Developing Resilient Communities through Campus-Community CollaborationCraig R. Mosher Luther College Decorah, Iowa

IntroductionA key strategy for climate change is campus–community collaboration (M’Gonigle & Starke) To develop resilient, sustainable communities (Ausubel); as demonstrated at two small liberal arts colleges. The assumption that campuses can isolate themselves behind walls, is giving way to a more systemic, interdependent model involving cooperative community development efforts.

Campuses and communities transformed into collaborative living/learning laboratories (Senge) through:• Student internships• Student-faculty action research • Service learning projects• Outreach to communities• Developing sustainable

resilient communities • Providing learning experiences

This work challenges schools to redesign the campus, curriculum, and graduation requirements to include cooperative (work-study) education models, action research, internships, and service learning (Curley) in order to truly collaborate with our host communities.  

Students and faculty work with communities to develop creative sustainable solutions to local problems.

Methodologies• Action research• Internships• Service learning• Cooperative Education model

Paradigm shift underlies work • Holistic – All are one• Systemic – All is interconnected• Intuition and rationality• Steady state economics• Cooperative ways of thinking

Intuitive leadership models • Theory U (Scharmer) • Synchronicity (Jaworski) Can advance student learning and resilient sustainable community development across the cultural divide between town and gown.

Organization Development Processes• Learning organizations (Senge) • Principles of self-organization • Chaos theory (Wheatley) • Biomimicry (Benyus) Guide the development of innovative campus-community collaborations.

Processes are more• Participatory• Value-based• Transparent• Inclusive• Less hierarchical in structure

Eco Model of Partnership• Shared values• Mutual benefits• Communication & Trust• Power, Leadership, Decisions• Learning Organizations

Assessment –> Improvements

Barriers to Overcome• Communication• Power struggles• Conflict• Cultural differences

Elements of Success• Agreement on values & mission• Transparency• Realistic solutions• Empower community reps

Cooperative Education• Require for graduation• Learning by doing (Dewey)• School arranges placements• Common in Engineering• Antioch College–coop education

• YES!Illustrations by Jem Sullivan

College-Community Collaboration Two Examples:

Oberlin Project – Oberlin College

• Plan: 90% renewable electric• Oberlin E. College St. project:

housing, retail & office space• Green Arts Block – museum &

performing arts building• Radical efficiency improvements

& LEED building standards• Local foods initiative• Encourage green businesses • Multiple partners and funding

Luther College – Decorah, Iowa• Luther Center for Sustainable

Communitieso Interns with City, businesses,

Green Business Councilo Greening Churches workshopso Internships in local churches• Winneshiek Energy District • Decorah Sustainability Plan • Exploring: joint district heating,

landfill gas, community solar