The Place of Sustainability in the Strategic PlanDr. James Montgomery
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and StudiesCo-director: Sustainability Initiatives Task Force
Dr. Scott KelleyAssistant Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Office of
Mission and ValuesCo-director: Sustainability Initiatives Task Force
“It is not enough to do good. It must be done well.”
St. Vincent DePaul
The Sustainability Story at DePaul
3
June 2009 Sept. 2009 Oct. 2009 Nov. 2009 Dec. 2010Exploratory
meetingFollow-upmeeting
“What Must Be Done” - White Paper
Request to President to
formalize committee
Join AASHE!!!
Jan. 2010 April 2010 Nov. 2010 Dec. 2010Sustainability
Initiatives Task Force
(SITF) created
President’s formal
charge to SITF
Faculty survey on curriculum
and research
C.O.R.E. Working Groups
populated; Guidance Document
created
Apr. 2011Faculty
roundtables
June 17, 2011 Oct. 5, 2011SITF report
sent to Strategic Planning
Task Force
STARS audit completed
October 24, 2011 Sustainability
Plan submitted to President
Can Sustainability Be An Organizing Principle in Higher Education?
Question: How can DePaul infuse “sustainability”into its various curricula?
Question: Is sustainability an important aspectof DePaul’s Mission?
Question: What is your area currently doingwith regard to sustainability?
Question: What would you like your area or theDePaul community to do with regard tosustainability in the future?
The Sustainability Story at DePaul
5
June 2009 Sept. 2009 Oct. 2009 Nov. 2009 Dec. 2010Exploratory
meetingFollow-upmeeting
“What Must Be Done” - White Paper
Request to President to
formalize committee
Join AASHE!!!
Jan. 2010 April 2010 Nov. 2010 Dec. 2010Sustainability
Initiatives Task Force
(SITF) created
President’s formal
charge to SITF
Faculty survey
C.O.R.E. Working Groups
populated; Guidance Document
created
Apr. 2011Faculty
roundtables
June 17, 2011 Oct. 5, 2011SITF report
sent to Strategic Planning
Task Force
STARS audit completed
October 21, 2011 Sustainability
Plan submitted to President
Sustainability Initiatives Hierarchy
“If we could first knowwhere we are,
and whither we are tending,we could then better judge
what to do,and how to do it.”
Abraham Lincoln, “A House Divided”June 16, 1858
© CORPORANTES, 2004
Strategic Thinking
IN WHAT WAYS DOES ‘SUSTAINABILITY’
ENABLE DEPAUL TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITIES?
Charge to the SITF• To coordinate and report on initiatives to develop
and recommend a Sustainability Plan, using the organizing framework of “C.O.R.E”.
• As members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE; www.aashe.org), the SITF may use the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS®) to audit and gauge the progress of sustainability related activities, or other tools as they prove helpful.
Three Pillars of Sustainability
Tavanti - SIC 2010
ECONOMICProfit
Cost SavingsEconomic growth
Research and Development
SOCIALStandards of living, EducationCommunityEquity for allSocially responsible leaders
ENVIRONMENTALNatural resources use,
Environmental Mgt, Pollution Prevention (air,
water, land, waste) INSTITUTIONAL
CULTURAL
VALUES
Environmental-Economic
Energy Efficiency; Incentives for use of
natural resources
Economic-SocialBusiness ethics, Fair Trade, Human Rights,
Labor Rights
Social-Environmental
Environmental Justice, Natural Resources
Stewardship Locally and Globally
Adapted from the 2002 University of Michigan Sustainability Assessment
DEVELOPMENT
AGRICULTURE
MANAGEMENT
DESIGN
LIVING
FOOD
ORGANIZATIONS
PLANNING
ENERGY
EDUCATION
ETHICS
COMMUNITIES
SUSTAINABLE
SITF Definition of Sustainability
“””Sustainability is a force that moves beyond environmental initiatives. It recognizes the interdependence of environmental, human and economic systems so that people around the globe may enjoy a healthy and fulfilling quality of life now and into the future. It views sustainability as a way of thinking and acting that respects the Earth’s ecological limits.”
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Survey of Faculty on Sustainability in the Curriculum and in Research– Survey conducted by DePaul’s Social Science
Research Center in November 2010– Survey sent to all 1931 FT and PT faculty– 426 responses; 22% response rate– Self-identified key themes concerning sustainability
• Community• Environmental justice/ethics• Education for sustainability• Interconnectedness
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Environmental66%
Social or Community
18%
Economic10%
Higher Education6%
Topical Categories Associated with "Sus-tainability"
• GHG emissions reduction and building a more sustainable food service system.
Expand and develop sustainability-related and sustainability-focused curricula.
• Devote more resources to train faculty and staff in sustainable practices, especially in purchasing and procurement.
• Establish infrastructure necessary to create opportunities for collaborative, sustainability focused research.
• Create opportunities for enhanced co-curricular engagement that is focused on sustainability, and develop and expand existing activities focused on community food systems.
SITF Recommendations to Strategic Plan
So, how do we institutionalizesustainability?