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Integrating SUSTAINABILITY into Core Programs at UNC-Asheville Grace G. Campbell, MLA Humanities Program UNC-Asheville March 19, 2012

Grace Campbell

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Page 1: Grace Campbell

 Integrating SUSTAINABILITY into Core Programs at UNC-Asheville

Grace G. Campbell, MLAHumanities ProgramUNC-AshevilleMarch 19, 2012

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“Whenever society faces large problems, there is a tendency to think that either their roots or

their solutions lie at least partly in the educational system.” Andrew Brennan, 2008

 

 “What if higher education [were] to take a leadership

role, as it has in the space race and the war on cancer, in providing the knowledge to achieve a just and

sustainable society? Second Nature. Education for Sustainability,2008

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2012 Sustainability - core public value in society and in Higher Ed

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Purpose of Educating for Sustainability:

To cultivate engaged, informed citizens capable of leading good lives and contributing to betterment of society and all life

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Undergirding Values of Sustainability

1. Obligations to future generations2. Duty to increase/ protect human well-

being3. Duty to reduce global environmental

harm/ transnational injustice4. Stewardship of nature

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Sustainability in Education: UNCA Rationale

Keep pace with contemporary environmental discourse

Prepare students for eco-focused future Implement Goals of UNC Tomorrow

Respond to student interest/demand Uphold UNCA’s mission -

interdisciplinarity/engagement UNCA Strategic Plan

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Sites of Sustainability Education: Why Core Curriculum?

Every student across curriculum

UNCA Integrative Liberal Studies (ILS) Model (supports new course design)

UNCA Interdisciplinary Humanities Program (team-designed/ team taught)

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Sustainability: (df) Pluralist Definition

UNCA FOCUS ON INTERDISCIPLINARITY

Capacity to endure and flourish:

Sciences: empirical /material

Social Sciences: choice architecture/ policy

Humanities: values /culture

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Challenges addressed in curriculum

1. Inadequate Knowledge/ Concepts

Scientific uncertainty Lack of e-literacy Cradle-to-Grave design Risk Analysis v. Risk

perception Public Goods

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Challenges addressed in curriculum

2 Inadequate Policies/ Mechanisms

Collective action problem (diffuse responsibility)

Perverse incentives Lack of human agency

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Challenges addressed in curriculum

13. Un-sustainable Values

High social discount rate Nature/culture split Consumerism/

Greed/Materialism

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“Sustainability Norms” (as taught in ILS)

Conservation /Limits to Growth

New concepts of human flourishing

New concepts of rational choice (satisficing)

Cosmopolitanism: global citizenship transnational solidarity

Biophilia

Global Justice / Human Rights

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1. Senior Capstone ColloquiaLS 479: Cultivating Global

Citizenship

2. Undergraduate Research

How we do it:General Education at UNCA

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LS 479 Course Learning Outcomes LS 479 Outcome 1:

Students analyze and interpret primary texts in Eastern and Western ethics in terms of the structure of arguments, the historical context of the works, and the students’ own values.

LS 479 Outcome 2: Students can explain the concept of sustainability-including its economic, social

and environmental aspects and can evaluate sustainability initiatives using contemporary ethical theory and ideas.

LS 479 Outcome 3: Students can explain, in scholarly written form, how cultural contexts have

produced humanity’s most significant global challenges, and how these contexts must also inform ethically-motivated responses.

LS 479 Outcome 4: Students can produce a written assignment or class project on engaged global

citizenship that links to their accumulated undergraduate learning and demonstrates understanding of diverse, contemporary ‘knowledges’ and cultures.

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Sustainability at UNCA: Structural Advantages custom-published “Asheville

Readers” (Copley)

regional emphasis on outdoor recreation

Small campus (@ 3600 students)

Culture of Team-designed courses

“Common Lecture” format

Integrative liberal Studies Program (ILS)

Undergraduate Research

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Sustainability in Core Programs:Shared Concepts

“cradle-to-cradle” biodiversity anthropogenic change collective action problems “tragedy of the commons” non-renewability “maldevelopment”

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Sustainability: Auxiliary Learning Outcomes

Understanding Intersections (race / class / ethnicity)

Understanding human agency / choice architecture

Analyzing technology Familairity with global

studies/ multi-cultural studies

Cross-disciplinary cooperation

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Sustainability: Sample texts Singer, Peter, “Animal Liberation”Tom Regan, The Case for Animal RightsAmartya Sen, Development as FreedomArne Naess, “The Deep Ecological Movement: Some

Philosophical Aspects”Berry, Wendell, “Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front.” Bryan Norton, “Environmental Ethics and Weak

Anthropocentrism”Deen, Islamic Environmental EthicsDillard, Annie. From: “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.”Dobel, Patrick, “The Judeo-Christian Stewardship Attitude to

Nature.” Dykeman, Wilma, “Who Killed the South French Broad?” Gordis, Robert, Judaism and the EnvironmentHardin, Garret, “The Tragedy of the Commons.” Keown, Buddhist Environmental Ethics Kuhn, Thomas, “Scientists and their Worldviews.” Leopold, Aldo, “Thinking Like a Mountain.” Leopold, The Land EthicLester Brown, “The Economy and the Earth”Lovins, Amory, “Technology is the Answer (But What Was the

Question?)” McDonough and Braungart, Cradle to Cradle

Paul Taylor, “The Ethics of Respect for Nature”Peter Singer, One WorldSallie McFague, “The World as God’s Body”Vandana Shiva, “Development, Ecology, and Women”Wilson, Edward O, “Storm Over the Amazon” Wilson, Edward O, The Diversity of Life 

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Sustainability Education:general working areas

Apocolyptic tone No “value-free” ideals Neglect of “urban environment” Starting late More faith-based content Book prices

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Sustainability Impacts (UNCA)

Increased numbers of undergraduate research projects related to sustainability

Measurable increase in the number and scope of courses incorporating Sustainability

Further integration of environment content in humanities disciplines