National Trends for Sustainability in Higher Education Debra Rowe, Ph.D. Higher Ed Sector Cochair U.

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National Trends for Sustainability in Higher
Education Debra Rowe, Ph.D.Higher Ed Sector
Co-chairU.S. Partnershipwww.uspartnership.org
Senior FellowUniversity Leaders for a
Sustainable Futurewww.ulsf.orgProfessorOakland
Community Collegedgrowe_at_oaklandcc.eduThanks to
Tony Cortese of Second Nature for some of the
slides.
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Overview Education For a Sustainable Future
(EFS)

• Part I Why EFS?
• Part II What does it look like?
• Part III National Trends and Resources
• Part IV Next Steps

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Sustainable Development is often defined as

• 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.
•  

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Social Well-being
Flourishing Environment
Strong Economy
Sustainable Society
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The United Nations has declared a Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development2005-2014
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Decade of ESD

• Existing Efforts
• United States US Partnership for the DESD
• Japan Japan Council on the DESD
• Germany German National Committee for the DESD
• Others Portugal, Greece, Sweden, Australia, the
  Philippines

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www.uspartnership.orgJoin for free Participate
in a sector or action team
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U.S. Partnership for the Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development

• Non-partisan
• Multiple Sector Teams Business, Higher Ed.,
  Youth, Faith
• Convene, Catalyze, Communicate
• www.uspartnership.org

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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. 
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Ecosystem
Ecosystem
Sustainable Communities
Public Choices and Behaviors-Laws
Applied Knowledge/ Technological Skills
Private Choices and Behaviors-Habits
Sustainable Economies
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
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Why Sustainability Now?

• We are the first generation capable of
  determining the habitability of the planet for
  humans and other species.  

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Why Sustainability Why 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
• Global Warming

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Global Perspective
life supporting resources declining
consumption of life supporting resources rising
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Why is ESD such a high priority in the U.S.?

• Much of the U.S. public doesnt know that we are
  exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet.
  (www.myfootprint.org)
• All of the life supporting ecosystems are
  degrading (http//www.worldwatch.org/topics/nature
  )
• The U.S. has approximately 5 of the worlds
  population and is consuming 25 of the worlds
  resources. (Jucker, Our Common Illiteracy
  Education as If the Earth and People Mattered,
  Peter Lang Publishers)
• Public doesnt 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.

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Global Transition

• From
• Fossil powered
• Take, make, waste
• Living off natures capital
• Market as master
• Loss of cultural biological diversity
• Individual centered
• Materialism as goal

• To
• Solar powered
• Cyclical production
• Living off natures income
• Market as servant
• Increased cultural biological diversity
• Community centered
• Human satisfaction goal

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Dominant Human Beliefs

• Humans dominant species separate from environment
• Resources free and inexhaustible
• Technology the answer
• Earth can assimilate all wastes
• All human needs can be met by human means
• Individual success independent of health of
  communities, cultures and ecosystems

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Many myths must be dispelled about
sustainability.  

• Mostly about the environment
• Just another issue, like international studies or
  computer literacy
• Secondary to the university's core mission and
  function
• Sustainability will almost always cost the
  university more money

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Why is efs so important?

•  
• Higher education institutions bear a profound
  moral and social responsibility/opportunity to
  increase the awareness, knowledge, skills and
  values needed to create
• a more just and sustainable society.  

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Part II

• What does EFS look like within higher education?

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For education, Sustainable Development integrated
into
Curricula
Research
Mission and Planning
Operations
Purchasing
CommunityOutreach and Partnerships
Professional Development
Student Life
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5 of the many possibilities for Sustainability

• Revise Gen Ed core degree requirements and infuse
  through many disciplines
• Build an organizational climate of interest among
  staff and students via ongoing growth and
  communication about sustainability efforts
• Include sustainability in professional
  development of all staff.
• Include sustainability as much as possible in all
  operations, purchasing, student life activities
  and other campus practices.
• Celebrate the emerging steps and use the media as
  much as possible
• All of the above related to PLANNING!

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Planning - College Mission Statement

• "The college, through its policies, programs and
  practices, is committed to diversity, social
  justice and environmental sustainability."
• Education for sustainable development is
  inherent in most higher education institutions
  missions!

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Educational Challenges

• Issues Complex, systemic and interdisciplinary
• Learning fragmented and disciplinary
• Learning specialized and individually oriented
• Learning separate from practice
• Societal environmental impacts invisible and
  often ignored
• Rewards and incentives discourage
  interdisciplinary, systemic teaching and
  inquiry-based and collaborative learning

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HE Sustainability Examples

• Curriculum
• Northern Arizona University
• University of Georgia
• Arizona State University
• Oakland, Cape Cod and Lane Community Colleges

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Responsible Learning

• Imagine students applying social and
• natural sciences, language arts,
• humanities and math knowledge to
• help solve societal problems
• while building their skills and knowledge.
• (Every discipline has unique contributions
• to education for sustainability.)

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Responsible Learning

• Imagine students sculpting their
• self-concepts as active citizens
• who can make positive contributions
• to creating a sustainable society.

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1) In gen. ed. core requirements. Examples at
www.ncseonline.org/EFS/DebraRowe.pdf 2)
Textbook revisions to infuse ESD- creating a
consistently updated worldview across disciplines

• Curricula Gen. Ed. requirements and infusion
  into multiple disciplines

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Key places to place it and institutionalize it

• Strategic Planning
• OrientationCurricula Review First Year
  Experience Student Life
• Gen Ed CoreFacilities and Operations
• Workforce Development

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KEY THRUST

• Change norms so all students become
• environmentally responsible
• socially responsible
• active citizens in a global economy

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HE Sustainability Examples

• Systemic integration
• University of Florida
• Georgia Tech
• Transportation
• UC Boulder
• Cornell
• Energy Climate Change
• SUNY Buffalo
• University of California System
• Western Washington University
• University of Minnesota

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HE Sustainability Examples

• Food
• University of Montana
• Yale
• Green Building
• University of Washington
• South Carolina universities
• University of North Carolina
• Los Angeles Comm. College District

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Make sustainability an integral part of
planning, operations, facility design,
purchasing, investments, and student life, and
tie all of these efforts to the formal
curriculum.
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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 gt the GDP of all but 25 countries
  in the world(2)
• 1 From 2001 Digest of Education Statistics,
  US Dept. of Education.
• 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

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The campus as a living lab for sustainability
practices and skill building.

• A community of learners. A community of global
  citizens. A community of change agents.

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Academics, Student Life, Facilities and
Purchasing Sustainability as the Campus
Context Provides the models and opportunities
for practicing the changing of behaviorsBuilding
values, behaviors, and identities
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Example of Student Led Projects

• Sustainability audits
• Sustainable purchasing
• Greenhouse gas reductions (www.energyaction.net
  and www.hecap.org)
• Film and speaker series and futures fairs
• Green building designs and sustainable living
  campaigns
• Info on sustainability in career office,
  orientation, first year experience
• Many more possibilities in all disciplines
  project website!

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Group Questions

• 1. What is the content, context and process of
  education that would result in all students
  having knowledge, skills and values to lead
  society down a more sustainable path?
• 2. How can the university model sustainability in
  all its operations and practices and and connect
  it to student learning and behavior?

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Part III

• National Trends and Resources

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National trends in business, communities and
faith sectors regarding the triple bottom line
and sustainability

• World Business Council on Sustainable Development
• Senges Sustainability Consortium
• Pews Center on Global Climate Change
• Socially and environmentally responsible
  investing
• Business for Social Responsibility
• CERES
• CSRwire

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Some statistics on activities

• 250 sustainability coordinators/offices/
  committees
• 275 campus sustainability assessments
• 300 LEED (green) Buildings
• Greatly increased student activism 145
  campuses for Campus Climate Challenge

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GREAT NEWS!!!Growing National TrendSeventeen
national HE associations are creating initiatives
on Education for Sustainable Development
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Engaged National Associations

• ACEAm. Council on Ed.Presidency Mag.
• AACU Ass. of American Colleges and Universities
• AACC Am. Ass. of Community Colleges
• AASCU
• ACUHO Housing
• NACAS Aux. Officers
• NAEB Educational Buyers

• 8. APPA Facilities
• 9. NACUBO Business
• 10. SCUP College and University Planners
• 11. ACUI Student Unions
• 12. ACPA Student Life
• 13. NACUFS Food
• 14. ACEED-I Events and Conference Directors
• 15. NACS Campus Stores
• AND MORE

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HEASC - Higher Education Associations
Sustainability Consortium
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HEASC members
AASCU state colleges and universities APPA -
facilities directors SCUP - planners NACUBO -
business officers NAEB - buyers AASHE -
sustainability leaders ACPA and ACUI- student
life more
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More Exciting News!!
Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education AASHE (A
Y-shee) www.aashe.org
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AASHEs Mission

• Catalyze sustainability in all sectors of higher
  ed - from governance and operations to curriculum
  and research
• Vision campuses modeling sustainability in all
  learning, operations, and outreach

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AASHE Resources

• Case Studies of curricula, planning,
  operations
• Tools (e.g.sustainability assessments/indicators
  ,
• greenhouse gas calculators)
• Conferences and professional development
• Web resources syllabi, institutional profiles
• Listservs (for faculty, business officers,
  purchasing agents,
  facilities managers, students)
• Inform local, state national policy
• Encourage facilitate collaboration
• Awards and recognition

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More National Organizations to assist you

• Association of University Leaders for a
  Sustainable Future www.ulsf.org Tailloires
  Declaration
• Second Nature www.secondnature.org
• Fellowships through National Wildlife
  Federations Campus Ecology
• Grey Pinstripes for business schools through the
  World Resources Institute

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National Discipline Associations

• Convening this year in May
• AACU
• AASHE
• US Partnership
• ULSF
• Next step will be journal editors (2007?)

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Helpful simulation tool

• We Can Afford to Solve the Worlds Problems -
  TheWorld Game Institute - 18 strategies for
  confronting the major systemic problems
  confronting humanity
• http//www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/theme_a/mod02
  /www.worldgame.org/wwwproject/index.shtml

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StudentsBeyond Armchair pontification!

• Provide academic and student life
• opportunities to build
• CHANGE AGENT identities, skills and behaviors
• Campus Ecology
• www.nwf.org/campusecology/
• U.S. Fair Trade 
• www.transfairusa.org
• Climate Challenge Campaign - http//www.energyacti
  on.net and www.hecap.org
• Global Exchange
• www.globalexchange.org

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• Help students understand the
• consequences of their choices as consumers and
  investors
• The Natural Step - www.naturalstep.org
• Smart Consumers Website - http//ibuydifferent.or
  g 
• Consumer and Investor Power for Social Change -
  http//www.coopamerica.org/
• Ecological Footprint Calculator -
  http//www.rprogress.org  
• Center for a New American Dream
• http//www.newdream.org/

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Utilize outside stakeholders and powerful cross
sector collaboration

• STUDENTS AND..
• Businesses
• City and county government
• Non-profit organizations

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Part IV

• Next Steps

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Key strategies to build the perceived critical
mass

• Identifying influencers and asking for help
• Framing - Connect diversity, global learning,
  international ed, service learning,economic
  development, student life and environmental
  learning constituencies

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Key EFS Strategies

• 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

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Professional Development Strategies

• Internally focus on ESD in higher education
  staff and faculty
• Examples NAU, GA Tech, Emory, OCC
• Externally reach out to professionals (get on
  the advisory committees and accreditation
  committees)

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Group Question 3

• What are your next steps in making
  education for and practice of sustainability a
  major goal of your institution?

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For education, Sustainable Development integrated
into
Curricula
Research
Mission and Planning
Operations
Purchasing
CommunityOutreach and Partnerships
Professional Development
Student Life
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Emphasize the benefits - Embracing esd 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 institutions reputation
• Cooperation and satisfaction across institution
• Help improve town/gown relationships
• Fulfill moral and social responsibility
• Improve strategic positioning

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Conclusions

• The U.S. public is not educated enough about
  sustainability issues and solutions.
• We need sustainability literacy and engagement
  for ALL.
• Some exciting developments, too many to report,
  but much more needs to be done.
• There are many resources and strategies to help
  you infuse sustainability into your institution.
  We can assist you.
• Document all you do and share through AACC, the
  U.S. Partnership AASHE. You are on the
  forefront.

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Let our enthusiasm show!