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A National Trend: Sustainability in Higher
Education and ACPA’s Leadership Role
Debra Rowe, Ph.D.President, U.S. Partnership for
Education for Sustainable Development – www.uspartnership.org
Co-coordinator, Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium – www.heasc.net
Overview – Education For a Sustainable Future (EFS)
• Part I Why EFS and Growing Expectations?• Part II What does it look like in higher education? • Part III National Trends and Resources • Part IV ACPA’s Initiatives • Part IV Next Steps
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.
StrongEconomy
SocialWell-being
Flourishing Environment
SustainableSociety
Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability
The United Nations has declared a
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
2005-2014
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.”
Applied Knowledge/
TechnologicalSkills
Private Choices and Behaviors-Habits
Public Choices and Behaviors-Laws
Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Economies
EcosystemEcosystem
EcosystemEcosystem
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.
Why Sustainability & Why Now?
1. Human presence on a global scale2. All living systems in long term decline at
unprecedented and accelerating rate3. Unprecedented growth in population and
consumption4. Gap between rich and poor accelerating
life supporting
resources
declining
consumption of life supporting
resources
rising
Global Perspective
Why is ESD such a high priority in the U.S.?
1. Much of the U.S. public doesn’t know that we are exceeding the carrying capacity of the planet. (www.myfootprint.org)
2. All of the life supporting ecosystems are in decline (http://www.worldwatch.org/topics/nature)
3. 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)
4. Public doesn’t know we can reduce human suffering, environmental degradation and social injustice now while building stronger economies
5. A rapid shift in mindset is needed and education is the key.
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)
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
Global Transition -
From• Fossil powered• Take, make, waste• Living off nature’s capital• Market as master• Loss of cultural & biological
diversity• Independence• Materialism as goal
To• Solar powered• Cyclical production• Living off nature’s income• Market as servant• Increased cultural &
biological diversity• Interdependence• Human satisfaction goal
Dominant Inaccurate Human BeliefsWhich ones do you have to eliminate?
• 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
Many myths must be dispelled. 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
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
Part II
What does
education for a sustainable future
look like within higher education?
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?
For higher education, Sustainable Development integrated into:
Curricula Research
Operations
CommunityOutreach andPartnerships
Student Life Professional Development
Mission andPlanning Purchasing
KEY THRUST
Change operational and policy norms so all students can learn and practice how to be:
• environmentally responsible
• socially responsible
• economically responsible
• active citizens in a global economy
Goal – All students engaged as effective change agents in our sustainability challenges
From apathy caring involvement.
Students need to know that their daily decisions affect the quality of life of people around the globe
The campus as a living lab for sustainability practices and skill building.
Academics, Student Life, Facilities and Purchasing creatingSustainability as the Campus Context
“Latent Currricula”
Provides the models and opportunities for practicing the changing of behaviors
Building values, behaviors, and identities
A community of learners. A community of real life problem solvers.
Key places to place sustainability and institutionalize it:
• Mission
• Strategic Plan
• Budget
• Orientation
• Campus Map and Signage
• Building Policies
• Operations and Purchasing Policies
• Student Life
• Residential Living
• Infused throughout curricula
• First Year Experience
• Gen Ed Core
• Curricula Review
• Community Partnerships
• Workforce Developmt
Mission and Planning
Already in most mission statements
Tie it to the academic, student life and facilities/operation plan
Include it in the budget
Purchasing and Operations
• LEED – can be done without extra funds (Interface Engineering) – www.usgbc.org
• Life Cycle Costing• Conservation first, renewables next (higher ed is #1
purchaser of wind power) – www.energystar.gov • Campus Climate Challenge and the mainstream Higher
Education Climate Action Partnership – measure and reduce greenhouse gases – www.hecap.org
• Environmentally and socially responsible purchasing – www.coopamerica.org, www.newdream.org, NAEP purchasing coalition – Brian Yeoman, Rutgers, National Association of Campus Stores
Student Life
• Presidential Taskforce on Sustainability – ACPA
http://www.myacpa.org/task-force/sustainability/ , including overview, learning outcomes, residential sustainable living campaigns (with ACUHO-I), first year experience, orientation, film series and sustainability media festivals, examples and templates for members…
• ACUI and NACA national initiatives• NACUFS for dining halls and food services• Harvard Campus Greening by students -
http://www.greencampus.harvard.edu/greenteams/ - How to manuals for you and students
1) Examples at www.ncseonline.org/EFS/DebraRowe.pdf and www.aashe.org
2) Textbook revisions to infuse ESD- creating a consistently updated worldview across disciplines
Curricula: Gen. Ed. requirements and infusion into multiple disciplines
Challenges and Answers
Challenges• Already busy• Don’t know this stuff• Putting out fires, don’t have time to do the right thing• Issues complex and systemic• Societal & environmental impacts invisible and often ignored
Answers• Use national resources• Learn from other institutions• Use students and staff nationally to help you learn, grow
and implement
HE Sustainability Examples
• Systemic integration, including student life• University of Florida• Georgia Tech• University of North Carolina• University of British Columbia• Arizona State• Lane Community College
• Transportation• UC Boulder• Cornell
• Energy & Climate Change• SUNY Buffalo• University of California System• Western Washington University• University of Minnesota
HE Sustainability Examples
• Curriculum•Northern Arizona University•University of Georgia•Oakland Community College
• Food•University of Montana•UC Santa Cruz
• Green Building•University of Washington• South Carolina universities
Group Question 1
What is the content, context and process of education, student life and campus operations that would result in all students having knowledge, skills
and values to lead society down a more
sustainable path?
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.
Student life is both the content, the context and the glue for this learning.
Latent Professors
Example of Student Sustainability Projects for all campuses Part I
• Campus sustainability audits – www.ulsf.org
• Green and fair trade purchasing research
• Higher Ed. Climate Action Partnership (http://www.campusclimatechallenge.org and www.hecap.org)
• Fellowships through National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology - http://www.nwf.org/campusecology/
Example of Student Sustainability Projects for all campuses Part II
• Film and speaker series and positive futures fairs
• Green building designs and sustainable living “campaigns”
• Info on sustainability in career office, orientation, first year experience
• Many more possibilities– project website!
Part III
National Trends and Resources
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
GREAT NEWS!!!Growing National Trend:
Seventeen national HE associations and thirteen national disciplinary
associations are creating initiatives on Education for
Sustainable Development
Engaged National Associations
1. ACE–Am. Council on Ed.–Presidency Magazine W’06
2. AACU – Ass. of American Colleges and Universities
3. AACC – Am. Ass. of Community Colleges
4. AASCU – State Institutions 5. ACUHO – Housing 6. NACAS – Aux. Officers7. NAEP – Educational
Buyers8. NACA – Campus Activities
9. APPA – Facilities 10. NACUBO – Business 11. SCUP – College and
University Planners12. ACUI – Student Unions13. ACPA – Student Life14. NACUFS – Food15. ACEED-I – Events and
Conference Directors16. NACS – Campus Stores17. NIRSA – Recreation18. AGB – Ass. of Governing
Boards AND MORE
Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium
www.heasc.net
HEASC founding members
ACPAAASCU – state colleges and universitiesAPPA - facilities directorsSCUP - plannersNACUBO - business officersNAEP - buyersAASHE - sustainability leadersACUI - student unions
Members in HEASC as of 6/06
College Student Educators International (ACPA)American Association of State Colleges & Universities (AASCU)APPA: Serving Higher Education Facilities ProfessionalsAssociation for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)Association of College & University Housing Officers International (ACUHO-I) Association of College Unions International (ACUI)Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges (AGB)National Association for Campus Activities (NACA)National Association of College & University Business Officers (NACUBO)National Association of College Stores (NACS) National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP)National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)Society for College & University Planning (SCUP)
More Exciting News!!
Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education
AASHE(AY-shee)
www.aashe.org
AASHE’s 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
AASHE Resources
• Case Studies of curricula, planning, operations…• Tools (e.g. sustainability assessments/indicators,
greenhouse gas calculators)
• Conferences and professional development• Web resources – over 800 syllabi, institutional profiles• Listservs (for faculty, business officers, purchasing agents, facilities managers, students)
• Inform local, state & national policy• Encourage & facilitate collaboration• Awards and recognition
National Discipline Associations
• Convened this year in May• Political Science, Religion, Philosophy, Sociology,
Chemistry, Biology, Engineering, Geography, Psychology, Modern Languages…
• Cosponsors• AAC&U• AASHE• ULSF
• Academic learning combined with real life problem solving for sustainability – good for students and good for you
More National Organizations to assist you:
• Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future – www.ulsf.org – Tailloires Declaration
• Second Nature – www.secondnature.org• Grey Pinstripes for business schools through the
World Resources Institute - http://projects.wri.org/project_description.cfm?ProjectID=18
• U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
• Non-partisan
• Multiple Sector Teams: Business, Higher Ed., K-12, Youth, Faith…
• Convene, Catalyze, Communicate
www.uspartnership.org
www.uspartnership.orgJoin for free
Participate in a sector or action team
Helpful simulation tools
For example,
“We Can Afford to Solve the World’s Problems – The World 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
Utilize outside stakeholders and powerful cross sector powerful cross sector collaborationcollaboration
• STUDENTS AND…..• Businesses (www.wbcsd.org)
• City and county government (Mayors’ Climate Protection Act)
• Non-profit organizations
Part IV
ACPA’s Leadership Role
ACPA’s Presidential Taskforce
• Wonderful group of dedicated people• Multiple projects, including but not limited to:
1. Freshman pledge
2. State and International Roadshow templates
3. First Year Experience
4. Orientation that explains the importance globally and availability of sustainability on campus
5. Career information on sustainability jobs
6. Infusion into professional development
7. Outreach to engage other national higher ed associations
ACPA’s Presidential Taskforce
• Webpage, e-learning, publications, teleconferences and webcasts with information about:
• sustainability principles, • learning outcomes, • examples, templates and how-to manuals for the
range of sustainability projects
• Feed into Earth Day, Make A Difference Day, Service Learning Day, National Campus Sustainability Day (www.scup.org) as kick-off
ACPA’s Presidential Taskforce
• 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
On-campus strategies
Key strategies to build the perceived critical mass
• 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
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
Professional Development Strategies
1. Internally: focus on ESD in higher education staff and faculty
Examples – NAU, GA Tech, Emory
2. Externally: reach out to professionals (get on the advisory committees and accreditation committees)
3. Keep asking, “What are your next steps in making education for and practice of sustainability a major goal of your institution? “
Possibilities for Next Steps
1. Explicitly recognize and include ESD in the next round of mission definition and strategic planning (e.g. Illinois Weslyan, Lane CC, attend SCUP workshop)
2. 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)
3. 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/ )
Possibilities for Next StepsCommit to:
a. Build and renovate facilities using socially and environmentally responsible practices (e.g. LEED and Energy Star)
b. Purchase socially and environmentally responsible products (e.g. no sweatshop products in the bookstore) (e.g. national initiative from NACS)
c. Infuse sustainability throughout the disciplines via staff development offerings and faculty engagement strategies (e.g. Broward CC and Emory)
d. Develop college-community partnerships for sustainable development and using those partnerships for service learning opportunities for students (e.g. Grand Rapids CC and Middlebury)
Possibilities for Next StepsCommit to:
e. Engage in the Campus Climate Challenge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (http://www.campusclimatechallenge.org/ )
f. 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/ )
g. Utilize the media to publicize the positive steps your institution takes to both teach and model sustainable development.
For education, Sustainable Development integrated into:
Curricula Research
Operations
CommunityOutreach andPartnerships
Student Life Professional Development
Mission andPlanning Purchasing
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 institution’s reputation • Cooperation and satisfaction across institution• Help improve town/gown relationships• Fulfill moral and social responsibility• Improve strategic positioning
Part V
• Next Steps
Group Question 3
What are your next steps in making education for and practice of sustainability a major goal of all higher education via your leadership roles at ACPA?
Use this power point and commission/committee templates to generate understanding, discussion and action in your group• Generate new projects related to
sustainability• Identify members to work on already
described projects and send names to Kathleen Gardner
• Help the Presidential Taskforce disseminate and implement their projects
Conclusions
1. The U.S. public is not educated enough about sustainability issues and solutions.
2. We need sustainability literacy and engagement for ALL. This is no longer optional for a viable future.
3. Some exciting developments, too many to report, but much more needs to be done.
4. We can assist you. Share what you do with ACPA and we will share with others via www.heasc.net
Let our enthusiasm show!For more information,
contact Kathleen Gardner at [email protected]
(Debra Rowe at [email protected])
