Understanding, teaching, and influencing campus sustainability from a systems perspective OCT. 10, 2011 AASHE 2011 S T E PH EN P O SNE R SUSTAINABILITY F ELLOW/E CO- R EPS C OORDINATOR O FFICE OF S USTAINABILITY
ANNA MIKA SUSTAINABILITY F ELLOW O FFICE OF S USTAINABILITY
U NIVE R SITY O F V E R M ONT ( U V M )
Brief history of campus sustainability at UVM
2002 Permanent Environmental Coordinator position created 1996 Environmental Council creates ½ time graduate fellow staff
2006 First campus sustainability course offered
2008 Office of Sustainability established
2011 Climate Action Plan, Clean Energy Fund, STARS
Course history How are decisions with environmental impacts made within the University? Environmental Management Systems (2006-2008) 6 - 8 upper class students Taught by UVM staff involved in campus environmental programs SL: Campus Sustainability (2009-2011) Over 20 primarily 2nd and 3rd year students Taught by UVM staff and graduate fellows Listed as Service-Learning course in sustainability studies track of Environmental Program
Collaboration at multiple levels Ongoing campus greening work: Greening UVM Tracking UVM
Cooling UVM?
Middle management
interest in sustainability Upper management support of UVM as “Environmental University” Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS)
2010 Course focus Two Service-Learning Courses:
ENVS 195 “Campus Sustainability”
Operations
CDAE 295 “Sustainable Development Policy”
Planning, Administration & Engagement
?
Preliminary research and formulating questions
Helped the Office of Sustainability and instructors focus the students
Interviews and write-up of credits
Development of professional skills for students
2010 Course focus STARS Systems Thinking
Visualization of potential credits for UVM
PAE
Operations Water Buildings
TOTAL: Education & Research
Coordination & Planning
39/100
TOTAL:
Waste
Public Engagement
Co-Curricular Education
Climate
Research Transportation Dining Services Purchasing
TOTAL:
Energy
Diversity & Affordability
? Investment
Grounds
?/100
? Curriculum
Human Resources
58/100
2011 Course focus Multi-media learning
Field trips Presentations Group activities
Technical topics included in 2011
Environmental aspects and impacts as defined by STARS Climate action planning and GHG accounting Systems thinking
Teachers’ expertise
environmental management systems ecological economics GHG accounting and climate action planning campus sustainability
Systems thinking Donella Meadows,
especially Leverage Points Conceptual system dynamics applied to campus
Viewed whole systems related to specific aspects of
campus sustainability
Within university Between university and environmental and social contexts
Optimal scale
Campus
Environment
Environment
Matter
Matter
Campus Campus
Energy
Campus Environment Extraction
Waste
9
Energy
Student reflections: Mind Map by Caylin McKee Focus on waste
Relationships with other aspects
Connection to personal experience
Poster project outlines facts
Media project focus on key elements within system
Student reactions to unit on systems thinking Systems was most, and least, liked part of course Not the way we usually teach Comes naturally to some, more difficult for others
Low turnout at first systems class Need common definition Different backgrounds and perspectives Define our purpose and questions first
Challenges to systems approach and recommended solutions Intermediate course that does not fit into traditional
academic subjects
Develop two campus sustainability classes: one intro, one advanced focusing on intervening in systems
Different kinds of thinking and learning required
Natural systems thinkers; those who find systems difficult
Systems squeezed
into just 2 classes
Integrate better throughout course
Strengths to systems approach Applied learning in immediate environment Awareness of how we are part of university system Leverage points offer opportunities for strategic change
Connections among students, staff, and
administrative decision-makers Courageous and creative (re)design of campus
sustainability solutions
Main points Characterizing universities as complex systems
makes sense
Systems thinking can be used to identify leverage
points for change and to evaluate sustainability programs
Teaching with systems thinking can help students see relationships understand system behavior more effectively act as agents of change
Understanding, teaching, and influencing campus sustainability from a systems perspective
THANK YOU Q U EST I O NS?