SUSTAINABILITY: The Power to Understand

1. SUSTAINABILITY:The Power to Understand UNCW Sustainability Committee www.uncw.edu/sustainability

2. Overview: History • The United Nations has declared 2005-2014 a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development • 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.”

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. Sustainability is related to the quality of life in a community -- the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community residents, present and future.

4. Healthy Triple Bottom Line Environment Economy Social Justice SUSTAINABILITY

5. Triple Bottom Line Social Justice Environment Economy • Global Warming • Extreme Weather • Fossil power to solar power • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle • Living off nature’s income • Rethink • From independence to interdependence • Wind Power • Vehicles • Transportation • Environmental Racism • Fair Trade • Living Wage • Domestic Partnerships • Corporate Responsibility • Gender Equity • Water Rights • Human Rights • Child Labor Issues • Sweatshops • Farming Practices • Support local merchants • Buy local and sustainable foods • Invest in sustainable organizations • Turn power off • Green jobs • Greed • Stock market • Transportation • Stimulus Package • Fear

6. Higher Education Leadership

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

8. Embracing Education for Sustainable Development Can… • Improve teaching and learning • Prepare students for citizenship and career • Attract students, faculty and funding • Save $$ and other resources for the institution and society • Improve the institution’s reputation • Engender cooperation and satisfaction across the institution • Help improve town/gown relationships • Fulfill moral and social responsibility • Improve strategic positioning

9. Integrating Education for Sustainable Development: Key Places Connecting Outreach- Partnerships Campus Maps and Signs Mission & Planning Curricula Orientation Building Policies Research Mission Statement Operations Purchasing Student Life Professional Development

10. Possible Next Steps: • Include sustainability in next mission development and strategic planning • Encourage administrators, faculty, staff and student leaders to join national online learning communities dedicated to education for sustainable development (AASHE – www.aashe.org) • Include sustainable development core competencies in next revision of general education requirements • Build sustainable education and practices into orientation, commencement, and first year experience

11. Possible Next Steps: • Build and renovate facilities using socially and environmentally responsible practices (Energy Star, LEED – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) • Purchase socially and environmentally responsible products (no sweatshop products in bookstore) • Infuse sustainability throughout disciplines – staff development, faculty engagement • Develop college-community partnerships for sustainable development – use for service learning opportunities for students

12. Outreach & Student Initiatives Fraternity and sorority life Athletics Recycling competitions Community / floor agreements Intramural sports Campus transportation Health and safety checks Sustainability store on campus Purchasing policies Campus leadership positions Conference attendance Presentations to Board of Trustees, Chancellor’s Cabinet, city council Sustainability major National programs – recyclemania, national teach-in • Residence hall programs – green competitions, student led sustainability committee • Orientation and FYE programs • Commencement • Campus speaker series • Film series with discussions • Service learning • Capstone projects • First year reading program • Information on campus media outlets • Signs, signs, signs • Student organizations • Study and service abroad • Town hall forums • One-on-one conversations

13. Outreach & Student Initiatives Job fairs Involvement fairs Graduation / Green pledge Alumni activities Campus media Career services programming and employer recruitment • Participation in political campaigns • Service learning • Use student government to request compliance with LEED or Energy Star and other sustainable standards • Fundraising • Landscaping and facilities • Environmental impact statements from residence hall government – “walk, don’t ride,” “do it in the dark” • Facebook groups

14. Sustainability in Practice

15. Student Learning OutcomesACPA’s Sustainability Task Force, 2006 • Each student will be able to define sustainability • Each student will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives and 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 • Each student will learn change agents skills • Each student will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability to their campuses 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 solutions of sustainability in a world context

16. Sustainability at UNCW

17. UNCW Promising Practices • Sustainability Committee and Web Site • ECOteal Store • Trayless dining • Sustainability Week Education and Programming • Sustainability Film Series with discussions • Diversity Education and Training • New Sustainability Policy • Recyclemania competition • UNC system-wide sustainability committee • Green Pledge • Performance Contracting – retrofitting boiler systems • New Silver LEED Certified Residence Hall • Storm water drainage improvements

18. UNCW Promising Practices • Community Garden (in the works) • Sustainable Rain Garden • Sustainability Class • Sustainability Fund Raising through Campus Capital Campaign (Development Office) • Senior Class Gift – Sustainability Fund • Pervious Pavement • Sustainable Green House • Woodlands preservation • Energy efficient lighting around campus • Housing & Residence Life Sustainability Initiatives Committee • Galloway Goes Green • Tunnel of Awareness

19. Other Campus Successes • Yale Sustainable Food Program – farm, grow some of own food, use local farmers and serve seasonal foods http://www.yale.edu/sustainablefood/ • Syracuse Ten Tons of Love Program – collection of goods from students to donate to charities http://tentons.syr.edu/ • Warren Wilson College Environmental Leadership Center http://www.mappingchange.org/ • University of Oregon Transportation – driving is discouraged with very limited parking slot http://sustainability.uoregon.edu/content/transportation-options-1

20. SUSTAINABILITY:The Power to Understand UNCW Sustainability Committee www.uncw.edu/sustainability