community to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from their commute. According to the 2023 Campus Commute Survey, although a small percentage of our campus community had used an e-bike to travel to campus, a significant portion had expressed an interest in university support to purchase one to help eliminate their personal greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. 

Not only can commuting by e-bike help reduce emissions, it’s a good way to get outside, take advantage of some gentle exercise, and have some fun.  

“Riding my e-bike to the university has been a game-changer,” says Nicholas Lysecki, open scholarship assistant in Libraries. “Even on windy days, I can be sure that my 14 km commute will never take much longer than a half hour or so. I get a little bit of exercise, but not so much that I need a shower when I get to work. And after three years, the money I’ve saved on parking, bus fare and gas has more than paid for the bike!” 

“I purchased an e-bike when I started at U of M this past summer and was facing a commute more than double the distance of my previous commute,” says Bobbi MacLennan, project manager in Architectural & Engineering Services. “My e-bike allows me all the benefits I have previously enjoyed when cycling to work while reducing the time and increasing the ease of travel. Bike path connectivity is improving in Winnipeg so even folks intimidated by Winnipeg drivers can commute safely.”
 
Visit the BookStore website for more details on the pop-up shop.

The 2024 Green Investment Fund is now accepting applications, offering a unique opportunity to bring your innovative ideas to life. Whether you’re a student, faculty or staff member, this is your chance to secure up to $100,000 in revolving funding for projects that promote environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

GIF details

• Funding Range: $10,000 – $100,000
• Eligibility: Open to students, faculty, and staff of UM
• Collaboration: Projects can be solo or a collaborative effort across multiple groups but must be sponsored by a faculty or administrative unit.

Application Deadline

Apply to the UM Green Investment Fund by 4 p.m. on December 20, 2024.

Project Criteria

Your project proposal should aim to:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Reduce energy use
• Reduce water use
• Reduce waste
• Incorporate renewable energy
• Reduce demand on infrastructure

To be able to fund sustainable projects into the future, the Green Investment Fund is a revolving fund. Therefore, projects must demonstrate the ability to repay the awarded amount from generated revenue or cost savings within 10 years.

About the Green Investment Fund

Established in 2023, the UM Green Investment Fund was created to spur community involvement in helping UM reach our climate action goals and to encourage meaningful collaboration between faculty, staff, and students in the name of sustainability.

If you have any questions, please email greenfund@umanitoba.ca.

Here are everyday things you can do to get involved in the four key areas of our Climate Action Plan.

Energy and buildings

Energy use is the largest driver of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at UM. While there are large projects ongoing to reduce heating-related GHG emissions, there are a few simple things you can do to help us reduce the energy we use:

• Switch off lights and devices you’re not using and when exiting rooms
• Dress more warmly instead of turning up the heat
• Only use space heaters when necessary
• Create an energy use reduction agreement with colleagues

Transportation

Transportation, including commuting to and from campus, business travel and the UM vehicle fleet, is the second-largest contributor to our GHG emissions each year. Luckily transportation is one of the easiest areas in which UM students, faculty and staff can get involved:

• Use active transportation methods to get to campus, like cycling or walking
• Carpool: Find a friend or three and commute to campus together
• Instead of driving from building to building at the Fort Garry campus, take the free shuttle
• Take public transportation; There are several routes to UM, along with park and ride options

Waste

The third-largest source of GHG emissions at UM is the waste we produce and send to landfills. The first and most important step in waste reduction is being conscious of the waste you generate. From there, you can take steps toward reducing and reusing:

• Use refillable coffee mugs and water bottles
• Ensure you’re placing waste, organics and recyclables in the correct bins
• Pack reusable containers and bags for lunch or shopping
• Participate in Waste Reduction Week (Oct. 21 to 27) and decide how you can reduce the waste you create

Land

As our campus continues to grow, efficient, respectful and sustainable land use is highly important. You can get directly involved in how UM supports the land we have the privilege of inhabiting:

• Leave natural spaces in the same condition as you found them
• Use active transportation methods that place less stress on our infrastructure
• Educate yourself and others on the history of the lands on which our campuses sit

There are numerous ways for all of us to get directly involved in building toward a more sustainable future for UM and our planet.

And if you are interested in adding sustainability courses to your degree, UM offers more than 900 courses across 85 academic departments at the undergraduate and graduate level that focus on or relate to sustainability. 

If you have any questions about initiatives and how you can help, please contact the Office of Sustainability.

“We’re thrilled to announce this year’s Green Investment Fund recipients and grateful for the careful thought and innovative thinking demonstrated by all applicants,” said Raman Dhaliwal, associate vice-president (Admin).

The funded projects will tackle sustainability issues through the lens of the UM Climate Action Plan’s (CAP) four pillars: waste, energy and buildings, transportation, and land.

Green Investment Fund projects

Out like a light

The first of the two projects selected, which falls under the energy can buildings CAP pillar, is the replacement of old fluorescent light fixtures in the Duff Roblin Animal Holding Facility. These fixtures are not energy-efficient.

The Animal Holding Facility is a 13,000 square-foot facility that relies solely on artificial lighting, as it is in the basement of the Duff Roblin building. Mark Fry, associate professor in the Department of Biological Science, has proposed that the existing fluorescent fixtures be replaced with an energy-efficient LED system, which would save roughly $2,000 per year in electricity costs.

The new LED system is also expected to last more than 20 years, amounting to a minimum of $40,000 in savings over its lifespan.

High-pitched recycling?

It may surprise many UM community members to learn just how critical helium is to chemistry research on campus. 900 litres of the inert gas is used every year in the operation of four nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers, which are incorporated into both research and teaching.

As the only non-renewable element on Earth, there are no feasible alternatives to the use of helium, which is why Ute Kothe, Dean of Extended Education and former Chemistry department head, and team are proposing the installation of a helium capture-and-liquification system to mitigate waste.

This system will recover 90 per cent of the used helium, helping to prevent irreversible helium loss and dramatically reducing carbon emissions caused by the spectrometers. It’ll also reduce annual helium costs by at least $25,000, while reducing auxiliary carbon emissions even further by reducing the transport of liquid helium to UM.

Projects funded through other means

Though they don’t fully meet Green Investment Fund requirements, the committee identified three other projects that will viably demonstrate UM’s commitment to sustainability within our community and for all Manitobans. These projects will receive funding through other budgets within the Office of Sustainability.

Bikes on bikes on bikes

Simon Wang, Director of Facilities, has proposed double-stacking bike racks, which would be installed near the Active Living Centre instead of the traditional bike racks planned for the cage. This will more than double the capacity from 28 to 60 bikes in a space that would normally fit just two cars.

Flame efficiency

The second project aims to reduce UM’s carbon footprint by studying the burners in the power plant, which relies on natural gas combustion to produce power. Our Energy and Combustion Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed significant expertise in improving combustion efficiency, and their goal would be to analyze and optimize the existing burners in order to save energy.

Operation: Recycle

With the health care sectors significant environmental impact due to its high consumption of resources and proportional waste, one team is proposing better recycling systems in operating rooms throughout the province. Recycling bins in ORs is actually rather hit or miss, so Sydnee Tuckett and Sarvesh Logestty are suggesting recycling standards, along with staff education programs for proper waste streams. This project has been referred to Shared Health for funding, as its implications are far-reaching for Manitoba health care.

Got a project idea?

This year’s application period for the UM Green Investment Fund will be opening soon! Keep an eye on UM Today for all the details.

If you have any questions about the Green Investment Fund or its projects, reach out to greenfund@umanitoba.ca.

It’s a messy job but an important one. The waste composition study will provide valuable information as we develop a Zero Waste Plan to achieve one of the actions laid out in UM’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). The Zero Waste Plan will lay out goals and actions to reduce the amount of waste we create, reuse and repurpose as much as we can, and recycle and compost most of what’s left to divert it away from the landfill.

This waste composition study will provide a snapshot of all the items we dispose of on campus, helping us to understand how much of our current waste is garbage and how much could be diverted from the landfill through either the recycling or organics streams.

The study will also give us insight into how well we sort our waste into the different streams – garbage, recycling and organics. It’s just as important to correctly sort our garbage as it is to properly sort our recycling and organic waste, since our recycling and compost partners aren’t able to sort through the waste they receive.When there is too much contamination, they send the entire contents to the landfill.

Learning more about the composition and contamination of our waste will help the CAP Waste Working Group identify relevant and impactful initiatives to include in our Zero Waste Plan. In addition, using this waste composition study as a baseline will allow us to measure the success of our plan as we compare the results to future studies.

This waste composition study is a first exciting step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts from our waste. The results and information on the next steps in the development of our Zero Waste Plan will be shared later this year.

We greatly appreciate the support provided by General Services and Caretaking Services during the planning and logistical processes of this study.

If you have any questions about the waste composition study, please direct them to Allison Mac Intyre, Zero Waste Coordinator, at allison.macintyre@umanitoba.ca.

The Office of Sustainability (OOS) will be hosting Waste Reduction Week events Oct. 17 to 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fort Garry Campus in the University Centre CAMPO food court. Here’s what you can expect!

Textiles Tuesday

What happens to the clothes we throw away? Learn more and discuss the impacts of fast fashion and the clothing industry on our planet on Oct. 17.

E-waste Wednesday

The OOS is hosting an electronic waste and battery drive on Oct. 18. Drop off your old electronics and batteries for recycling and learn more about where your e-waste ends up.

Plastics Thursday: Campus cleanup

Bring a friend and participate in the UM Waste Reduction Week Campus Cleanup on Oct. 19. Cleanup supplies, like pickers and bags, will be provided at the OOS booth in the CAMPO food court starting at 11 a.m. and can be returned by 2 p.m.

Food waste Friday

Are you interested in learning more about the UM organic waste stream? Play the waste sorting game and test your knowledge on Oct. 20!

All in for net zero

Waste is one of the four pillars of the UM Climate Action Plan, and Waste Reduction Week highlights just a few of the things you can consider when trying to reduce your own carbon footprint.

Follow the Office of Sustainability on Instagram to learn more about its waste initiatives and how you can reduce your waste at home. Happy Waste Reduction Week!

1. The Office of Sustainability is born! (2013)

Sustainability is a key strategic priority for UM and it is embedded in all of our operations. In 2011, the Board of Governors formally approved the University of Manitoba Sustainability Policy, which led to the creation of UM’s first Sustainability Committee. This committee led the development of the University’s first Sustainability Strategy and established the Office of Sustainability in 2013.

2. UM wins a Manitoba Excellence Award in Sustainability (2014)

Just a year into the Office of Sustainability’s existence, UM won a Manitoba Excellence Award in Sustainability for action on climate change, air quality and energy efficiency. UM was recognized for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to six per cent below 1990 levels.

3. Green Office Program pilot launches (2014)

Initially launched as a pilot program in 2014, the Green Office Program supports units to assess current practices and incorporate green changes into their day-to-day operations. Green Office Representatives lead change within their units and meet quarterly to share successful strategies and overcome challenges. There are currently 36 units represented within the program across both Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses.

4. UM earns a STARS Silver rating for sustainability efforts (2015)

STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating SYSTEM) is a self-reporting framework for post-secondary institutions to measure their sustainability performance on an international scale. UM submitted its first report to received a Silver rating in 2015, setting an benchmark for future improvement. That improvement came in 2019, with a 26 per cent performance increase and UM’s first STARS Gold rating, followed by a second Gold in 2022.

5. UM’s first Sustainable Transportation Strategy is launched (2017)

With transportation as a key pillar of the UM Climate Action plan, the Sustainable Transportation Strategy, was announced in 2017. The first of its kind for UM, this strategy outlined a five-year plan for building on options for active transportation, carpooling, transit and park and ride services. This included the addition of 16 brand new bike lockers at the Fort Garry campus and more commuting options for students, faculty, and staff. The Strategy provided significant cycling infrastructure support that wouldn’t have been possible without the Office of Sustainability.

6. Sustainability Ambassador program launches (2016)

Since 2016, UM students have been invited to volunteer as Sustainability Ambassadors. Geared toward students who are interested in promoting sustainability at UM, the program offers a chance to lead and inspire the campus community through education, research and action. Projects include bike parking audits, vegetable gardening, waste sorting education, event tabling, community cleanups and independent research projects.

7. Sustainability Night debuts (2018)

Held every March, Sustainability Night is an evening of speakers, presentations and awards that aim to inspire attendees to take action for the UN Sustainable Development Goals and, since 2023, for the UM Climate Action Plan. The Sustainability Awards offer an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the collaborative efforts of students, staff and faculty to advance our campus commitment to excellence and leadership in sustainability.

8. Organics pilot launched (2018)

Since 2018, UM’s Office of Sustainability has partnered with student organizations and staff across three campuses to support a variety of organics diversion programs—from countertop office collection to permanent hallway infrastructure. To date, UM has composted 94.67 tonnes of organic waste, diverting it from the landfill where decomposing organics emit methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

9. First EV charging stations installed at Fort Garry Campus (2021)

As another part of the Climate Action Plan’s transportation focus, UM’s goal is to transition most or all of our fleet vehicles to electric (EV) by 2050. In laying the foundation for this endeavour, while providing more options for UM students, staff, faculty and visitors, the first EV charging stations were installed at the Fort Garry campus in 2021, with six more appearing in 2022.

10. Climate Action Plan takes shape (2023)

In 2020, UM signed the Global University and Colleges Climate Letter, acknowledging that the planet and climate are in a state of emergency and pledging to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

This led to the creation of the UM Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was released in 2023 and lays out the pathway to cut our GHG emissions in half by 2030 as we aim for our 2050 goal.

With numerous climate goals set for 2030, there is much more on the horizon for the Office of Sustainability over the next 10 years.

To find out more about how you can get involved in UM’s sustainability and climate action initiatives, visit the Office of Sustainability website.

In some exciting news, UM will update infrastructure in its central energy plant by replacing natural gas boilers with electric power. Natural gas heating of buildings previously accounted for the vast majority of UM emissions. 

According to Mike Ferley, University Engineer, Architectural and Engineering Services, UM is decommissioning four natural gas boilers and replacing them with three new electric boilers and one new natural gas boiler. 

In fact, the move to electric power sources will reduce the university’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by a whopping 16k tonnes annually — a 50% reduction in heating-related GHG emissions at UM’s Fort Garry campus by 2030. 

Energy transition reflects UM commitment to actions on climate

“This transition will be a big win for UM and reflects our commitment to actions on climate,” says Raman Dhaliwal, Associate Vice-President (Administration), and co-chair of the UM Sustainability Committee. “The switch to electric power and away from reliance on natural gas will transform our campus in terms of current and future impacts for our climate and sustainability.” 

The area of energy and buildings is one of the four focus areas of the Climate Action Plan. It represents most of UM’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, based upon the energy required to keep our buildings running — including burning natural gas for heating and electricity consumed for cooling, plug load and lighting. 

“UM’s energy team has made great strides in minimizing the carbon footprint and future work will continue to focus on improving energy conservation, finding alternatives to natural gas through decarbonization and embracing innovative solutions as we manage our buildings and build future buildings,” adds Dhaliwal.  

Working groups established 

Working groups have now been established for the Climate Action Plan (CAP) in the areas of transportation and waste. Each group includes UM staff who bring their expertise to the table and provide direction on how to implement sustainable solutions. 

Going forward, working groups will also be established for the area of land, and energy and buildings. 

More about CAP

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) was created after UM became the seventh U15 University in Canada to sign the Global University and Colleges Climate Letter in 2020, committing to carbon neutrality by 2050 in line with international efforts to minimize the increase in global temperature and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. 

The newly created plan will help the university assess requirements and plan implementation, guiding us through changes and collaborative action on energy use and reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next decades. 

Read: UM’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) officially launched in spring 2023 

Learn more: Climate Action Plan website 

In April, Asper School of Business instructors Paul D. Larson and Robert Parsons led an international study trip to Iceland. Nineteen MBA students from the Stu Clark Graduate School participated in the week-long tour with an itinerary focused on sustainability.

The study group began an immersive tour of Icelandic business, beginning with a visit to Green by Iceland, a branch of Business Iceland that focuses on promoting sustainability in business at a national level, and then attended a panel discussion with the Association of Icelandic Women Business Leaders to understand gender equality, diversity and inclusivity legislation in Iceland.

Students then toured and worked directly with five landmark Icelandic companies: Icelandair, PayAnalytics, Eimskip, Blue Lagoon and Ossur. These firms represent industries from global transport and shipping to data analytics, tourism and state-of-the-art prosthetics manufacturing.

In designing the study tour, Larson and Parsons set learning objectives for students to identify lessons from these Icelandic firms that could be applied in Manitoban and Canadian contexts, and, where possible, to identify enhanced direct business opportunities between Manitoba and Iceland.

MBA student Anna Gilfillan and her colleagues met with PayAnalytics, a software firm specializing in pay-equity monitoring and verification software.

“We were interested in PayAnalytics because of the work they do to help companies address gender wage gaps and achieve wage parity. They offered a social sustainability perspective,” she says.

One of Gilfillan’s takeaways from the visit was the importance of reliable data systems and data literacy to identify and combat biases in organizations.

“I think we often assume that in an organization there either aren’t wage gaps or that they are explained by tenure or education, for example. But often when you look more closely at the data, you can see hidden biases,” she says.

PayAnalytics, she learned, actually predates the groundbreaking 2018 Icelandic legislation that specifically addresses wage gaps, and today Iceland is ranked first in the world in terms of closing the gender gap. The visit demonstrated how business sustainability can be more than a response to social change but can instead work as a framework to proactively and ethically lead that change.

Gilfillan, a consultant at MNP, is completing her MBA at Asper with a focus on leadership and organizations and sustainability. For her, this focus on sustainability is both a social responsibility and necessary training for any business professional moving forward.

“I think as we see environmental, social, and governance issues come more into focus, the landscape and environment of business will also change,” she says. “The external environment that businesses, not-for-profits, even public sector firms operate within will produce challenges and opportunities that really require a sustainability mindset and approach, whether that’s direct or indirect.”

Gilfillan even had a chance extend this sustainability mindset, using the study tour as an opportunity to further explore a research project she had started in Parsons’ Sustainability Economics class. She joined Larson, Parsons and fellow student Nicole Buckle on a visit to Istex, a major Icelandic wool processing firm.

The 2023 MBA International Study Tour offered students an opportunity to move forward and think ahead, to learn from global neighbours leading innovation in response to some of the most pressing issues of the day and to bring that experience, knowledge and expertise back to the Manitoba business community and to Asper itself.  

“Iceland is such a stunningly beautiful country, and the landscape changes so much as you move through it,” Gilfillan adds.

The landscape, it turns out, of business as well as the natural world, is changing whether we move or not, and learning opportunities like this ensure that Asper MBA grads are prepared to keep up.