Building an Interdisciplinary Sustainability Degree:

Use What You Have

Margaret Robertson, ASLAClaudia Owen, PhD Lane Community College – Eugene, Oregon

Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can.

--Arthur Ashe

Sustainability Coordinator Degree

• Developed outcomes

matched courses

full 2-year degree

• Only new course: a 1-credit seminar

• Almost no cost

Outcomes = knowledge, skills, abilities

• Define outcomes for competent sustainability professional.

• We asked:

What is sustainability?

• Broad knowledge• Systems thinking• Critical thinking skills• People skills

Designer’s Atlas of SustainabilityFootprint Network

Skills for Sustainability Coordinators:

Step 1. Develop outcomes Most important thing you can do: Get the outcomes right.

• New field• Interdisciplinary

“Sustainability,” the discipline:

The Unesco model

Information visualization – Pathfinder citation analysis

• Professional society• Journal• Body of knowledge

Step 1. Develop outcomes – How?

Sustainability: an emerging field

No single, authoritative . . .

Sources

• Job descriptions▪ But limited to what exists now.

• Surveys*▪ But limited to what respondents

already know.

• Literature • Other programs• Advisory committees• Collaboration

*e.g., regional market survey ISSP practitioners’ surveyAASHE sustainability directors’ survey

Sources

*Forthcoming: Sustainability: Theory and Practice. by Margaret Robertson Pearson, 2012.

• Job descriptions• Surveys• Literature*

• Books, articles: specific topics

• Other programs• Advisory committees• Collaboration

I. Overview1. Sustainability

2. History

3. The Living Planet

4. Gaia: Earth Systems Science

II. Issues

III. Strategies

IV. Organizational Skills

Sustainability: Theory and Practice

You are welcome to use this outline.

Sources

I. Overview

II. Issues*5. Climate Change

6. Water Issues

7. Ecosystem Change

8. Human Health

9. Human Population Growth

10. Pollution

11. Fossil Fuels

12. Food Issues

13. Failing States

14. Economics

III. Strategies

IV. Organizational Skills

*State of the planet

Sustainability: Theory and Practice:Sources

I. Overview

II. Issues

III. Strategies*15. Climate Stabilization

16. Ecosystem Restoration

17. Stream Restoration

18. Stabilizing the Human Population

19. Pollution Remediation/Prevention

20. Renewable Energy

21. Energy Efficiency

22. Water Efficiency

23. Stormwater and Wastewater

24. Sustainable Sites

25. Soil Conservation and Renewal

26. Green Buildings

27. Green Manufacturing

28. Waste and Recycling

29. Food

30. Livable Cities

IV. Organizational Skills

* Tools for a new, regenerative era

Sustainability: Theory and Practice:Sources

I. Overview

II. Issues

III. Strategies

IV. Organizational Skills31. Certification Tools

32. Indicators and Measurement

33. Working in an Organization

34. Working with People

35. Education

Sustainability: Theory and Practice:Sources

* Tools for working in

organizations

Sources

• Job descriptions• Surveys• Literature • Other programs*• Advisory committees• Collaboration

*You are welcome to use Lane’s outcomes.

Collaboration*

• Symbiosis: a fundamental process

• Cooperation generates much of life on Earth.

*An approach modeled on natural systems

Step 1. Develop outcomes

Outcomes

• Science foundation =

how sustainable systems work

U.S. Department of Energy, Genomic Science program

“Triple Bottom Line”

Ecotrust: Conservation Economy Pattern Map

• Environment• Economics• Equity

• (They are connected.)

Outcomes

• Nuts and bolts skills for leaders

Closed loop – zero waste

Water

Energy

Eco-Cycle

Sidwell Friends School, Andropogon

LEED Visual GA, V3

Outcomes

• Management• Data analysis• Measurements for

indicator reports

Sustainability Indicators, Sustainable Measures

Outcomes

• Leaders as change agents

Important!

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of Energy/NREL

World ahead will not be like it is now.

• Future leaders with vision.• Ability to lead us through the transition.

Need:

The Natural Step

Summary of Outcomes

• Science foundation• Technical skills• Managing organizations• Skills for change agents

Outcomes

Step 2. Map existing courses to outcomes

Step 2. Map existing courses to outcomes

• Catalog descriptions• Then review syllabi• Then interview instructors

Researching existing courses:

• Data from sustainability infusion or environmental literacy program, if one exists.

Step 3. Identify gaps

Step 4. Create course(s) to fill gaps

• In-house experts• Community experts

http://www.lanecc.edu/collegecatalog/documents/CTsustainabilitycoord.pdf

Step 5. Align with your institution’s graduation requirements

We still need:

• Introductory course• Capstone course

Challenges

• Collaboration ▪ Messy▪ Field still forming

• Tools for matching courses to outcomes

• Developing new courses▪ In-house experts▪ Community experts

• Building a cohort▪ Big issue for interdisciplinary

programs

Questions?

Margaret Robertson: 541-463-3143 - robertsonm@lanecc.edu

Sustainability Coordinator degree - www.lanecc.edu/advtech/SUST/index.htm

Claudia Owen: 541-463-5052 - owenc@lanecc.edu