Advanced Sustainability Techniques Institute-I: Moving from Rhetoric to Substance Members of the ACPA Sustainability Taskforce: Kathleen Gardner Susan Mendoza-Jones Dr. Jeanne S. Steffes Program 4 of 5- Sustainability Institute Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Program Overview This session will provide an advanced discussion of sustainability; offer and invite participants to share suggestions about how college student educators and their students can make perfunctory and intentional changes for a more sustainable world This session will provide an advanced discussion of sustainability; offer and invite participants to share suggestions about how college student educators and their students can make perfunctory and intentional changes for a more sustainable world

Session Learning Outcomes: Session Learning Outcomes: Be able to define sustainability and discuss the emerging trends. Be able to define sustainability and discuss the emerging trends. Be able to expand how sustainability can become visible across the university as a viable goal and benchmark for the campus and not just student affairs. Be able to expand how sustainability can become visible across the university as a viable goal and benchmark for the campus and not just student affairs. Be able educate others about sustainability and how sustainability relates to their lives and their values. Be able educate others about sustainability and how sustainability relates to their lives and their values. Discuss and be able to talk about and problem solve front edge issues and strategies to overcome barriers to our collective work on sustainability. Discuss and be able to talk about and problem solve front edge issues and strategies to overcome barriers to our collective work on sustainability.

Agenda I. Introduction and Welcome II. Brief Sustainability Overview III. Moving from perfunctory change to and through intentional focus- Cutting Edge Challenges and Successes IV. Assessing Change on Campus V. Q&A and Wrap-Up

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. World Commission on Env. and Development. (1987). Our Common Future. England: Oxford University Press.

Strong Economy Strong Social Systems Strong Environments Sustainable Society Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability

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.” 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.”

Economic Aspects of Sustainability Local first Local first Co-ops Co-ops Living wage Living wage Local currency Local currency Examining consumption – The Lorax Examining consumption – The Lorax Sustainable development/ sustainable distribution Sustainable development/ sustainable distribution Green jobs Green jobs

Intentional Conversations Sustainability and Social Justice Intentional Conversations Sustainability and Social Justice

Social Justice Aspects of Sustainable Development Environmental Racism Environmental Racism Fair Trade Fair Trade Living Wage Living Wage Domestic Partnerships Domestic Partnerships Corporate Responsibility Corporate Responsibility Rights of Indigenous Peoples Rights of Indigenous Peoples Gender Equity Gender Equity Water Rights Water Rights Human RightsHuman Rights Child Labor IssuesChild Labor Issues Affirmative ActionAffirmative Action Multicultural CompetenceMulticultural Competence Pollution & Farming PracticesPollution & Farming Practices Worker’s RightsWorker’s Rights Sweatshop LaborSweatshop Labor SlaverySlavery

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

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

Integrating Education for Sustainable Development: Curricula Research Operations Community Outreach and Partnerships Student Life Professional Development Mission and Planning Purchasing Orientation First year Book

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

Convening the Conversation/Front Edge Issues Convening the Conversation/Front Edge Issues Front edge Issues a. Creating Allies b. Making the Case for the next level of change c. Overcoming Barriers d. Examples e. Resources

Shared Successes and Challenges

Sustainability Assessment/Rating... The conversation is just beginning. (Next session)

Sustainability Learning Outcomes (ACPA’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006) 1. Each student will be able to define sustainability. (cognitive complexity, knowledge acquisition) 2.Each student will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives and their values, and how their actions impact issues of sustainability. (cognitive complexity; knowledge acquisition, integration and application; intra and interpersonal competence; practical competence)

Sustainability Learning Outcomes (ACPA’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006) 3.Each student will be able to utilize their knowledge of sustainability to change their daily habits and consumer mentality. (knowledge integration and application, humanitarianism, civic engagement, practice competence) 4.Each student will be able to explain how environmental, social and economic systems are interrelated. (knowledge acquisition, integration, intra and inter personal competence, practical competence, persistence and academic achievement)

Sustainability Learning Outcomes (ACPA’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006) 5. Each student will learn change agent skills. (cognitive complexity; knowledge acquisition; integration and application; intra and inter personal competence; humanitarianism; civic engagement; practical competence; persistence and academic achievement) 6.Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability to their campus and community. (knowledge acquisition, integration, intra and inter personal competence, humanitarianism, civic engagement, practical competence, persistence and academic achievement)

Sustainability Learning Outcomes (ACPA’s Sustainability Taskforce, 2006) 7.Each student will demonstrate a commitment to sustainability by actively applying their knowledge of sustainability to their lives, professions, and societies. (cognitive complexity; knowledge acquisition, integration and application; intra and inter personal competence; humanitarianism; civic engagement; practical competence; persistence and academic achievement) (cognitive complexity; knowledge acquisition, integration and application; intra and inter personal competence; humanitarianism; civic engagement; practical competence; persistence and academic achievement)

AASHE - Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) AASHE - Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) Designed to: 1Provide a guide for advancing sustainability in all sectors of higher education. 2. Enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions by establishing a common standard of measurement for sustainability in higher education. 3. Create incentives for continual improvement toward sustainability. 4. Facilitate information sharing about higher education sustainability practices and performance. 5. Build a stronger, more diverse campus sustainability community.

STARS Rating Program Overview Categories Education & Research Operations Administration & Finance

Elements of STARS Checklist of indicators (similar to LEED) Checklist of indicators (similar to LEED) Thresholds of achievement Thresholds of achievement Guidance and resources Guidance and resources Comprehensive – all campus sectors Comprehensive – all campus sectors Transparency (public reporting and access) Transparency (public reporting and access) Outside certification optional Outside certification optional Rating good for 3 years Rating good for 3 years Pilot phase begins in 2008; version 1.0 in 2009 Pilot phase begins in 2008; version 1.0 in 2009

Other Assessment Tools 2.ACPA Sustainability Taskforce and Student Voice Instrument – higher education tool (pilot to start this fall) 3. College Sustainability Report Card -(limitations- 100 top endowments)

Question & Answers and Wrap-Up

If we accompany them well, they may grace us all by becoming citizen leaders …who can both belong and distinguish themselves. Sharon D. Parks, Big Questions, Worthy Dreams, p. 36

Acknowledgements Dr. Debra Rowe President U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development; Co-chair Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium; Dr. Anthony Cortese, President Second Nature; ACPA Presidential Taskforce on Sustainability; Keith Edwards and Kathleen Kerr USA Today Collegiate Readership Program

Kathleen Gardner Susan Mendoza-Jones Dr. Jeanne S. Steffes Questions, Comments and Thoughts? Questions, Comments and Thoughts?