OCT. 10 , 2011AASHE 2011

STEPHEN POSNERS U S TA I N A B I L I T Y F E L L O W / E C O - R E P S C O O R D I N AT O R

O F F I C E O F S U STA I N A B I L I T Y

ANNA MIKAS U S TA I N A B I L I T Y F E L L O W

O F F I C E O F S U STA I N A B I L I T Y

UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT (UVM)

Understanding, teaching, and influencing campus sustainability

from a systems perspective

Brief history of campus sustainability at UVM

1996 Environmental Council creates ½ time graduate fellow staff

2002 Permanent Environmental Coordinator position created

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

Operations

Energy

Dining Services

Climate

BuildingsWater

Waste

Transportation

Purchasing

Grounds

TOTAL:39/100

PAE

Diversity & Affordability

Coordination & Planning

Human Resources

TOTAL:58/100

Investment

Public Engagement

Education & Research

Co-Curricular Education

Curriculum

TOTAL:?/100Research

??

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

9

Campus

Environment Extraction

Waste

Campus

Environment

Energy

Matter Matter

EnergyCampus

Optimal scale

Campus Environment

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

THANK YOU

QUESTIONS?

Understanding, teaching, and influencing campus sustainability

from a systems perspective