University and Community Engagement: Toward Transformational …
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current scenario of market-oriented vision and mission. Liberal education encourages an appreciation of knowledge, an ability to think and solve problems and a
desire to improve society. General education advocates for practical education that
prepares students to enter the workforce upon graduation (State University 2018).
A “hybrid” education model is possible, perhaps even desirable, the discussion of
which is beyond the scope of this paper. As a state land-grant HEI, UVM has been
a leader in the teaching and research of ENR-related issues and programs (Sullivan
2018). These programs played a leading national role in adopting an interdisciplinary
approach to educating the next generation of ENR practitioners (Kaza 2012). The
goal of the general education sustainability requirement at UVM was to embed sustainability throughout the university curriculum and to encourage the faculty within
the disciplines to teach sustainability under a disciplinary-specific framework. The
UVM spent the 2014–2015 academic year developing a convincing argument that
sustainability is an interdisciplinary concept that allows for each respective discipline
to introduce and reinforce ecological, economic and social sustainability topics in a
unique and discipline-specific manner (Hill and Wang 2018). This practical approach
to SHE appears to be attractive as it is implementable for many HEIs.
4 Sustainability Challenges in HEIs
University-wide curricular change such as mandating university-wide SLOs is a
daunting and complex process for most HEIs. The complexity of educational systems, the various levels of decision-making on educational policies, and traditional
curricular structures are still presenting challenges for learners to develop (and transfer) competences in SD. Indeed, fast, effective and institution-wide change towards
ESD in HE is always catalysed by legislation that spurred HEIs to address their
inertia and disciplinary traditions (Leal Filho and Pace 2016). Decades of advocacy
by many to promote liberal studies as part of university-wide curriculum (AASHE
2007) have influenced many institutions’ and instructors’ approach to general education, including the UVM and the authors. The “Essential Learning Outcomes”
(Freeland 2009) includes knowledge, skills and values components that influenced
the framework for UVM’s sustainability general education requirement. At UVM,
sustainability is a natural part of general education, and not just an imperative in
certain academic units such as ENR studies (Fien 2002; Reid and Petocz 2006). It
is the combined responsibility of faculty and administration to shape the student
sustainability experience. Faculty must overcome potential conflicts between faculty
and administration through open and transparent dialogues. This is important as the
traditional general education course-based model does not serve the interdisciplinary
SLO-based requirement. UVM’s sustainability transformation began with the Student Government Association (SGA) passing a resolution in 2010 supporting “the
creation of a university-wide sustainability curricular requirement for all incoming
undergraduate students at the University of Vermont”. The way the UVM has taken
to overcome the daunting challenges encountered in SHE and SLO is commendable.
795
current scenario of market-oriented vision and mission. Liberal education encourages an appreciation of knowledge, an ability to think and solve problems and a
desire to improve society. General education advocates for practical education that
prepares students to enter the workforce upon graduation (State University 2018).
A “hybrid” education model is possible, perhaps even desirable, the discussion of
which is beyond the scope of this paper. As a state land-grant HEI, UVM has been
a leader in the teaching and research of ENR-related issues and programs (Sullivan
2018). These programs played a leading national role in adopting an interdisciplinary
approach to educating the next generation of ENR practitioners (Kaza 2012). The
goal of the general education sustainability requirement at UVM was to embed sustainability throughout the university curriculum and to encourage the faculty within
the disciplines to teach sustainability under a disciplinary-specific framework. The
UVM spent the 2014–2015 academic year developing a convincing argument that
sustainability is an interdisciplinary concept that allows for each respective discipline
to introduce and reinforce ecological, economic and social sustainability topics in a
unique and discipline-specific manner (Hill and Wang 2018). This practical approach
to SHE appears to be attractive as it is implementable for many HEIs.
4 Sustainability Challenges in HEIs
University-wide curricular change such as mandating university-wide SLOs is a
daunting and complex process for most HEIs. The complexity of educational systems, the various levels of decision-making on educational policies, and traditional
curricular structures are still presenting challenges for learners to develop (and transfer) competences in SD. Indeed, fast, effective and institution-wide change towards
ESD in HE is always catalysed by legislation that spurred HEIs to address their
inertia and disciplinary traditions (Leal Filho and Pace 2016). Decades of advocacy
by many to promote liberal studies as part of university-wide curriculum (AASHE
2007) have influenced many institutions’ and instructors’ approach to general education, including the UVM and the authors. The “Essential Learning Outcomes”
(Freeland 2009) includes knowledge, skills and values components that influenced
the framework for UVM’s sustainability general education requirement. At UVM,
sustainability is a natural part of general education, and not just an imperative in
certain academic units such as ENR studies (Fien 2002; Reid and Petocz 2006). It
is the combined responsibility of faculty and administration to shape the student
sustainability experience. Faculty must overcome potential conflicts between faculty
and administration through open and transparent dialogues. This is important as the
traditional general education course-based model does not serve the interdisciplinary
SLO-based requirement. UVM’s sustainability transformation began with the Student Government Association (SGA) passing a resolution in 2010 supporting “the
creation of a university-wide sustainability curricular requirement for all incoming
undergraduate students at the University of Vermont”. The way the UVM has taken
to overcome the daunting challenges encountered in SHE and SLO is commendable.