AASHE 2013

1. AASHE 2013 Case Studies in Educating for Sustainability Across the Curriculum: Liberal Arts Edition

2. Workshop Objectives Welcome and Introductions Curricular Movement Overview Snapshots from Dickinson, Furman, Sewanee Discussion and Q & A

3. Welcome and Introductions • Meet your neighbors… • Meet your presenters • Lindsey Lyons is the Assistant Director of the Center for Sustainability Education at Dickinson College • Yancey Fouche is the Associate Director of the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability at Furman University • Jonathan Evans is the Asst. Provost for Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability at Sewanee: University of the South

4. Educating for Sustainability • Over 500 people, 150 institutions in leadership workshops • Preconference workshop on the next wave of faculty development • “We have an ethical obligation to prepare our students” Dr. Stephen Mulkey, Unity College • “Rapid growth in environmental and sustainability higher education” Vincent, et al. 2013. NCSE Study on Curriculum Design • Over 100 participants in liberal arts networking lunch AASHE 2013 • “Emergent vs. Adaptive models” Higher Education for Sustainability, Johnson 2012

5. Weissman, Neil. 2012. Sustainability & Liberal Arts: Partners by Nature, Liberal Education, 98 (4). Sustainability & Liberal Arts • Holistic, systems thinking • Invites nearly all disciplines into dialogue • Emphasizes skills of knowledge translation, integration, synthesis • High impact educational practices • Service learning, community-based research, internships, learning communities, place-based learning, problem-based learning • Campus as living laboratory • Bridges between communities • Students/faculty and campus operations staff • College and off-campus communities • Citizenship • Compels reflection on how we live as individuals and as members of communities

6. Case Studies

7. Sustainability at Dickinson • Work to infuse awareness, values, and practices in campus life and community service that reinforce our sustainability goals; • Integrate sustainability across the college curriculum, spanning the arts and humanities, social sciences and physical sciences; • Link our efforts to expand and enhance sustainability in the curriculum to strengths in global education, sustainable campus operations and community focused co-curricular programs.

8. Center for Sustainability Education • Supports activities that use the campus as a living laboratory for sustainability with academic focus, • Helps faculty members incorporate sustainability in their teaching and research, • Funds professional development, curriculum development & student-faculty research related to sustainability, • Organizes speakers and events, • Serves as an information hub for all facets of Dickinson’s sustainability efforts.

9. Faculty Development • 54 faculty participants in Valley & Ridge 2008-2013 • Piedmont/Ponderosa Model • 2.5 days in May annually • $1,000 stipend for course creation/modification • Thematic Workshops & Study Groups (Interdisciplinary) • Cooling the Curriculum: Climate Change • Living in a World of Limits • Water • Asia and the Environment

10. Faculty Support Sustainability Education Fund Curriculum Development: 25 Projects, $50,000 Professional Development: 10 Projects, $14,500 Student Faculty Research: 34 Projects, $199,300 Valley & Ridge: 54 Projects, $58,000 Individual and Department Consultation Guest Speakers & Events

11. Across the Curriculum • Formalized Course Designation Process • Fall 2013: 13 Sustainability Investigations (SINV) & 36 Sustainability Connections (SCON) courses in 24 departments. • Academic Year 2012-13: • > 100 Courses offered • 1455 students (62%) took one or more • Class 2013- 80% took 1 or more in last two years

12. Successes:Across the Curriculum • Creation of Sustainability Learning Goals • Baseline collection of assessment data • Course Designation Process • Interdisciplinary Faculty Connections • Internships & Research • Baird Sustainability Fellows • College-wide honor for sustainability • Seven Class of 2013 • Baird Honors Colloquium (interdisciplinary)

14. Challenges:Across the Curriculum • All Faculty (257); Not a Department • Inclusion • Equality amongst divisions • Communication • Differing departmental strategies, definitions strengths, & weaknesses • Time • Course designation every semester • How to Assess? • Campus-wide data • Multifaceted learning outcomes

15. Support:Across the Curriculum • Administrative Support • President & Provost • Strategic Support • New faculty hires • Strategic plan • Financial Support • Center for Sustainability Education • Faculty development • Valley & Ridge workshops • Sustainability Education Fund

16. David E. Shi Center for Sustainability • Established 2008 • Housed in Academic Affairs • Mission

17. Curricular Integration at Furman

18. Sustainability Science Major • Intro course: Principles of Sustainability Science • Four core courses: • Environmental Science • Human Systems • Social Systems • Dynamic Systems Modeling • Five electives from three categories: • Environmental Security • Human Security • Sustainable Production and Consumption • Senior thesis: Research and Analysis

19. Sustainability Science Major Successes Challenges

20. Sustainability Certificate Place-Based Capstone Project Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles Analytical skills Communication skills Local and Regional Case Studies Community engagement Emphasis on interdisciplinary studies Online learning

21. Certificate vs Major Advantages • Opens up the study of sustainability to all students • Can be flexible and experimental, since it isn’t required • Can be more easily incorporated into summer programs and involve non-traditional students

22. Certificate vs Major Advantages • Opens up the study of sustainability to all students • Can be flexible and experimental, since it isn’t required • Can be more easily incorporated into summer programs and involve non-traditional students Challenges • Faculty only have so much time, major duties come first • Difficult to administrate • Limited interdisciplinary expertise on a given campus • Faculty engaged in a limited number of case studies • Online learning is expensive to develop and threatening

23. Associated Colleges of the South (ACS) is a consortium of sixteen distinguished liberal arts colleges and universities. They are nationally recognized institutions located in the South, encompassing twelve states.

25. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South PURPOSE • To increase interest and participation in academic activities focused on sustainability across a specific geographic region: the American south • To explore uses of technology in providing access to and enhancement of sustainability education offered through the member institutions of ACS • To leverage the diversity of place-based resources and institutional expertise of faculty and staff within the ACS through collaboration to create a unique approach to sustainability education

26. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South TOPICS and TEAMS • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (6 Colleges) • Sewanee: The University of the South and Trinity University (Lead) • Climate Change and Energy (8 Colleges) • University of Richmond (Lead) • Environmental and Social Justice (5 Colleges) • Furman University (Lead) • Food (6 Colleges) • Centre College (Lead) • Politics, Economics and Consumption (5 Colleges) • Rollins College (Lead)

27. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Place-Based Capstone Project Local and Regional Case Studies Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles • Agreed upon set of learning objectives • in each of the five topic areas • Online learning resources provided • in ACS digital library

28. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Place-Based Capstone Project Local and Regional Case Studies • Draws from the expertise of each college • Case studies from 50 mile radius • Non-regional case studies included • Multi-media, blended learning modules Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles • Agreed upon set of learning objectives • in each of the five topic areas • Online learning resources provided • in ACS digital library

29. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Place-Based Capstone Project • Focused exploration of one of • the case studies • Takes place on an ACS campus • Involves multiple ACS faculty mentors • Summer program Local and Regional Case Studies • Draws from the expertise of each college • Case studies from 50 mile radius • Non-regional case studies included • Multi-media, blended learning modules Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles • Agreed upon set of learning objectives • in each of the five topic areas • Online learning resources provided • in ACS digital library

30. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South CERTIFICATE AWARDED Place-Based Capstone Project Local and Regional Case Studies Engage and master learning objectives (Accomplished in variety of ways, including use of ACS online course) Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles ENROLL IN PROGRAM

31. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South CERTIFICATE AWARDED Place-Based Capstone Project Exam on Basic Learning Objectives and Case Studies Local and Regional Case Studies Engage and master several case studies using online resources Engage and master learning objectives (Accomplished in variety of ways, including use of ACS online course) Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles ENROLL IN PROGRAM

32. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South CERTIFICATE AWARDED Place-Based Capstone Project Project Presentation Project Completion Exam on Basic Learning Objectives and Case Studies Local and Regional Case Studies Engage and master several case studies using online resources Engage and master learning objectives (Accomplished in variety of ways, including use of ACS online course) Basic Understanding of Sustainability Principles ENROLL IN PROGRAM

33. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Maximizes Advantages: • Opens up the study of sustainability to all students • Interchange of students among campuses • Can be flexible and experimental, since it isn’t required • Can be incorporated into summer programs and involve non-traditional students

34. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Maximizes Advantages: • Opens up the study of sustainability to all students • Interchange of students among campuses • Can be flexible and experimental, since it isn’t required • Colleges do not have to participate • Can be incorporated into summer programs and involve non-traditional students

35. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Maximizes Advantages: • Opens up the study of sustainability to all students • Interchange of students among campuses • Can be flexible and experimental, since it isn’t required • Colleges do not have to participate • Can be incorporated into summer programs and involve non-traditional students • Capstone in summer allows for faculty exchange among colleges

36. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Addresses Challenges: • Faculty only have so much time, major duties come first • Teams that draw from within and among colleges takes pressure off individual faculty • Difficult to administrate • Limited interdisciplinary expertise on a given campus • Faculty engaged in a limited number of case studies • Online learning is expensive to develop and threatening

37. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Addresses Challenges: • Faculty only have so much time, major duties come first • Teams that draw from within and among colleges takes pressure off individual faculty • Difficult to administrate • ACS provides centralized administration • Limited interdisciplinary expertise on a given campus • Faculty engaged in a limited number of case studies • Online learning is expensive to develop and threatening

38. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Addresses Challenges: • Faculty only have so much time, major duties come first • Teams that draw from within and among colleges takes pressure off individual faculty • Difficult to administrate • ACS provides centralized administration • Limited interdisciplinary expertise on a given campus • Takes advantage of the collective expertise from 16 colleges • Faculty engaged in a limited number of case studies • Online learning is expensive to develop and threatening

39. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Addresses Challenges: • Faculty only have so much time, major duties come first • Teams that draw from within and among colleges takes pressure off individual faculty • Difficult to administrate • ACS provides centralized administration • Limited interdisciplinary expertise on a given campus • Takes advantage of the collective expertise from 16 colleges • Faculty engaged in a limited number of case studies • Takes advantage of the variety of case studies spread across the south • Online learning is expensive to develop and threatening

40. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South Certificate Program Addresses Challenges: • Faculty only have so much time, major duties come first • Teams that draw from within and among colleges takes pressure off individual faculty • Difficult to administrate • ACS provides centralized administration • Limited interdisciplinary expertise on a given campus • Takes advantage of the collective expertise from 16 colleges • Faculty engaged in a limited number of case studies • Takes advantage of the variety of case studies spread across the south • Online learning is expensive to develop and threatening • IT resources pooled through ACS. Allows colleges to experiment with online learning without it connecting to their curriculum

41. Sustainability in the South A Collaborative Project of the Associated Colleges of the South PROGRESS TO DATE July 2013: Planning meeting at Sewanee included college faculty, IT staff and administrators from 9 different colleges and ACS staff Aug 2013: Teams assembled for 5 topic areas. Includes over 60 faculty from 15 colleges. Sept 2013: Teams applied for Blended Learning funding from the ACS to develop online resources and case studies. Need to demonstrate capacity to large funders.

42. Institution Size- How would this play out at a larger university? Institution Mission- Focus on sustainability? Interest- What is the breadth & depth of faculty interest and capacity? Funding- Is there any? Programs- What programs already exist? Culture- What is the nature of demand/interest in subject matter? Items for Consideration

43. How would the models presented work at your institution? Have you attempted any of the discussed methods for curricular integration or variations of? What have been the major obstacles? Discussion Questions