weaving sustainability through the undergraduate curriculum

WEAVING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM

Chad King, Assistant Professor of Environmental ScienceJohn Marazita, Professor of PsychologyOhio Dominican University

Educating for sustainability across the undergraduate curriculum

Which comes first: the culture or the courses? the courses or the programs?

Overview Building a culture of sustainability Increasing sustainability education

Independent study, course projects, to new courses

Examples Outcomes Added bonuses

Building a culture of Sustainability

Reporting

Identifying faculty champions

Meetings, meetings, meetings… Campus as the laboratory Course as the medium Contribution to campus sustainability as

the result

Infusion across disciplines Independent study projects Course projects Research projects Capstone courses

Independent Study Projects

Course Projects

Biology and environmental science

Design of a butterfly habitat Habitat restoration Proposal for a zero waste student center

Political Science Moving to a green dorm Campus policies on recycling,

composting and e-waste disposal. Characterizing the university waste

stream

Analysis of waste randomly sampled from dumpsters across campusYear of Study Percentage of

Recyclable Material in

Waste

Percentage of Compostable

Material in Waste

Percentage of Waste

Material in Waste

2007 29% 18% 53%

2008 44% 11% 45%

2010 50% 20% 30%

Projects in research methods courses

Sociology Research Methods

Surveys Student perceptions on the environment

and sustainable university practices

Selected survey resultsQuestion Percentage in

agreement (sum of Agree and

Strongly Agree)Is it important for you to have access to organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables on campus?

51% yes (of those, 58% willing to pay

more)As a commuter, would you be more likely to take the bus to ODU if a bus stop was located on campus?

35%

It is important to learn how environmental issues can impact my field of study.

71%

I would be willing to pay a small fee each semester to help fund sustainability (environmental) initiatives on campus.

35% (24% neutral)

Ohio Dominican University promotes environmental stewardship.

38% (49% neutral)

Capstone course projects

Natural Sciences Capstone Habitat restoration and creation of a

campus nature trail. Integrated Project:

Biology, Science Education, Environmental Studies, Graphic Art and Design

Outcomes Management plan Advertising campaign Exercise science research: Outdoor

activity and change in body fat percentage

Baseline for long-term restoration study

Psychology and the Environment

Senior capstone seminar on current issues in psychology Invitation for a research team to contribute

to a multidisciplinary sustainability project What can a psychological perspective

offer? Better understanding of the mental processes

that affect environmental attitudes, beliefs, and behavior

Project Goals Descriptive: To understand relations among college

students’ environmental attitudes, beliefs and behaviors as a function of academic discipline, sex, and political preference.

Project Goals Experimental: To understand how the framing of

environmental issues impacts students’ environmental attitudes

Findings discussed in terms of initiatives to educate and modify behavior.

Key Findings: Environmentally Friendly Attitudes and Behaviors

Environmental-friendly attitudes was significantly stronger than engaging in such behavior.

Attitudes predicted recycling behavior Women expressed stronger attitudes

than men Democrats expressed stronger attitudes

then Republicans.

Framing matters (e.g., using strong imagery, politically-charged terminology)

New Courses

ENG279: Conflict & Community:Reflections on the Common Good

This course will investigate our never-ending conflict with Nature… We will explore recent writings from prominent scientists and naturalists… and challenge our preconceived notions about Nature and ourselves.

ENV279: Applied Sustainability

Understanding how sustainability across disciplines contributes to the common good.

Community projects: Built environment Business Transportation

ART 212: Green Art A thing is right when it tends to preserve

the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. (Aldo Leopold)

To address green initiatives in the context of art history and production… a very dynamic/kinetic class … in the community…

OutcomesBuilding a culture of

sustainability provides a platform for course

projects.

Course project may spur curricular change.

Projects and curriculum enhance campus

sustainability efforts.

The Added Bonuses Complexity: Complex problems cannot be solved by

single disciplines working in isolation of one another. Authenticity: Students are energized by the direct

application/implications of their work.  Motivation: Complexity + Authenticity Active citizenry: contributions to the common good Critical self-reflection: personal views, institutional

views Challenges Learning Collaboration Communication

Questions? Chad King kingc@ohiodominican.edu