Higher Education

 

Higher Education Sector Resources

- Education and Action for a Sustainable Future - National Trends and Resources

-Mission and Planning
- Curricula
- Research
- Purchasing and Operations
- Professional Development
- Student
- Community Outreach and Partnerships

 

 

Education and Action for a Sustainable Future - National Trends and Resources

There are national trends to integrate sustainability into higher education institutions' mission and planning, curricula, research, student life, facilities, purchasing and operations. At least five major efforts have emerged in the higher education sector:

  • DANS - Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability
  • HEASC - Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium  
  • AASHE - Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
  • ACUPCC - American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment
  • Green Jobs - multiple resources,  Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technology  

 

DANS - the Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability was formed after more than 20 academic disciplinary associations were convened to discuss each discipline's potential contributions to a more sustainable future. These meetings included national associations for psychology, sociology, philosophy, religion, biology, chemistry, engineering, anthropology, political science, math, broadcasting, architecture, women's studies, and others. Working committees are focusing on infusing sustainability into curricula, professional development, standards (including tenure, promotion, and accreditation criteria that value sustainability research and action), cross-disciplinary projects, informing legislation about sustainability, and ways to educate the public about how to create a sustainable future (participating associations are listed at http://www.aashe.org/dans/associations.php).

 

The Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium, or HEASC, was formed to advance sustainability in the mainstream higher education associations and in the system of higher education itself. HEASC members are the professional associations representing the U.S. college and university presidents; about half of all of the boards of trustees, and many, if not most, facilities directors, business officers, college and university planners; purchasers; and staffs of residential housing, student affairs, and campus activities (for a list of member associations, scroll down at http://www.aashe.org/heasc/about.php).

 

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (http://www.aashe.org/) serves colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It offers an extensive resource center of sustainability initiatives and policies, discussion lists, a biennial conference, and professional development opportunities. AASHE also publishes an electronic mail bulletin and an annual digest with campus sustainability news stories, resources, events, and job opportunities.

 

The ACUPCC, the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, (http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/ ) has now been signed by over 550 higher education presidents. By signing the commitment, these presidents are pledging to work toward clean energy, carbon-neutral campuses, and professional development initiatives on sustainability so higher education will both model and teach sustainability principles.

 

The recent emphasis on the potential growth for green jobs is creating a lot of environmental curricular interest in heretofore unrelated disciplines and degrees on campuses and also at national funding agencies.  For example, the National Science Foundation has funded a Consortium for Education in Renewable Energy Technology to help colleges and universities and remote students gain access to courses and online curricular materials in renewable energies, energy management, and sustainability (http://www.ceret.us/)

 

This is just a taste of the resources and opportunities available. For more links, visit www.aashe.org/heasc/sustainablefuture.

 

*The U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development has over 300 partner organizations helping to catalyze and communicate about sustainability in the education, business, communities, faith, and youth sectors of society.

 

Mission and Planning

_The Talloires Declaration is a declaration of sustainability that university presidents can sign. The declaration has already been signed by over three hundred presidents.

_The Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future has resources available to help enable schools and universities follow through with implementation plans after making and/or signing declarations.

_ The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) established in 1965, is the an association focused on the promotion, advancement, and application of effective planning in higher education.

_The Peer Campus Sustainability Final Report, May 2005 compared environmental sustainability programs and recommended improvements. See how these reports and improvements can help your institution.

_Illinois Wesleyan University is one example of many higher education institutions that include commitments to social justice and environmental sustainability. View the IWU Mission Statement

 

Curricula

_The participating organizations in the Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability have declared their commitment to education for a sustainable future. They recognize that the engagement of the academic disciplines is critical to advancing the broad goals of sustainable development and seek to help higher education exert strong leadership in making education, research, and practice for a sustainable society a reality. DANS members include over twenty national disciplinary associations. Monthly conference calls focus on sustainability in curricula, professional development, standards, cross disciplinary projects, legislation, and efforts to educate the public.

_The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a network which includes resources for syllabi and profiles of institutions which are infusing sustainability in education.

_The University Leaders for a Sustainable Future database also contains links related to curricula, sample syllabi and listservs.

_ULSF Sustainable Degrees are examples of Sustainability Related Degree Programs.

_Read about the inclusion of sustainability learning outcomes into the core requirements of undergraduate programs. View the PDF.

 

Research

_Read these articles and journals on sustainability in higher education. Also visit the Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability.

 

Purchasing and Operations

_American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), is a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth's climate.

_Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a professional, membership-based association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada whose mission is to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development. AASHE produces a free weekly e-bulletin - an e-newsletter of green campus news, events, and opportunities. Click here to subscribe.

_AASHE's resource center includes AASHE bulletin archives, and annual AASHE digest, and articles and on-line resources on funding mechanisms for campus sustainability programs; assessment tools, reports and indicators; books, journals, and articles; discussion lists and electronic newsletters; calendar of campus sustainability events; strategic and master college and university plans that include sustainability; an environmental policy "bank"; directory, job descriptions, and salary survey for campus sustainability officers; a campus sustainability website listing; listing of academic sustainability programs; course descriptions for campus sustainability courses; resources for campus environmental operations, i.e. energy and climate change, green buildings, food and dining, grounds and landscaping, purchasing, recycling, transportation, etc.

_The Association of Higher Education Facilities Offices is dedicated to the maintenance, protection, and promotion of quality educational facilities. At this site, put in the search word "Sustainable".

_Campus Ecology Program is a program of the National Wildlife Federation which supports and promotes positive and practical conservation projects on campus and beyond. Campus Ecology's website provides access to an annual yearbook of successful green campus programs, information on student fellowships, and profiles of campus programs in the areas of assessment, building design, dining services, energy, environmental literacy, habitat restoration, management systems, purchasing, transportation, waster reduction, and water. A variety of training opportunities are provided including on-line seminars.

_Clean Air Cool Planet (CACP) is an organization which partners with businesses, communities, campuses, and science centers to identify and promote solutions to climate change. CACP's Campuses for Climate Action program provides a campus climate action toolkit which includes a free downloadable Campus Carbon Calculator.

_College and University Recycling Council is a network of campus-based recycling professionals, sponsored by the National Recycling Council. Sponsors a e-mail discussion list for campus recycling coordinators and holds annual national conferences.

_Green Power Partnership ia a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program provides advice and resources to prospective green power purchasers and publicity to green power leaders.

_Green School List hosted by Brown University is for the exchange of ideas, support, and technical information between people who are working on institutional change to improve the environmental performance of schools.

_HEEPP Green Listserv serves as a forum for event announcements, questions, and the sharing of information and resources related to green purchasing.

_Higher Education Associations for Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) is a network of higher education associations with a commitment to advancing education for a sustainable future, both within their constituencies as national higher education associations and within the system of higher education itself. Members include:

_ HEASC resource center contains links to the sustainability website pages of the members, articles, and webinar materials.

_ Higher Education Climate Action Project is designed to engage higher education institutions across the United States in reducing climate disruptions by limiting greenhouse gas emissions and promoting a sustainable future.

_The Solid Waste Policy Group at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey has created an Enviro-Purchasing guide to help you learn about enviro-purchasing policy, determine your role in enviro-purchasing policy, and investigate environmentally preferable products and services.

 

Professional Development

There are several opportunities for professional development.

For more information, contact Debra Rowe, Ph.D. dgrowe@oaklandcc.edu

 

Student Life

_United Students for Fair Trade is a national network of student organizations advocating around Fair Trade products, policies, and principles.

_Take the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. Students at over one hundred institutions of higher learning have already pledged "to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."

_Harvard's Campus Green Teams - The question guiding this manual is: How can we create frameworks to ignite, resource, organize and focus students and staff to achieve campus sustainability? Two programs developed by the Harvard Green Campus Initiative (HGCI) to address this question are described on this website. They are the Green Living Program (GLP) and Student Internship Program (SIP).

_Visit the sustainability web pages of College Student Educators International that includes sustainability learning outcomes, campus activities list for sustainability, sustainability living campaigns, and more.

 

Community Outreach and Partnerships

_The Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future has resources to link you to local community and regional outreach and services.

_The Council of Environmental Deans and Directors are representatives that come together to improve the quality, stature, and effectiveness of academic environmental programs at U.S. universities and colleges. Facilitated by the National Council for Science and the Environment.

_The Peer Campus Sustainability Final Report, May 2005 established connections between active individuals and institutions. See their report and compare how your institution fits in.

_The University of New Hampshire Office of Sustainability Programs has links to current projects in culture and sustainability, education, food and society, and more.

_See the resources of the Community Sector Team of the U.S. Partnership.