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 [email protected]