About the Conference:
Join colleagues from the CONNECT campuses for a day-long discussion of pedagogy and the greening of higher education. The conference will bring together faculty and administrators to exchange information about best practices they have developed, to brainstorm solutions to problems they have encountered, and to learn more about integrating sustainability into the curriculum. The keynote address will be given by Debra Rowe, Ph.D., president of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development and professor of energy management, renewable energy technology and psychology at Oakland Community College. The conference is open to ALL CONNECT faculty, staff, and instructors; those new to sustainability concepts and interested in learning more are especially welcome.
Draft Plan/Agenda:
9:00 - 9:15 Welcome: President John Sbrega, Bristol Community College
Introductions and Logistics: Ann-Marie Burke, CONNECT Sustainability Fellow
9:15 - 10:15 Advancing Sustainability Education at Institutions of Higher Learning
Debra Rowe, Ph.D., President, U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
Debra Rowe has been a professor of energy management, renewable energy technology and psychology for over 29 years at Oakland Community College. She is the co-founder of the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (www.aashe.org/heasc), founder/facilitator of the Disciplinary Associations’ Network for Sustainability (www.aashe.org/dans), Senior Fellow at Second Nature (www.secondnature.org) and Senior Advisor to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (www.aashe.org). Dr. Rowe helps higher education associations and institutions integrate sustainability into their mission, curricula, research, student life, purchasing and investments, facilities and operations, and community partnerships. Dr. Rowe will describe the current national and international trends in sustainability in higher education, K-12 and workforce development. She will also describe available resources to help participants further catalyze sustainability efforts in the region.
10:20 - 11:05 Incorporating Sustainability into the Curriculum - Approaches for Educators at All Levels
11:15 - Noon Sustainability Efforts Beyond the Classroom
Noon - 12:30 Lunch and Networking
12:30 - 1:30 Best Practices in the Disciplines
1:40 - 2:30 Next Steps: Advancing Sustainability on Our Campuses
Plenary discussion facilitated by Debra Rowe