ENGAGING STUDENTS INENGAGING STUDENTS IN

CAMPUS ENVIRONMENTAL CAMPUS ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITSAUDITS

AT SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE OF AT SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIACALIFORNIA

The Civic Engagement Imperative:The Civic Engagement Imperative:

Student Learning and the Common GoodStudent Learning and the Common Good

PEDAGOGIES OF PLACE

SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE SAINT MARY’S COLLEGE OF OF CALIFORNIACALIFORNIA

Founded in 1863, Saint Mary's Founded in 1863, Saint Mary's College of California is one of College of California is one of the oldest colleges in the West.the oldest colleges in the West.The College campus originallyThe College campus originallywas located in San Francisco.was located in San Francisco.In 1928 it moved to the Moraga In 1928 it moved to the Moraga valley, a few miles east of the valley, a few miles east of the San Francisco Bay. The College San Francisco Bay. The College offers Undergraduate and offers Undergraduate and graduate programs integrating graduate programs integrating liberal and professional liberal and professional education. The undergraduate education. The undergraduate college consists of 2,500 college consists of 2,500 students.students.

Saint Mary’s students are helping create Saint Mary’s students are helping create a more ecologically sustainable campus. a more ecologically sustainable campus.

The landscape of The landscape of our campusour campusprovides provides many “teachable many “teachable moments.”  moments.” 

What we consume What we consume and what we and what we waste also reveal waste also reveal our relation to the our relation to the larger world.larger world.

SUSTAINABILITY AND THE MISSION SUSTAINABILITY AND THE MISSION OF ST. MARY’S COLLEGEOF ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

Saint Mary's College celebrates three Saint Mary's College celebrates three traditions: traditions:

1)1) The classical tradition of liberal arts The classical tradition of liberal arts education, education,

2)2) The intellectual and spiritual legacy The intellectual and spiritual legacy of the Catholic Church, and of the Catholic Church, and

3)3) The vision of education enunciated The vision of education enunciated by Saint John Baptist De La Salle and by Saint John Baptist De La Salle and developed by the Brothers of the developed by the Brothers of the Christian Schools Christian Schools

SUSTAINABILITY AND LIBERAL SUSTAINABILITY AND LIBERAL EDUCATION:EDUCATION:

Learning about sustainability increases Learning about sustainability increases students’ capacity for responsible students’ capacity for responsible environmental citizenship.environmental citizenship.

As commonly practiced, liberal education has As commonly practiced, liberal education has little to do with the specific setting in which it little to do with the specific setting in which it occurs. While students become literate in occurs. While students become literate in reading human language, they may remain reading human language, they may remain illiterate in reading the language of their illiterate in reading the language of their immediate surroundings.immediate surroundings.

By treating the campus itself as a subject of By treating the campus itself as a subject of inquiry, students are developing a sense of inquiry, students are developing a sense of place—and engaging in civic education.place—and engaging in civic education.

SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CATHOLIC SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CATHOLIC INTELLECTUAL TRADITION:INTELLECTUAL TRADITION:

Concern for the environment is well established Concern for the environment is well established in the social teaching of the Catholic Church.in the social teaching of the Catholic Church.

In 2002, Pope John Paul II declared that In 2002, Pope John Paul II declared that

“Christians and all other believers have a “Christians and all other believers have a specific role to play in educating people in specific role to play in educating people in ecological awarenessecological awareness” ”

The U.S. Conference of Bishops has called on The U.S. Conference of Bishops has called on teachers “to emphasize, in their classrooms teachers “to emphasize, in their classrooms and curricula, a love for God’s creation, a and curricula, a love for God’s creation, a respect for nature, and a commitment to respect for nature, and a commitment to practices and behavior that bring these practices and behavior that bring these attitudes into the daily lives of their students attitudes into the daily lives of their students and themselves.”and themselves.”

Sustainability and the Lasallain Sustainability and the Lasallain mission of Saint Mary’s College:mission of Saint Mary’s College:

A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its A distinctive mark of a Lasallian school is its awareness of the consequences of economic awareness of the consequences of economic and social injustice and its commitment to and social injustice and its commitment to the poor. Its members learn to live their the poor. Its members learn to live their responsibility to share their goods and responsibility to share their goods and services with those who are in need.services with those who are in need.

The most devastating impacts of The most devastating impacts of environmental degradation are visited on environmental degradation are visited on the poor—the very people to whom our the poor—the very people to whom our students are called to give special care. students are called to give special care.

The challenge: The challenge: How to teach students to see the How to teach students to see the

environmental problems of the poor as environmental problems of the poor as their responsibility?their responsibility?

Saint Mary’s is located in an affluent, semi-rural Saint Mary’s is located in an affluent, semi-rural setting.setting.

Many of its students see higher education as a Many of its students see higher education as a means to financial success rather than to means to financial success rather than to responsible citizenship. responsible citizenship.

They interact primarily with other humans and They interact primarily with other humans and with human-made technologies. with human-made technologies.

Like many college students, they often feel Like many college students, they often feel disconnected from where they live.disconnected from where they live.

Saint Mary’s Response:Saint Mary’s Response:

Students in two service-learning Students in two service-learning courses conduct analyses of the courses conduct analyses of the college’s ecological footprint—college’s ecological footprint—such as its consumption of such as its consumption of materials, water, and energy; its materials, water, and energy; its landscaping, transportation, and landscaping, transportation, and waste disposal practices—and waste disposal practices—and then examine more sustainable then examine more sustainable alternatives. alternatives.

SaintSaint Mary’s Response:Mary’s Response:

In these courses--“PublicIn these courses--“Public

Relations and Civic Engagement”Relations and Civic Engagement”

and “Nature and the Sacred”—and “Nature and the Sacred”—

students integrate theory withstudents integrate theory with

group research projects to group research projects to

promote collaborative learning.promote collaborative learning.

SaintSaint Mary’s Response:Mary’s Response:

Students learn about their relationStudents learn about their relation

to the larger world by actively to the larger world by actively

uncovering their own impact on auncovering their own impact on a

significant public good: significant public good:

environmental well being.environmental well being.

PAST SUSTAINABILITY PAST SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS:PROJECTS:

Students have conducted campus Students have conducted campus audits on paper waste, native audits on paper waste, native plants, grounds maintenance, and plants, grounds maintenance, and solid food waste. solid food waste.

Student efforts have resulted in a Student efforts have resulted in a switch to fair trade coffee at the switch to fair trade coffee at the student union and to sweat shop-student union and to sweat shop-free apparel at the book store.free apparel at the book store.

PAST SUSTAINABILITY PAST SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS:PROJECTS:

In 2003, students studied the harmful In 2003, students studied the harmful effects of the polystyrene products thateffects of the polystyrene products thatwere used by the College food service.were used by the College food service.They presented the food service They presented the food service director with sugar cane-baseddirector with sugar cane-basedalternatives. He has adopted these alternatives. He has adopted these products insofar as possible, and isproducts insofar as possible, and islooking for vendors who can fulfill the looking for vendors who can fulfill the large orders required by the school. large orders required by the school.

PAST SUSTAINABILITY PAST SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS:PROJECTS:

A 2004 student proposal prompted A 2004 student proposal prompted the College Planning Committee to the College Planning Committee to appoint a task force to study the appoint a task force to study the feasibility of a compost program. feasibility of a compost program. They are working closely with the They are working closely with the student to implement either an on- or student to implement either an on- or off-site composting program. off-site composting program.

The student’s website on the compost The student’s website on the compost project can be found at project can be found at http://sustainsmc.stmarys-ca.eduhttp://sustainsmc.stmarys-ca.edu..

Current Environmental Audits Current Environmental Audits

Saint Mary's students are exploring Saint Mary's students are exploring more earth-friendly alternatives to more earth-friendly alternatives to the cleaning products, plastic bags, the cleaning products, plastic bags, paper products, and ink currently paper products, and ink currently used by the College. used by the College.

    

Current Environmental AuditsCurrent Environmental Audits

These projects are part of growingThese projects are part of growing

efforts by faculty, staff, students,efforts by faculty, staff, students,

and administrators to reduce the and administrators to reduce the

campus’ environmental impact campus’ environmental impact

through resource conservation,through resource conservation,

recycling, waste reduction, and recycling, waste reduction, and

environmentally sound operations.environmentally sound operations.

Learning Outcomes of Learning Outcomes of Campus AuditsCampus Audits

Environmental literacy regarding Environmental literacy regarding specific research topics.specific research topics.

““Ecological thinking” as a way of Ecological thinking” as a way of knowing.knowing.

What is “Ecological What is “Ecological Thinking”?Thinking”?

Thinking about how things fit together, Thinking about how things fit together, about patterns and interrelationships, and about patterns and interrelationships, and about our solidarity with the living world.about our solidarity with the living world.

A habit of mind which places things in A habit of mind which places things in

larger contexts and portrays them in larger contexts and portrays them in dynamic terms. dynamic terms.

It underscores the ways in which It underscores the ways in which individuals are members of larger social individuals are members of larger social and biotic communities.and biotic communities.

Ecological thinking is a liberal art—a set of integrative skills that reach across the boundaries of academic

disciplines.

• It offers a counterpoise to reductionism.

• It recovers the connectedness of what we know, our connectedness to each other, and our connectedness to the body of the world.

• It contributes to the public purpose of liberal education, by increasing students’ capacity for responsible environmental citizenship.

Two primary dimensions of Two primary dimensions of ecological thinkingecological thinking::

I. Systems ThinkingI. Systems Thinking

II. BiophiliaII. Biophilia

I. Systems ThinkingI. Systems Thinking Ecological thinking is concerned with:Ecological thinking is concerned with:

– relationships more than objects, relationships more than objects, – processes more than structures, and processes more than structures, and – networks more than hierarchies.networks more than hierarchies.

It is grounded in holism: the consideration It is grounded in holism: the consideration of an issue, a topic, or a problem in its of an issue, a topic, or a problem in its larger context.larger context.

Ecological thinking is holistic in temporal Ecological thinking is holistic in temporal as well as spatial terms. Phenomena are as well as spatial terms. Phenomena are connected in both time and space.connected in both time and space.

II. BiophiliaII. Biophilia Biophilia consists of an affinity for the Biophilia consists of an affinity for the

natural world. natural world. – It refers to what Rachael Carson called “the It refers to what Rachael Carson called “the

sense of wonder”.sense of wonder”.

– It is associated with a view of the world as It is associated with a view of the world as sacred and mysterious. sacred and mysterious.

– It activates the imagination and the intuition. It activates the imagination and the intuition.

How do campus audits How do campus audits promote systems thinking?promote systems thinking?

They yield empirical understanding of our They yield empirical understanding of our interdependence with the nonhuman interdependence with the nonhuman world. world.

They place the process of learning in the They place the process of learning in the context of the college’s built environment, context of the college’s built environment, which in turn is nested in the natural which in turn is nested in the natural systems that provide the energy, services, systems that provide the energy, services, and materials on which the College and materials on which the College depends.depends.

How do campus audits cultivate How do campus audits cultivate “the sense of wonder”?“the sense of wonder”?

Campus audits allow Campus audits allow

students to make an students to make an

affective connection to affective connection to

their locality by learning their locality by learning

outside the boundaries outside the boundaries

of the classroom. They of the classroom. They

encourage students to encourage students to

develop a sense of placedevelop a sense of place

and an affinity for theand an affinity for the

natural world.natural world.

An archive of student campus audits has been created on the College’s

campus sustainability website (http://sustainsmc.stmarys-ca.edu/)

Sustain SMC also contains links to: The College’s other Current Projects Higher education Sustainability sites A Campus Sustainability Survey A place to Join a carpool to SMC A way to Calculate your "ecological footprint"   A powerPoint presentation on How To Do An

Environmental Audit, and Information on The Talloires Declaration

• As students contribute their projects to the As students contribute their projects to the online archive, future cohorts of students can online archive, future cohorts of students can build on the work of their predecessors.build on the work of their predecessors.

• By combining student efforts with contributions By combining student efforts with contributions from faculty, staff, and administrators, the from faculty, staff, and administrators, the website fosters an integrated and collaborative website fosters an integrated and collaborative approach to campus sustainability.approach to campus sustainability.

EndEnd