Growing Sustainability Literacy at Northern Arizona University, from the seeds of the Ponderosa Project to the Global Learning Initiative

Rod ParnellAcademic Affairs,

Environmental Caucus, and School of Earth Sciences & Environmental Sustainability

Educational componentsBA, BS, MS, MA, PhD degree programs in multiple colleges

sustainability literacy program for every undergraduate major

co-curricular and community engagement programs

Leadership componentshouse activities where they developed and where they

maintain organic connections with their home units

coordinate and integrate top-down strategic planning with grass roots initiatives

Leading & managing sustainability education spread across many units on campus

President

Provostacademic sustainability

director

Sustainability Councilsustainability coordinator & office

staff faculty students

Sustainability leadership componentsAlwaysTypicalNearly unique

environmental caucus

comm

unitySt

rate

gic &

clim

ate

actio

n pl

ans community engagement

The grass-roots Environmental Caucus feeds concepts to the Coordinating CouncilMany university units support the activities of the members of the Caucus

well established environmental programs:applied indigenous studies (BA, BS)environmental sciences (BS)civil and/or environmental engineering (BS)environmental sciences and policy (MS)forestry (BS, MS, PhD)

newer or revised sustainability programs:environmental studies with sustainability foci (BA or BS)sustainability minorclimate sciences and solutions (PSM)earth sciences and environmental sustainability (PhD)geographic science and community planning (BS)sustainable communities (MA)

The educational component I:environmental/sustainability degree programs

New

The educational component II:Sustainability literacy for every major

Evolution of concept

Ponderosa Project 1990-2000s

• environmental consciousness theme in general education courses

• workshops for faculty interested in exploring that theme in their courses

• peer mentors with environmental/sustainability expertise work in structured settings with those faculty

The educational component II:Sustainability literacy for every major

Evolution of concept

Global Learning Initiative 2010s• diversity, environmental sustainability, and global

engagement are mission-central university values • environmental sustainability tied to global engagement &

diversity• site learning outcomes within major program• require increasing levels of competence through the major

program• developed initiative in faculty working groups, adopted by

Faculty Senate• resources for faculty to develop learning outcomes and assessment

1st year

seniors

more structured, introduction to co-curricular activities through first year seminars

Global Learning Initiative learning outcomes in all majors

specific coursework in ENV/SUS majors

continuing throughout

student career: informal

campus/community

engagement

Senior capstone and/or undergraduate research

The educational component III:Co-curricular activities integrated with curriculum

Incr

ease

d le

vels

of c

ompe

tenc

ies

course work and related engaged learning opportunities Non-majors ENV/SUSTAIN majors & minors

1st year

seniors

First Year Seminars Learning communities: Seeds and ECOHOUSE

ENV 181 Environmental SustainabilityFOR 222 Environmental Conservation

Internships (408)Externships (408) NAU facilities County SEDINAU office of Sustain. City of Flagstaff

federal & tribal agencies

Willow Bend Center/K-12

Short-term projects: Public Lands, Earth Week, Carfree Days Long-term Student activities:

Action Research teamsStudent Green Fund

Student Organizations: sustainability consortium, SEC, NetImpact

200-300 level writing and project intensive classes e.g. ENV 301WGlobal Learning Initiative learning outcomes in all majors

continuing campus/community engagement

Senior capstone and/or undergraduate research

achieve full participation of academic units in GLI currently around 70%

improve opportunities for co-curricular and experiential education

at increasing levels of sophisticationintegration of curricular and co-curricular components

considerelective sustainability track for any major combining

first-year seminars and experiencesgeneral education choiceselectives within majorco-curricular activities

The future

- Rod.Parnell@nau.edu

the end

GLI student learning outcomes for environmental sustainability

• Students will appreciate what it means to use natural resources in ethical and responsible ways that maintain a sustainable environment. This includes, for example, the following issues:

• a. how culture determines how we construct the appropriate use of environmental resources.

• b. the connection between responsible engagement with the environment and global citizenship.

• c. the scientific basis of environmental sustainability.• d. the vocabulary and concepts around environmental sustainability

(e.g., finite and renewable resources, environmental footprint, global commons, peak oil).

• e. the role of human interactions with the environment and its relation to the root causes of many global problems.

Achieving change: university-wide drivers focus on change within degree programs

Global Learning Initiativebuild competencies throughout degree program (not gen

ed)three interrelated themes

interdependence of human experience on a global scalesignificance, options for & ethics of sustainabilitynature & consequences of diversity in the society &

environment

curriculum redesign process

ID learning outcomes map curriculum

revise teaching/assessment revise curriculum

Map current knowledge and abilities through the curriculum related to GLIunderstandings and knowledge outcomes

– system structure, function, resilience and stability/sustainability across all scales from the local to the global, including biotic, abiotic, and cultural components

– science/policy interface– principles and applications of biogeochemical cycling– We will add principles and applications of environmental justice

ability outcomes– systems modeling using quantitative reasoning including basic statistical

analysis, error analysis – understand & explain the science behind the science of environmental change– apply an understanding of principles of resource management and

environmental policy at all scales– apply an understanding of ecosystem services

Objectives

improve interactions between curricular & co-curricular activities by developing more permanent internship and externship programs

encourage local problem-solving: university mission for outreach and technical assistance

address university-wide focus on sustainability through the Global Learning Initiative

promote better collaboration and integration of disciplines across campus

Curriculum goal: incorporate concepts & practice of sustainability and social & environmental justice in traditional environmental sciences curriculum

Some ENV programs GLI sustainability learning outcomes (pre-GLI effort in italics)

Understand key environmental sustainability principles from natural and social sciences perspectives. Refine and make explicit existing GLI related core course learning objectives Define Environmental Sustainability from Environmental Sciences Perspective Develop and Promote Diversity opportunities promote diversity courses and study especially related to environmental justice Increase Opportunities for Co-Curricular Global learning Maintain extracurricular and co-curricular learning opportunities

attendance at community and university lectures , internships, and campus extracurricular involvement

Course level:systems thinking and analysis

describe environmental issues with systems toolsscientific method & traditional ecological knowledge in environmental management

climate-appropriate agriculture and water resource use

Program level:interdisciplinary analysis

work with others in application of multiple disciplines to analyze complex biophysical/culture issues

informational literacymedia searches, source discrimination, literature

analysis

Example learning outcomes

Develop additional GLI learning goals for ENV programs

Enhancing awareness of relationships between human and non-human components of the environment at local to global scales

Generating environmentally aware citizen who are inspired, committed, active, participatory, persuasive and influential.

Multiple levels of competencies

Introductory, “novice” level Advanced, senior level

Interdisciplinary analysis

Work in small group to understand and communicate a local resource issue

Interdisciplinary analysis

apply expertise in small group to use multiple perspectives to analyze a resource issue

Systems analysis

Understand concepts of system components/structures and functions/interactions

Systems analysis

Working with others, develop a quantitative (e.g. STELLAII) analysis of a linked natural/social system

NAU academic programs

School of Earth Science & Environmental Sustainability

Program for Community, Culture & the Environment

Masters of Sustainable Communities

NAU research environmental, ecological, and energy research centers

Sponsors in the community

Coconino County Sustainable Economic Development Initiative (SEDI)City of FlagstaffFlagstaff FoodlinksNorthern Arizona Interfaith CouncilWillow Bend Environmental CenterUSFS, NPS, USGSNavajo NationHopi Tribe

a local culture of sustainability provides student opportunities

Flagstaff/NAU Environmental Caucus

NAU campus services

Office of Sustainability

Residence LifeCampus DiningCapital AssetsClimate Action PlanCarbon FootprintStudent

OrganizationsStudent Green FundAction Research

Teams

Components of a vibrant academic sustainability community

institutional leadership– Long-term planning incorporating sustainability actions– Campus climate commitment and/or energy efficiency initiative– Engaging students, faculty, and staff in planning and decision-

makingStudent controlled sustainability fundfunding for student research

– Integration of separate sustainability efforts in operations/facilities with academic affairs and community

– Promoting faculty and student research/scholarly activities

mechanisms for sustainability leadership

• Long-term planning– Campus climate commitment and/or energy efficiency

• Campus point person (vp, dean, director, or czarina of sustainability)

• Engage students, faculty, and staff in planning and decision-making– Student controlled sustainability fund– Central council on sustainability– Campus-wide discussion/networking group

• Office of sustainability (usually coordinator level in facilities)• Programmatic initiatives (e.g. general education or new degree

programs)

Components of a vibrant, sustainable academic communityacademics– Weave sustainability throughout the student experience

general education, major programs, co-curricular activities

– Develop student access to decision-makers/decision makingstudent work presented to Boards of Regents/TrusteesStudent controlled sustainability fund

– Promote faculty involvement sustainabilityEnhance support for curricular and co-curricular development and for

networkingFacilitate research and scholarly activities related to sustainability

Components of a vibrant academic sustainability community

• Infrastructure facilities & operations – showcase facilities and operations– walking the talk: pervasive institutional practices

• Energy generation and use, residence life, dining, buildings and grounds, purchasing etc

• institutional leadership• academics – curriculum, research/scholarly activities and co-curricular

activities

If either dominantly top-down or bottom up, initiative design tends to suffer.

Brinkhurst et al 2011 International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education