Education for a Sustainable Future

Author(s): Debra Rowe

Source: Science, New Series, Vol. 317, No. 5836 (Jul. 20, 2007), pp. 323-324
Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20037385
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 IsMIM'JMsWJffil
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainab?ity is being integrated into
higher-education institutions' mission and
Education for a Sustainable Future planning, curricula, research, student life,
and operations.
Debra Rowe

Sustainability is a lens through which

increasing numbers of individual col
leges and universities, as well as national
organizations, are collectively examining and
acting upon our shared world systems (7,2). In
the United States, a national trend has begun,
but much more needs to be done.

College and University Actions

Sustainability is being integrated into U.S.
Green
institutions' mission and planning, curricula,
research, student life, operations and purchas ?aimpus
ing, and community partnerships. Students
and staff at hundreds of campuses are engaged
in sustainability committees and actions,
California students working to save energy on campuses.
including the following: learning to focus on
acquiring sustainability knowledge and appli
Sustainable World and Engineers
cation skills; sustainability-oriented film festi of without
sustainability (6, 7). Stanford University h
Borders have developed. The developed
vals, speakers, and other campus events; World Reboth environmental and social
socially and environmentally responsible cri screens have
sources Institute and the Aspen Institute for their endowments.
teria for purchasing and endowments; infu worked with business schools to develop
A case
statement drafted by the Business Secto
studies and business curricula that
sion of sustainability into the general educa Teaminclude
of the U.S. Partnership calls upon high
education
sustainability principles and practices
tion core requirements, courses, disciplines, (5).to make sustainability educatio
whole colleges, and specialized degrees; a requirement
Increasingly, interdisciplinary learning expe for all undergraduates. Par
and regional and global approaches to sus riences focus on our sustainabilitycipating members came from both small an
challenges.
tainability in collaboration with businesses,The purchasing power alone of large corporations?from media conglome
colleges
government, nongovernmental organizations and universities, as they demandatesmore envi
to energy companies such as Duke Ener
(NGOs), and kindergarten through high school andproducts
ronmentally and socially responsible consumer products such as Burt's Bee
(K-12) education. and processes, can help move sustainability
"All students need to learn, through an inte
Core requirements at many universities from its present niche markets todisciplinary
become theapproach, not only the specifics o
our sustainability
standard in product and process design.
and colleges (e.g., Portland State University, This challenges and the possib
Miami Dade Community College, University can be expressed through commitments solutions,
to susbut also the interpersonal skills, th
of Minnesota) include the components of sus systems thinking skills, and the change agen
tainable behaviors and policies in institutional
skills to effectively help to create a more s
mission and planning; more energy-efficient
tainability education, even if the word sustain
and greener buildings and operations;
ability is not specifically used. Degrees in sus tainable future. We are looking for these s
substan
tial purchases and installations oftainability
tainability have sprouted up at dozens of insti renewableeducated students as future busine
energies and commitments to carbon
tutions [see (3) for a listing]. In the Campus people,emisas employees, as consumers, innov
Climate Challenge, students on over 400 cam tors, government leaders and investors" (8).
sions reductions and neutrality; sustainability
puses are working with administrators and audits and reporting; and sustainable living
staff to measure and reduce greenhouse campaigns
gas Activities
in the residential halls. For exam of National Organizations
emissions (4) and are voluntarily raising ple,
stu over 300 presidents have signed After the United Nations declared a Decad
commit
dent fees and changing energy policiesments to and taken action to move toward carbon for Sustainable Developmen
of Education
move to renewable sources. (2005-14),
neutrality and to eliminate greenhouse gasa grassroots effort from highe
y U.S. business, architecture, and engineer emissions. Michigan State University,educationNYU developed in the United States in th
? ing schools are in the forefront of sustainabil(New York University), University of Cali
absence of a federal government response. T
? ity education. Architecture and engineering fornia at Berkeley, the Pennsylvania NationalStateCouncil for Science and th
University, and others have conductedEnvironment
sustain hosted its annual conference i
| schools have criteria for accreditation that
? require students to be able to understand 2003 on Education for a Sustainable an
ability audits and reports. Sustainability
% and implement sustainable design. Non oriented residential living practicesSecure Future. Out ofthat meeting, the U.
are in place
| profit organizations such as Engineers for
q:
Partnership for Education for Sustainab
ata Bowdoin, Carnegie Mellon, Dartmouth,
O
Harvard, Tufts, University of Vermont,
Development and (9) was created to catalyze a U.
<
responsefor
Yale. Rutgers and the National Association for this decade and beyond. Th
? President of the U.S. Partnership Educationalfor Education have
Procurement for focused on
g Sustainable Development, Washington, DC 20037, USA; national network of over 300 organizations ha
u E-mail: [email protected] sector teams
developing resources for the purchasing side in Faith, Business, Communities

www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 317 20 JULY 2007 323

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POLICY FORUM

Higher Education, K-12 schooling, and Youth. Moving Forward K-12 level (20); and the global sustainability
The U.S. Partnership convenes mainstream For real progress, the implementation has to resources produced by Facing the Future (27),
leaders and catalyzes their commitment to be broad (across all higher education institu including K-12 curricula, community service
educating for a sustainable future. With im tions) and thorough. We need to make sure activities, and teacher preparation programs.
petus from multiple sources interested in sus that none of the courses currently being taught However, state standards and assess
tainability, three major efforts emerged in the in the United States reflect the old, inaccurate ments primarily emphasize writing, reading,
higher-education sector: the Higher Educat paradigms such as "endless resources" and and math, often do not relate to societal
ion Associations Sustainability Consortium "man conquers nature." Textbooks need to problems and solutions, and create barriers
(HEASC), the Disciplinary Associations Net describe our sustainability challenges and the to learning about sustainability. The K-12
work for Sustainability (DANS), and the Assoc contributions each discipline can make to the sector team of the U.S. Partnership has cre
iation for the Advancement of Sustainability in solutions. Funders have to support such work. ated draft sustainability education stan
Higher Education (AASHE). The National Science Foundation should dards, has compiled resources for K-12
The HEASC (10) was formed to advance encourage a sustainability focus in its grants teachers, and has just begun a process simi
sustainability in the mainstream higher educa to STEM (projects to increase students' inter lar to what was done in higher education to
tion associations and in the system of higher est in science, technology, engineering, and convene the national leaders in K-12 educa
education itself. HEASC members currently mathematics) and other areas and should fund tion and to share information to catalyze
represent about half of the U.S. college and interdisciplinary coursework and research. their commitment to sustainability.
university presidents; about half of all of the Other governmental funding sources, founda Right now, sustainability is treated by
boards of trustees, and many, if not most, tions, and corporations need to understand many as an add-on, as another item on an
facilities directors, business officers, college and support this trend. already full plate. Sustainability needs to be
and university planners; purchasers; and staffs Through sharing stories of how people have a main focus of our efforts in education.
of residential housing, student affairs, and made a difference in society and by providing Given the educational and research capacity,
campus activities. Projects include the Higher assignments that focus on solving real sustain the external partnerships, and the position of
Education Climate Action Partnership (77) to ability issues, educators can engage students higher education as an influential voice in
measure and reduce greenhouse gas emis and help institutions and the larger society turn society, there is ample opportunity for
sions, support for the American College and toward more sustainable behavioral and policy higher education to help shift societal norms
University Presidents' Climate Commitment norms. Students can learn and practice via such toward a healthier environmental, social,
for clean energy, carbon-neutral campuses assignments how to be more environmentally, and economic sustainability.
(72), and professional development initiatives economically, and socially responsible and how References and Notes
on sustainability. to support policies and legislation that support 1. A. C?rtese, Higher Education Associations Sustainability
DANS (73) was formed after the U.S. a sustainable future. Imagine what might hap Consortium (HEASC) presentation, 12 January 2007.
2. For additional information regarding available resources,
Partnership asked the Association of American pen if students were regularly assigned actual
see the supporting online material.
Colleges and Universities (14), the AASHE sustainability problems that were brought to 3. For a listing, see Association of University Leaders for a
(15), and the Association of University Leaders higher education by cities, businesses, non Sustainable Future (ULSF), www.ulsf.org/resources_sust_

for a Sustainable Future (16) to cohost meet profit organizations, and other institutions. If degrees.htm.
4. Campus Climate Challenge, www.climatechallenge.org.
ings of more than 20 disciplinary associations classroom exercises produced workable contri 5. Beyond Grey Pinstripes, www.beyondgreypinstripes.org.
to discuss each discipline's potential contribu butions to solutions, students would understand 6. Rutgers, http://purchasing.rutgers.edu/green/index.html.
tions to a more sustainable future. These meet they can have a positive impact on the world 7. National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP)
www.naepnet.org/AAicrosites/sustainability/
ings included national associations for psychol through their academic learning. Most of our
sustainability.html.
ogy, sociology, philosophy, religion, biology, higher education institutions include some 8. Minutes of 30 April 2007 meeting, Business Sector Team,
chemistry, engineering, anthropology, political where in their mission statements goals for U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable
Development, Washington, DC, Appendix A.
science, math, broadcasting, architecture, preparing students to help create a better soci
9. The U.S. Partnership, www.uspartnership.org.
women's studies, and others. Working groups ety, yet this ideal is often not fully implemented. 10. HEASC, www.aashe.org/heasc.
are focusing on infusing sustainability into cur Given the challenges of sustainability and the 11. Higher Education Climate Action Partnership, www.hecap.org.

ricula, professional development, standards need for policy and behavioral modifications, 12. University President's Climate Commitment,
www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.
(including tenure, promotion, and accreditation we need to change our emphasis from critical
13. Disciplinary Associations Network for Sustainability,
criteria that value sustainability research and thinking alone to the inclusion of effective www.aashe.net/dans.

action), cross-disciplinary projects, legislative change-agent skills and opportunities to take 14. Association of American Colleges and Universities,
www.aacu.org.
briefings, and ways to educate the public about action on campus and off. A matchmaking
15. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in
how to help create a sustainable future (7 7). Web site listing real-world sustainability proj Higher Education, www.aashe.org.
AASHE (75) serves colleges and universi ects from business, government, and nonprofit 16. ULSF, www.ulsf.org/.
ties in the United States and Canada. It offers organizations available to students, faculty, and 17. AAAS is part of this network. Contact Sarah Banas at
[email protected] to participate.
an extensive resource center of sustainability volunteers has just been launched (18). 18. Play a Greater Part, www.playagreaterpart.org.
initiatives and policies, discussion lists, sam To have a sustainable future, sustainability 19. Sustainable Schools Project, www.sustainableschools
ple syllabi showing how sustainability can be education has to be implemented at the K-12 project.org/index.html.
20. Antioch University, www.antiochne.edu/ed/exed/ss_
infused into various courses, a biennial conlevels as well. There are examples of inno
edforsustainability.cfm.
ference, and professional development oppor vation, including the Sustainable Schools 21. Facing the Future, www.facingthefuture.org/.
tunities. AASHE also publishes an electronic Project sponsored by Shelburne Farms in
Supporting Online Material
mail bulletin and an annual digest with cam Vermont (19); the Educating for Sustain www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/317/5836/323/DCl
pus sustainability news stories, resources, ability master's of education program at
Antioch University training teachers for the 10.1126/science.ll43552
events, and job opportunities.

324 20 JULY 2007 VOL 317 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org

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