CONWAY, Ark. (August 22, 2018) – Hendrix College’s Mary Ann and
David Dawkins Welcome Center, which opened last fall at the intersection of
Harkrider and Winfield Streets, has been rated LEED Certified by the Green Building Certification Institute.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the
recognizable industry standard for sustainability. There are several levels of
certification, ranging from Certified to Platinum, which represents the
ultimate in environmental sustainability.
“We’re having fun welcoming prospective students and their
families in a space that highlights the College’s desire to care for the
environment,” said Sam Nichols, vice president for enrollment and chief
information officer for Hendrix. “Sustainability has been a campus priority for
many years, so having Dawkins as a LEED Certified facility made good sense and
is consistent with our values.”
According to the Arkansas chapter of the U.S. Green Building
Council, Hendrix in 2010 became the first college in the state to receive LEED
certification with the construction of the Student Life and Technology Center (SLTC), which holds LEED Gold
certification. This latest certification for the Dawkins Welcome Center further
emphasizes the College’s commitment to environmental sustainability, which will
continue as a priority for future construction projects.
“The Hendrix community can be proud that we are carrying forward
with standards set forth in the Second Nature Climate Commitment we signed in 2016, including using environmentally
friendly materials in campus projects,” said Hendrix College President William
M. Tsutsui.
The Dawkins Welcome Center came into being as part of the College’s
ongoing $110 million capital campaign, Be
Hendrix. It is named for Mary Ann and David Dawkins, United Methodists and
longtime residents of Little Rock. After attending a performance of the Hendrix
College Choir’s Candlelight Carol Service at First United Methodist Church in
North Little Rock in 1986, Mary Ann Dawkins established an endowed scholarship
fund at Hendrix in memory of her late husband. Following her death in 2014,
Hendrix received the largest gift in its history from her estate.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix
College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal
arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40
Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic
quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture
in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has
been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit
www.hendrix.edu.