Attached are the discussion notes from "Bridging Cultures: Reconciling Student Timescales and Needs with Campus Operations Plans ." What comments do you find most helpful? Do you see any cross-cutting themes that might be the beginnings of a "how-to" manual on creating living laboratories for sustainability?
Session 2 Discussion Notes (in response to the following questions)
1. What are the key priorities of your individual organization - that set of values at the core of your "culture"? What are the priorities of your students? Is their compatibility?
* Every silo has it’s own core values, but there is often no uniting principle
* Students are there to learn and willing to adjust
* Look at how to get value out of the process, rather than the project/product
* Students want university to be value driven
* Usually there is a lack of university priority on sustainability. When university expects little, they get little in return.
* Students are most motivated when they see the relevance of what they are learning.
* Campus priorities are found in documents.
* Often cost effectiveness is important.
* Sustainability can succeed to the extent that it is a bridge between cost effectiveness and “doing the right thing”
* Education and scholarship is important to the university, as is engagement with the community; LL can help connect these priorities
* Students focused on getting a degree
Additional notes from table discussion:
§ University: funding and image/marketing
§ Students: sustainability is expected
§ Energy conservation, use of alternative sources
§ Students: doing the “right thing”
§ Some compatibility between institution and students, but requires restructuring; limited by faculty and student time
o Use core curriculum (freshman req., gen ed courses)
o Create sustainability service / learning communities
o Capstone project: research and apply sustainability
o Remind student of key sustainability principles embedded in school’s mission
o Engage students with community / larger world
2. Do your faculty/staff "trust" your student's capabilities to deliver? Do you have some bridges to rebuild from past experiences? What can you do to help build credibility on all sides of the fence?
* There is institutional trust, except perhaps in operations.
* Brokers are key to catalyzing discussions between groups
* Where there is trust, students outperform expectations, but mentoring is key.
* The expectations of faculty/staff provide guidance to students—they will rise to the occasion.
* Students expect quick and decisive action once they’ve made recommendation/completed project.
* While there is usually lots of trust, where there is not, it is because of faculty. Faculty need to be retooled to facilitate not lecture.
* Must look at students as future alumni with tentacles into community.
Additional notes from table discussion:
§ There are often false perceptions about “the other”
§ Faculty set the bar too low
§ Expand education to include life skills, mentorship, etc
§ Given the right level of guidance, student are able to deliver
§ When students can understand how & that they can do & how it would impact the real world, then students hold themselves accountable.
§ www.playagreaterpart.org
3. How do you adjust the big picture and long-term goals, to create compact projects with solid end dates that fit into the student's "institutional schedule" while maintaining continuity?
* Required building a community rather than viewing education as a consumable
* Provide academic credit for projects
* Break large project into smaller ones
* Incorporating LL into existing courses or gen ed
Additional notes from table discussion:
§ Support student projects
§ Related departments: bring them together to tie understanding
§ Provide students with “sound bite” projects
§ Colloquium helping students / faculty find research funding
§ Get alumni involved in student projects
o Fund internships or individual projects to build momentum
o Engage industry organizations