Integrating Sustainability Into a Learning Community

1. Integrating Sustainability Into a Learning Community Kathleen Gardner, Southern Illinois U-Edwardsville Kathleen G. Kerr, University of Delaware Jeanne S. Steffes, Syracuse University Living-Learning Conference October 15-17, 2006 Syracuse, NY

2. Presentation Outline: • Overview of Sustainability • Individual Resources and Perspectives • Student Learning Outcomes • Integrating Sustainability into Higher Education • Where Do You Begin?

3. Sustainable Development Defined: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” World Commission on Env. and Development. (1987). Our Common Future. England: Oxford University Press.

4. Social Well-being Flourishing Environments Strong Economy Sustainable Society Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability

5. The United Nations has declared 2005-2014 a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

6. Education for a Sustainable Society: “Enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions … that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future.”

7. Why Sustainability Now? • We are the first generation capable of determining the habitability of the planet for humans and other species. • The decisions of this generation are crucial. 

8. Why Sustainability Now? • Human presence on a global scale • All living systems in long term decline at unprecedented and accelerating rate • Unprecedented growth in population and consumption • Gap between rich and poor accelerating

9. Global Perspective: life supporting resources declining consumption of life supporting resources rising

10. Why is Education for Sustainable Development such a high priority in the U.S.? • Much of the U.S. public doesn’t know that we are exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet. (www.myfootprint.org) • All of the life supporting ecosystems are in decline (http://www.worldwatch.org/topics/nature) • The U.S. has approximately 5% of the world’s population and is consuming 25% of the world’s resources. (Jucker, Our Common Illiteracy – Education as If the Earth and People Mattered, Peter Lang Publishers) • Public doesn’t know we can reduce human suffering, environmental degradation and social injustice now while building stronger economies • A rapid shift in mindset is needed and education is the key.

11. Why is environmental responsibility such a high priority? • Freshwater withdrawal has almost doubled since 1960 and nearly half the world’s major rivers are going dry or are badly polluted (New Internationalist, no. 329 November, 2000. 18) • 11 of the world’s 15 major fishing areas and 69% of the world’s major fish species are in decline (State of the World 1998, 60-67) • Climate change (global warming) exists, a major culprit is fossil fuels, and impacts are very serious. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report: Summary for Policymakers: The Science of Climate Change 1995)

12. Effects -Climate Change: • Effects on food production • More extreme weather events • Disruptions of ecosystems • Spread of disease to temperate climates • Submersion of land masses – • 1 to 4 foot sea level rise • 50% of world’s population lives on the coasts • (75% in 2050) • 140,000 deaths per year attributed to climate change Sources: 1-5 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

13. From Fossil powered Take, make, waste Living off nature’s capital Market as master Loss of cultural & biological diversity Independence Materialism as goal Global Transition: To • Solar powered • Cyclical production • Living off nature’s income • Market as servant • Increased cultural & biological diversity • Interdependence • Human satisfaction goal

14. Which of these myths do you believe?  • Sustainability is mostly about the environment • Sustainability is just another issue, like international studies or computer literacy • Sustainability is secondary to the university's core mission and function • Sustainability will almost always cost the university more money • Sustainability is primarily a scientific and technical problem

15. Challenges Already busy Don’t know this stuff Issues are complex and systematic Answers Use national resources Learn from other institutions Use students and staff nationally to help you learn, grow, and implement Challenges and Answers to Sustainability

16. What can I do as an individual? Reduce your impact at home • Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb • Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer • Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner • Install a programmable thermostat • Use less hot water From: An Inconvenient Truth, http://www.climatecrisis.net/

17. What can I do as an individual? Reduce your impact at home • Recycle at home • Buy recycled paper products • Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them • Insulate and weatherize your home • Buy locally grown and produced foods • Avoid heavily packaged products • Buy organic foods as much as possible From: An Inconvenient Truth, http://www.climatecrisis.net/

18. What can I do as an individual? Reduce your impact on the move • Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit whenever possible • Keep your car tuned up • Check your tires weekly • When it’s time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle From: An Inconvenient Truth, http://www.climatecrisis.net/

19. Potential is Enormous: • 4,096 U.S. Colleges and Universities (1) • 14.8 million students (1) • $277 billion annual expenditures; 2.8% of the GDP (1) • HE expenditures > the GDP of all but 25 countries in the world (2) 1 From: 2001 Digest of Education Statistics, US Dept. of Education. 2 From: 2001 CIA World Factbook and Dowling, Mike., "Interactive Table of World Nations," available from http://www.mrdowling.com/800nations.html; Internet; updated Friday, June 29, 2001

20. What if higher education were to take a leadership role, as it did in the space race and the war on cancer, in preparing students and providing the information and knowledge to achieve a just and sustainable society? What would higher education look like?

21. Integrating Education for Sustainable Development: Curricula Research Mission and Planning Operations Purchasing Professional Development CommunityOutreach and Partnerships Student Life

22. From apathy caring involvement.Students need to know that their daily decisions affect the quality of life of people around the globe Goal: • All students engaged as effective change agents in our sustainability challenges.

23. Key Places: • Student Life • Residential Living • Infused throughout curricula • First Year Experience • Gen Ed Core • Curricula Review • Community Partnerships • Workforce Development • Mission • Strategic Plan • Budget • Orientation • Campus Map and Signage • Building Policies • Operations and Purchasing Policies

24. ACPA’s Presidential Task Force: • Resources - FY Pledge; templates for road shows; ideas for orientation and FYE, etc. • Professional development - Webpage, e-learning, publications, teleconferences and webcasts • Collaboration with other national higher education associations on: • Rating system • Socially and environmentally responsible procurement • President’s pledge on climate change • Higher Education Climate Action Project • Team building on campus at VP and other levels for sustainability • Student Learning Outcomes – to guide practice

25. Student Learning OutcomesACPA’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006 • Each student will be able to define sustainability. • Each student will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives and their values, and how their actions impact issues of sustainability. • Each student will be able to utilize their knowledge of sustainability to change their daily habits and consumer mentality. • Each student will be able to explain how systems are interrelated.

26. Student Learning Outcomes (cont.)ACPA’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006 • Each student will learn change agent skills. • Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability to their campus and community by engaging in the challenges and solutions of sustainability on their campus. • Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability globally by engaging in the challenges and the solutions of sustainability in a world context.

27. Integration • “What do our students need to be successful in their adult roles of career person, family member and community member?” • Making invisible impacts visible • Practicing sustainability on campus and in external communities connected to student learning

28. Examples: • Systemic integration, including student life • University of Florida • Georgia Tech • University of North Carolina • Arizona State • Residence Life • University of Delaware • Energy & Climate Change • SUNY Buffalo • University of California System • Western Washington University • University of Minnesota

29. Strategies: • Residence hall programs; FYE and orientation programs; campus speaker series; bulletin boards; service and service learning experiences; curricular and co-curricular collaborations (e.g. general education outcome and infusion throughout the disciplines - first year community reading book); town hall forums; study- and service-abroad experiences; film series; speaker series; media festivals; information in campus media outlets; office of multicultural affairs/diversity programming; curricular and capstone projects, one-on-one conversations with student affairs staff members; programs sponsored by campus faith-based organizations and offices; curricular projects; signage on existing energy efficient/renewable energies buildings/ operations; Residence hall, student organization, fraternity and sorority, and intramural/club sports competitions; personal contracts; community (floor) agreements; health & safety checks with resident feedback; campaign by campus transportation units; sweatshop free bookstores and purchasing policies catalyzed by students; development of educational modules on change agent skills to be distributed for use by educators; involvement in campus leadership positions; town hall forums; conference attendance; problem based learning in curricular and co-curricular settings; attendance at meetings where policy is discussed and decided upon: town and gown, city council, county council, Board of Trustees.

30. Strategies (cont.): • Participation in political campaigns; service and service learning experiences; modify the institution’s and student organizations’ practices, mission statements, and constitutions; utilize student governance structures to request compliance with LEED and other sustainability standards; awareness raising campaigns; letter writing campaign and implementation project for sustainable practices in dining services unit on campus; work with campus facilities/grounds units to assess current practices; work with facilities and business office to create more sustainable operations and standards; organization of community recycling and reduced toxins program; environmental impact statements from Residence Hall Governments and campus student governance groups; “Walk Don’t Ride,” “Do It in the Dark” campaigns; collaboration with campus transportation units; Facebook groups; curricular “change” projects; utilize campus media to carry message; career services center programming and ,counseling; graduation pledges or FYE pledges (currently Graduation Pledge) that are implemented throughout the undergraduate experience; alumni activities; speaker and film series; service and service learning experiences.

31. Some statistics on activities: • 250 sustainability coordinators/offices/ committees • 275 campus sustainability assessments • 300 LEED (green) Buildings • Greatly increased student activism – 271 campuses for Campus Climate Challenge

32. Where Do We Go From Here? • Professional Development for campus staff • Upper administration support – memo from all VPs empowering all staff and faculty to help implement sustainability • Presidential support – Tailloire Declaration, AACC resolution • Incentive building via budget – use the savings to fund the next projects • Faculty and Staff - Identifying influencers and asking for help • Framing - Connect diversity, global learning, international ed, service learning, economic development, student life and environmental learning constituencies

33. Professional Development Strategies • Internally: focus on Education for Sustainable Development in higher education staff and faculty • Externally: reach out to professionals (get on the advisory committees and accreditation committees) • Keep asking, “What are your next steps in making education for and practice of sustainability a major goal of your institution? “

34. Possibilities for Next Steps • Explicitly recognize and include ESD in the next round of mission definition and strategic planning (e.g. Illinois Weslyan, Lane CC, attend SCUP workshop) • Encourage your strategic planners, purchasing agent, facilities director, student life coordinators, faculty and students to join the national online learning communities dedicated to education for sustainable development. (go to www.aashe.org and click on Email lists) • Include sustainable development core competencies in the next revision of General Education outcome requirements, first year experience, orientation (examples at www.ncseonline.org/EFS/DebraRowe.pdf , www.aashe.org and http://www.myacpa.org/task-force/sustainability/ )

35. Possibilities for Next StepsCommit to: • Build and renovate facilities using socially and environmentally responsible practices (e.g. LEED and Energy Star) • Purchase socially and environmentally responsible products (e.g. no sweatshop products in the bookstore) (e.g. national initiative from NACS) • Infuse sustainability throughout the disciplines via staff development offerings and faculty engagement strategies (e.g. Broward CC and Emory) • Develop college-community partnerships for sustainable development and using those partnerships for service learning opportunities for students (e.g. Grand Rapids CC and Middlebury)

36. Possibilities for Next StepsCommit to: • Engage in the Campus Climate Challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions http://www.campusclimatechallenge.org/ • Help to create economic policies that support stronger economies via the building of healthier ecosystems and social systems (e.g. http://www.paconsortium.state.pa.us/ • Utilize the media to publicize the positive steps your institution takes to both teach and model sustainable development.

37. Embracing Education for Sustainable Development Can: • Improved teaching and learning • Students prepared for citizenship and career • Attraction of students, faculty and funding • Save $ and other resources for the institution and society • Improve the institution’s reputation • Cooperation and satisfaction across institution • Help improve town/gown relationships • Fulfill moral and social responsibility • Improve strategic positioning

38. Conclusions • The U.S. public is not educated enough about sustainability issues and solutions. • We need sustainability literacy and engagement for ALL. This is no longer optional for a viable future. • Some exciting developments, too many to report, but much more needs to be done. • We can assist you. Share what you do with ACPA and we will share with others via www.heasc.net • Let our enthusiasm show!

39. Acknowledgement Dr. Debra Rowe dgrowe@oaklandcc.edu President U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development; Co-chair Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium; Senior Fellow University Leaders for a Sustainable Future; Professor, Alternate Energies and Behavioral Sciences Oakland Community College.

40. For More Information Kathleen Kerr kkerr@udel.edu Kathleen Gardner kagardn@siue.edu Jeanne Steffes jsteffes@syr.edu