COLLABORATION LEADS TO SUCCESS

Marlene McCauley in the field

Photo by Jenna Schad

By Karen Alley

On any given day at Guilford College, you may find students with dirt under their nails who have just come from the farm, catch them loading produce on the Mobile Oasis farmers market, or find them sitting in class learning about the science of wine or food and the law. All of this is a part of the interdisciplinary Sustainable Food Systems program, a new major introduced in 2016 that brings to life an integral part of The Guilford Edge: Teaming for Success.

The unique curriculum was the result of teamwork on the part of Marlene McCauley, Charles A. Dana Professor of Geology and Sustainable Food Systems, and Kyle Dell, Associate Professor of Political Science, Associate Academic Dean and Environmental Science Department Chair, together with other faculty and consultants. It started with Marlene’s brainstorm to create a practicum that made use of the College’s garden. “It seemed like a colossal waste to me that we had the farm out there and no one was using it for classes,” Marlene says. “I developed the practicum, and then Kyle and I were [...] envisioning one day it would grow into a major.”

The pair began attending conferences, studying best practices from other institutions and pooling their own knowledge and experience from years of working together in the environmental sciences field. “Kyle and I are always pushing each other a little further and making each other think about things in new and different ways,” Marlene says.

Then, the two met Dr. Chyi Lyi Liang, Kellogg Distinguish Professor and Director of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems at N.C. A&T State University. “Dr. Liang was interested in our curriculum, and it complemented the work she was doing at A&T,” Marlene says. “We realized as we were developing our curriculum that there’s no need to reinvent the wheel here, so we have collaborated to share classes, and make sure to publicize guest speakers and special events at both places.”

The team’s work has also brought recognition for the College in the academic realm. Kyle and Marlene produced a paper, Building a Collaborative Effort of Training and Education in Sustainable Food Systems for the 22nd Century through Urban Agriculture Programs, that won first place in best practices at the Small Business Institute annual conference in 2017. They also wrote, along with Gail Webster, a chapter entitled “The Sustainable Food Systems Major at Guilford College: Food, Environment, and the Community,” published in Quakers, Creation Care and Sustainability, Volume 6.

“Working between disciplines has always been a predisposition of people who come to Guilford,” Kyle says. “We’re building off the culture that was already in place to find success in the future.”

Kyle Dell with a group of Sustainable Food Systems majors

Photo by Jenna Schad