LEARNING BY DOING: THE UNIVERSITY AS A CURRICULAR TOOL FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

摘要

Sustainability, the movement to ensure intergenerational equity of environmental, economic and cultural resources and institutions, is inextricably tied to environmental security through a shared concern for the future and for value based education. In institutions of higher education, enacting collaborative endeavors between institutional agendas/priorities and student learning is integral to both the educational mission and broader sustainability goals. When students learn by doing and are empowered by their contribution to a shared long-term vision, the impacts on academic and personal development are both enhanced. As faculty, we are able to align our learning objectives with direct application, and move our universities towards more sustainable practice. Likewise, our institutions benefit from concrete, tangible information to improve their operations. Successful examples of collaborative efforts between students, academic units, and facilities and operations at Ithaca College (USA) and other universities include auricular enhancement through projects related to topics such as energy, food systems, waste reduction and landscaping. Additionally, the collaboration of environmental studies students with marketing, business, historical, social, and communication programs has resulted in increased overall project quality and student involvement in sustainability issues. These efforts also benefit the institution by encouraging shared knowledge, student citizenship and global perspectives while strengthening the overall curriculum and fostering systems thinking.