Organizations

Sustainability in Higher Education

The following organizations work towards incorporating sustainable development, learning, business practices, and living into institutions of higher educations.

University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF)

Mission: “to make sustainability a major focus of teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities worldwide”

Projects: provides resources, consults on campuses on a range of issues including sustainability assessment, faculty development for sustainability and environmental operations

People: Richard M. Clugston, Executive Director

Wynn Calder, Associate Director

Resources: Available to anyone at no cost. Include searchable Resources Database, the Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), the Talloires Declaration list of signatories and Resource Kit, The Declaration and other published material, and an updated calendar of related events.

Website: www.ulsf.org

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

Mission: “to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach - through education, communication, research and professional development”

Projects: Workshops and trainings, Awards, Conferences, AASHE Bulletin

People: Judy Walton, Executive Director

Julian Dautremont-Smith, Associate Director

Resources: policy banks, other databases/compilations (some AASHE-members-only), weekly (& excellent) email bulletin, publications

Website: www.aashe.org

NET Impact

Mission: “To improve the world by growing and strengthening a network of new leaders who use the power of business to make a positive net social, environmental, and economic impact”.

Projects: Their Campus Greening Initiative works with campus representatives to create environmental sustainability projects for their MBA program or university. Net Impact also holds conferences for students, alumni, and business leaders.

People: Liz Maw is the Executive Director. The board of directors include managers, directors, and CEOS of companies such as cMarket, Gap, Chiquita Brands, Chicago Climate Exchange, Headlands Institute, McDonald's Corporation, and Hewlett Packard Company.

Resources: NET impact provides its members with a Learning Center which helps members stay away of issues related to business and society. Provides job and internship postings.

Website: http://www.netimpact.org/

Apparently, UR's Simon School has a (small) Net Impact chapter - who knew!?! (http://outside2.simon.rochester.edu/clubs/netimpact/ ; up to date officer information at http://www.simon.rochester.edu/programs/studentclubs.aspx )

New York Association of Sustainable Campuses (NYASC)

After the Sustainability Summit held at Ithaca College in 2005, students at Cornell started the NYASC with students, staff, and faculty at other universities in that region. This project no longer exists since it fell apart this year after students at Syracuse decided not to host the NYASC conference, and neither did any of the other schools involved.

Website: http://nyasc.jot.com/

The Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD)

Mission: To support interdisciplinary learning and work about sustainability between sciences and humanities in higher education in the United States.

Projects: Breakdown into committees that include curricular design, workforce preparation, make recommendations to National Science Foundation concerning funding initiatives and host conferences. Member institutions send representatives to participate in projects.

People: Facilitated by National Council for Science and the Environment's University Affiliate program, affiliated with Directory of Environmental Programs, 135 member institutions are listed on the website.

Resources: Information concerning academic resources, sustainability education, federal organizations, career information and recent publications of interest.

Website: http://ncseonline.org/CEDD/

The Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI)

Mission: Allow participants to explore and challenge the values and attitudes they use to engage with their environments.

Projects: Offers discussion courses concerning topics about the interaction of humans and the environment.

People: Jeanne and Dick Roy (program founders)

Resources: Six discussion course topics, Home Eco-Parties, Eco-Tips for Sustainable Living, Oregon Earth Club Network and Oregon Natural Step Network

Website: http://www.nwei.org/index.html

Association for the Study of Literature and Environment (ASLE)

Mission: A multidisciplinary approach to explore the relationship between literature, as well as other cultural artifacts, and human interaction with the environment.

Projects: ASLE prints a biannual newsletter, prints International Studies in Literature and Environment a newsletter about environmental literatry criticism, provides a mentoring program to recent grads, job listings and hosts conferences.

People: American Studies Association (ASA)-The Environment and Culture Caucus (ECC), Conference on College and Composition & Communication (CCCC/4Cs)- "Ecocomposition Special Interest Group", European Association for the Study of Literature, Culture and Environment, ASLE has international affiliates in Canada, India, Japan, Korea and United Kingdom.

Resources: Electronic resources include- articles about ecocritisism, bibliographies, text about human interaction with the environment, literature related to the environment, syllabi and teaching aids. ASLE also provides resources about Environmental Literature, Academic Programs, Environmental Writers, Environmental Studies.

Website: http://www.asle.umn.edu/

Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC)

Mission:" HEASC is an informal network of higher education associations (HEAs) with a commitment to advancing sustainability within their constituencies and within the system of higher education itself."

See the "about" page (link below) for more info on the HEASC mission & member organizations (which include AASHE, SCUP, NACUBO, and others)

Websites: http://www.aashe.org/heasc/about.php

Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)

Mission: “The Society for College and University Planning is a community providing its members with the knowledge and resources to achieve institutional planning goals.”

Projects: Plans regional conferences, workshops, audiocasts, telecaststs, webcasts, the SCUP Planning Institute, and an annual, international conference and expo. Members and non-members can sign up for one of sixteen “knowledge communities”, including ones such as “environmental sustainability”, “management of campus space”, and “academic planning”, in which through email, you can ask questions of your peers, respond to queries, or share related information. SCUP staff will inform each knowledge community about useful online resources, both from within SCUP and from other sources.

People: Phyllis Grummon is the Director of Planning and Education. Jolene Knapp is the Executive Director. Michael A. Flusche is the Western New York Membership Contact. He is also the Associate Vice Chancellor/Academic Affairs for Syracuse University.

Resources: Membership to a “knowledge community” could provide access to knowledgable persons involved in sustainability and campus planning and activities. Persons could attend conferences if they are nearby. Members include architects, academic and business planners, engineers, projects and construction managers, and university staff (including campus planners and facilities managers, presidents, deans, provosts). There is a membership fee for SCUP. Note: Ron Paprocki, UR's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Senior VP for Administration and Finance, is a member or at least was, as of November 2005.

Website: http://www.scup.org/

National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)

Website: http://www.nacubo.org/x2153.xml

Second Nature

Mission: “Second Nature ... Helping Higher Education Move from Good Intentions to Strategic Action” and they have been promoting Education for Sustainability (EFS) since 1993 throughout universities and communities.

Projects: Second Nature provides Advisory services planning workshops, consultations, networks, and helps other EFS organizations get started and progressing towards their goals. Second Nature presentations, consultations, and workshops are with educational and individual institutions and networks. The presentations, consultations, and workshops work with each institution and network to incorporate health, social, economic, and environmental sustainability, integrate sustainability into education, daily workings and practices, research, and bringing both institutions and communities together to help create a sustainable community.

People: Anthony Cortese is the President. James Elder is the Senior Advisor. William McDonough is the Chair of the Board of Directors.

Resources: The website offers links to twenty-three other non-profit organizations working towards Education for Sustainability, sustainability programs at other higher education institutions, and lists books dealing with environmental, political, business, health etc. sustainability.

Website: http://www.secondnature.org

Campus Ecology Program

Mission: As a National Wildlife Federation program the Campus Ecology Program's “mission is to assist students, faculty, staff and administrators in transforming colleges and universities into learning and teaching models of environmental sustainability, by: assisting with the design and implementation of practical conservation projects; providing training and incentives; and helping to document and share lessons learned nationally and beyond.”

Projects: Work is conducted in various areas: assessment, building design, dining services, energy, environmental literacy (including curriculum), habitat restoration, management systems, purchasing, transportation, waste reduction, and water.

People: On the website, there are many example past projects that have contacts. Kristy Jones is the coordinator of the Campus Ecology program. She leads the memberships, trainings, and distance learning courses. Julian Keniry is the director of the National Wildlife Federations (NWF’s) Youth and Campus Program, cofounder of the Campus Ecology Program, and has written books about campus sustainability. She gives lectures across the U.S. and internationally about sustainability in higher education.

Resources: On the website, each topic listed under “projects” gives examples of programs designed and undertook at various universities, including descriptions not only of the general activities of each program but also the positives and negative outcomes.

Website: http://www.nwf.org/campusecology/

Campus Earth Summit (February 18 - 20, 1994, Yale University)

Mission: Students have the power to demand a more environmentally responsible campus and curriculum and faculty and staff are able to influence society by turning out citizens to be environmentally conscious.

People: Campus Earth Summit brought together faculty, staff, and student delegates from 22 countries, continents, and all states. People involved include Teresa Heinz, Amory Lovings, Carol Browner, Denis Hayes, William Reilly, Thomas Lovejoy, Anthony Cortese, David Orr, Stephen Viederman, William McDonough, and Paul Hawken. Al Gore also endorsed the summit.

Resources: examples of successful student-led campaigns and ongoing projects being carried out by high-level campus officials at campuses across the US and around the world. This document is also a resource for faculty and professors to incorporate environmental knowledge into their teachings.

Website: http://www.princeton.edu/~rcurtis/earthsum.html