UB Buzz

E for an Environmental Generation

“Generation E” is a newly coined term for an age group that is passionate about promoting and pursuing solutions to environmental problems. A new report explains how they are taking a collegiate lead.

Released this week by the National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology program, the report lists 35 sustainability efforts under taken by students at 165 U.S. higher ed institutions in an “idea book” format with accompanying photos, graphics, and anecdotes.

During a conference call Wednesday, Julian Keniry, NWF's senior director, campus and community leadership, explained the report shows sustainability is an issue that today's students collectively agree on. “We’re discovering the values of sustainability define and unite the current generation like no other issues of our time,” she said.

Such is the case for Jason Sanders, a Texas State University grad student involved in a cafeteria compost program. He explained student interest in the program increased when they learned about the project’s end result: using the organic material to fuel campus vehicles and power facilities.

However, certain barriers can put a damper on starting and continuing sustainability efforts. Christina Erikson, the report’s coauthor, says students often carry out these initiatives as a form of community service or through an internship, but are willing to see sustainability become part of their academics. “I think faculty are creating some opportunities, and students are pushing faculty to add these opportunities [to the classroom].”

Adam Yarnell, a Brown University (R.I.) student active in a program for community carbon use reduction, pointed out a "strong feeling of social responsibility" among fellow students but found their efforts can be hindered by lack of training or knowledge to successfully carry out their ideas.

Ayodele Akinpelu, who attends Wayne State University (Mich.) and participates in student delegations, recommended getting outside help: to ask community leaders for their support in student initiatives.

What is the best way to increase student involvement? Erikson suggested promoting a fun factor in efforts and make sure certain issues can connect to a variety of academic interests. “We need to show this is an upbeat movement.”

The 70-page report can be downloaded here.

Clunkers for Steel at Stonehill

Using recycled materials on campus construction projects is an aspect of building green that doesn't seem to get as much attention as more visible, cutting-edge features and systems. Taking a "clunkers for steel" approach, Stonehill College (Mass.) got 95 percent of the structural steel framing for its new $34 million science center from recycled old cars. (And for that more visible "we take recycling seriously" piece, the building's carpets and countertops are comprised of 40 percent recycled materials.)

The facility, with nearly 90,000 square feet, houses the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology and includes labs, classrooms, and faculty offices.

Read more about the sustainable features of the building here.

The online version of a March 2009 University Business article on adaptive reuse of buildings included some additional examples of re-using materials for building projects. That article can be viewed here.

Rumors, Rumors Everywhere

Actively working to dispel rumors that may be festering across campus is always a good idea. During last week’s 2009 TIAA-CREF Institute Higher Education Leadership Conference in New York City, Devorah Lieberman, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Wagner College on Staten Island, N.Y., shared how her monthly “Open Conversation with the Provost” gathering helps.

A small group of faculty and staff meets for each conversation, held in Lieberman’s home. Everyone is asked to answer two questions: “What have you heard?” and “What do you want to know?”

“Then it’s open season,” Lieberman says, joking that as the wine flows the honesty really comes forth.

The conversations are also about collaboration building, how the concept of silos can be broken down in higher education. For Wagner, this means reaching out together to help the underserved in the local community. One example: the nursing and language departments have partnered to set up a storefront where community members can come in for health care or language training.

As each gathering comes to a close, Lieberman states that no one can leave the room until they’ve each told her something that she doesn’t already know. “That leads to amazing openness.”

350.org’s Day of Action Sweeps College Campuses

        Living on a college campus, it seems all the rage to be an environmental activist these days. To students, making their university greener is as trendy as wearing Uggs or sporting a North Face jacket. This movement, however, goes beyond one student environmental group’s activities on campus. On October 24^th more than 5,000 groups—many of which were American colleges and universities— in 181 countries participated in 350.org’s first annual Day of Action. 

350.org, an international environmental organization, works to pressure governments to lower the amount of carbon emission in the atmosphere from 390 parts per million to the scientifically recognized safe amount of 350PPM.

Grassroots Communications Coordinator Matt Fitzgerald says, “This is not the environmental movement of stereotypes. We have a diverse constituency of participants of all economic and faith backgrounds—students as well as staff and professors.”

On the Day of Action, groups were called upon to creatively spell out 350, take a picture, and send it to the organization to be distributed to the press, politicians, and environmental action groups showing the universal support behind the mission. (Participants in Germany spell out their message. Right.)

What does all of this mean for American colleges and universities? 350.org was founded by author Bill McKibben and a student group at Middlebury College. It is now recognized as the organizer of the largest-scale climate rally in history. Like Middlebury, administrators at every university can further student interest by incorporating the mission of groups such as 350.org into course curriculum. From my experience, students quickly become more passionate about course material if they can relate it to a movement they’ve seen on campus—especially if it’s one they’ve participated in. Administrators can also show support by going to student-led events such as 350.org’s Day of Action, campus awareness raising campaigns, or club meetings.

        Perhaps the best means of administrative support, however, is by bringing dynamic and engaging lecturers to campus. Presenters who are young, energetic, and close to the university community relate well to undergraduates and will engage the student body, maximizing students’ retention of material and interest in the issues. It is evident by the high level of interest and dedication on college campuses that young adults already care about these issues. It is now up to administrators, faculty, and staff to use the momentum of this movement to its maximum potential.

A New Normal for Higher Ed

What is the “new normal” for higher education in the 21st century? That question was the topic for the first session at the 2009 TIAA-CREF Institute Higher Education Leadership Conference Thursday and Friday.
This talk comes at a time when institutional leaders are being forced to make critical decisions for their colleges and universities, cites moderator Muriel Howard, resulting from a shaken economy and a decrease in funding from traditional sources such as state budgets and endowments.
In her opening remarks, Howard referred to the “new normal” as higher ed institutions not being able to count on traditional levels of financial support. “At the same time,” she continued, “colleges and universities have to take the lead in ensuring that America’s economy just doesn’t recover but increases prosperity, grows jobs and creates knowledge.”
Howard, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, also referred to a global challenge for the United States in degrees completed, as its foreign competitors are producing more college graduates than ever before. “America’s future economic success requires that we add millions more highly skilled workers equipped with college degrees – and we are not getting the job done.”
Joining Howard for the discussion were Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University; Bobby Fong, president of Butler University (Ind.); and Charles Reed, chancellor of the California State University System.
Asked if institutions will return to business as usual as they ride out the economy, Crow said they need to move forward instead. “There should be no conversation about the way it ought to be,” he explained. “There should only be a conversation about what do we need to be as competitive as we can be as a country going forward. … The last thing we need to do is to think about a normal series of assumptions about what institutions are supposed to be or behave like.”
Reed brought up another point about differentiation: The future of America’s college student population will be students of color in underserved communities. “The new normal is going to be one of figuring out how do we serve this new population, and this new population needs to be well educated,” explained Reed. “They need to be competitive on a worldwide basis, and they need to be the best employees that our businesses and industries can hire.”
This new group, Reed explained, has very little idea about what it takes to go to college. "And we kept it a secret pretty much as long as we could,” he said. “That [group] is going to be the new normal for higher education.”
Crow said his institution is increasing minority student enrollment by two and a half times the rate of growth of majority students. A program has been put forward where incoming freshmen from families making under $60,000 in income will pay nothing to attend.
Fong said that it is also crucial for leaders to reach out to high school and middle school students, as his university is doing, to encourage enrollment: "You don't wait for students to come to you. You need to break the barriers down." The same is true for Reed, who added, "Institutions are going to have to partner with K12 and the community colleges" in areas such as transfer agreements and lower division courses.
Another area that Fong thinks higher ed officials collectively are struggling with what factors may count in defining higher education. “I don’t think there’s one answer,” he said. "There are many different kinds of degrees. What I worry about sometimes is that liberal [arts] education traditionally has been the equivalent of customized tailored clothes rather than off the rack. We have to rethink what it means to deliver an education that is not only of mind but also of character for all of our students."
Each of the three officials was asked what advice he would give his constituents on innovative thinking for their missions. Crow suggested that their college has to be a top guiding factor to all other institutional purposes while Reed offered two points: to never give up and have the passion to represent every best of that institution and keep going forward.
With the theme "Smart Leadership in Difficult Times," the two-day seminar also featured sessions on leadership, revenue sources, and business models.