Elizabeth L. MacNabbDirector, ACS Programs in

Sustainability and the Environment

ASSOCIATION FOR CONSORTIUM LEADERSHIP

WEBINAR PRESENTED BY

MARCH 24, 2010

11 A.M. EDT

WEBINAR REMINDER:

ACL is using TELEPHONE audio today.

Please call 800-977-8002  and enter

conference code 330925 to join the audio portion of the

webinar.

WEBINAR PROTOCOL

FORMAT: Presentation with formal and informal opportunities for discussion

QUESTIONS: Please use the “raise your hand” or “chat box” functions. We will do our best to field questions at logical points in the session

PHONE: Please mute your phone to prevent unwanted

“feedback echoes,” except when asking a question or sharing an observation

CATALYZING SUSTAINABILITY

INITIATIVESIN THE CONSORTIUM

ASSOCIATEDC O L L E G E SOF THE S O U T H

To assist other consortia interested in initiating sustainability programs among their institutions by

– identifying possible barriers and pitfalls – identifying ways consortia can help – briefly summarizing aspects of ACS

sustainability programs, as one possible model– identifying lessons learned along the way– sharing an exemplary mission statement from

Furman University

WEBINAR GOALS

SUSTAINABILITY IS

“An interdisciplinary concept, promoting values and activities that are ecologically sound, environmentally conscious, socially just, and economically valuable.”

WHY SHOULD OUR INSTITUTIONS CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY?

• Only through education about sustainability and the environment will we be able to “meet the needs of the present without undermining the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

• Colleges and universities are best positioned to take a leadership role, creating responsible environmental citizens who interact with the environment in a positive way.

MODELING/TEACHING SUSTAINABILITY

• Promotes the long-term wellbeing of people and campuses

• Exposes students to the challenges of climate change and natural resources depletion

• Inspires students, faculty and staff to develop more environmentally-friendly lifelong habits

• Ensures that future generations will inherit a world still capable of comfortably supporting human life

BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABILITY

• Institutional inertia• Insufficient funds • Insufficient commitment of time

and energy (many see sustainability efforts as a tradeoff in which they have to give up current activities and programs)

• The sense that an Environmental Studies major or minor is a sufficient activity in and of itself (even when it does not encompass a substantial number of students nor make connections with the “real world”)

• Satisfaction that falls short of a comprehensive program (i.e., complacency with whatever efforts have already been made)

BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABILITY

BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABILITY

• Insufficient institutional commitment (no reference to sustainability in the institutional mission or very little mention in a strategic institutional plan)

• Lack of incentive for participation for students, faculty and staff

• Failure to see the sustainability effort as providing a competitive edge or a distinguishing characteristic for a college or university

HOW CONSORTIA CAN HELP

• Fundraising for joint institutional initiatives

• Working with other consortia to maximize the impact of sustainability efforts

• Hosting workshops and conferences that allow faculty, students, and staff to network, discuss challenges, compare activities, and learn from internal and external experts

HOW CONSORTIA CAN HELP

• Underscoring the importance of sustainability

• Sharing and disseminating relevant information, including “best practices”

• Promoting models of effective sustainability programs

• Identifying and providing experts on various facets of sustainability (including consultants who can assist individual institutions)

HOW CONSORTIA CAN HELP

Addressing and strengthening specific aspects of individual institutions

– fostering inter-institutional collaboration– increasing number and quality of

environmental courses – supporting key players– supporting environmental outreach to

communities – assisting with greening campus facilities

and services

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES: KEY LEADERS

• Some Presidents and Academic Deans

• Faculty Fellows• Facilities Fellows• Student Interns

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES: WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCES

• hosted 15 conferences that included a “greening the campus” focus

• brought students together for 11 conferences to share projects and research

• hosted 10 conferences and workshops that focused on campus-community partnerships

• supported 17 conferences and workshops involving environmental teaching, curriculum, and research

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES

Two Curriculum and Faculty Development workshops assisted in the creation of environmental studies majors, minors, programs or concentrations

• In 2001, only three ACS institutions had an Environmental Studies major, minor, or concentration

• In 2010, all 16 ACS schools have at least one academic program focusing on the environment, and some have multiple programs

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES: INTER-INSTITUTIONAL ALLIANCES

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES

Curriculum and Faculty Development Alliance

supported 77 curriculum and/or faculty development projects (e.g., courses such as African Ecology, Green Physics, Religion and Animals, Indigenous Perspectives, The Art of Civic Design, Island Biogeography and Species Conservation, and Russian Environmental Politics, among other titles)

created inter-institutional, interdisciplinary summer courses (e.g., Sustainable Development in Costa Rica, team taught by professors from several different ACS institutions and attended over the years by students from almost every ACS school)

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES

supported 89 on- and off-campus projects through the

Student Development and Engagement Alliance

also supported student research assistantships, as well as internal and external internships

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLEShosted green building charettes, LEED

presentations, Green Building Council speakers; created LEED student interns; and more (Since 2001, ACS institutions went from 0 to 12 campuses with LEED buildings)

Campus as a Lab for Sustainability Alliance

supported 27 physical operations projects, from alternative fuel vehicles, to composting, to recycling, to waste reduction, to water conservation, to alternative fuels/energy, to native/ organic landscaping, to green residence halls, to name only a few

ACS “GREENING” EXAMPLES

created 39 partnerships to plant trees, conserve wetlands, create eco-scapes, plant community gardens, implement urban planning and stormwater management, monitor and improve water quality, and enhance trails and bird blinds at wildlife refuges, among others

Campus-Community Partnerships Alliance

some partnerships are

on-going international efforts, such as Service Learning and WaterPurification in theDominican Republic, which teaches folks in need how to purify theirdrinking water, while

providinginexpensive purificationequipment for them to

useindefinitely

LESSONS• Value of seed money• Role of key players to champion

sustainability on campusVoice supportFollow up with actionCreate new courses or add to existing ones

Create majors/minors/programsMentor students as interns and activistsWork with community partnersAttend ACS conferences and share best practices

LESSONS• An ambitious, comprehensive, and flexible

consortial plan should be articulated from outset

• Conduct solid and appropriate evaluation of progress toward specific goals and objectives of this plan

• Such evaluation can be very useful in refining and improving programs

• Evaluation that does not follow from the plan can present challenges and waste time and money

LESSONS• Collaboration and partnership with

other environmental organizations, such as Second Nature, Southface, American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education, EPA, Clean Air-Cool Planet, etc. is a must

LESSONS• Sufficient and high quality staff is

critical for success

“big picture” thinking is an absolute necessity

experience with academia and interdisciplinarity highly advantageous

LESSONS• Support for the effort needs to come from the

top, i.e., from presidents, chief academic officers, and trustees

• Sustainability needs to be imbedded in the institution, contained in its mission statement as a highly a prized institutional value

• Sustainability should be featured in the institution’s strategic plan and consideration should be given to creating a separate Sustainability Master Plan

MISSION STATEMENT EXAMPLE:“In order for the human population to be sustained at the planetary scale, the paradigm of sustainability must be applied at the local level. As a self-contained community, Furman University is a perfect setting to bring these ideas of sustainability into practice, as well as to educate the next generation of leaders about the importance of this perspective.”

In support of this mission, Furman’s Board of trustees approved incorporation of the following major goal into the strategic plan:

“to strengthen our commitment to the environment by promoting sustainability through educational programs, campus operations/construction practices, and public awareness initiatives.”

CONTACT:emacnabb@college

s.org 859-238-6234