Sustainability Fireside Chats

Check out some hot topics related to sustainability in higher education today.

They include: tree equity; wellness & diversity; food security; intersections of climate, race, and internationalization; and bike share programs.

The Center for a Sustainable Future is catching up on workshops delivered at the Global Conference on Sustainability In Higher Education. Drop in to learn more with us!

Listen, learn, and discuss what these ideas might mean for IU South Bend.

SCHEDULE

November 3

2:30pm

Fireside Room

Using the Pursuit of Equitable Tree Canopy to Combat Effects of Redlining in Lexington, Kentucky

November 10

2:30pm

Admin rm 114

Integrating Wellness and Diversity Into the Sustainability Model

November 17

2:30pm

Admin rm 114

Assessing Food Security in Higher Education

December 3

2:30pm

Fireside Room

Connecting Your Campus Across Intersections of Climate, Race, and Internationalization

December 10

2:30pm

Alumni Room

Maintaining a Campus Bike Share Program for the Long Term

 

Session Descriptions

Using the Pursuit of Equitable Tree Canopy to Combat Effects of Redlining in Lexington, Kentucky

Clay Turner, Student Intern, Urban Forest Initiative at the University of Kentucky

The historical housing policy of redlining reflected systemic racism in the home lending industry; it disproportionately impacted people of color and created socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in intentional and negative ways. Although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 outlawed redlining, the policy’s effects persisted even after it was banned and continue to influence the lives of minorities and those living in previously redlined areas with lower socioeconomic statuses (SES). In 2020, two faculty in the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, Food and Environment analyzed the most recent data (from 2018) on the current average temperature, canopy cover percentage, and impervious cover percentage in 132 cities based on the four neighborhood grades assigned by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation beginning in the 1930s. Analysis indicated a statistically significant relationship between redlining practices and the canopy cover present today in these formerly redlined areas. Lower levels of tree canopy coverage are associated with numerous human health and environmental issues. These include health issues ranging from preterm births to disproportionate levels of COVID-19 infections for African Americans, intensification of the urban heat island effect, poorer air quality, fewer ecosystem services, and reduced home values. The statistically significant relationship between lack of tree canopy and redlining means that minorities and those with lower incomes living in formerly redlined areas still suffer serious consequences from a policy that officially ended over fifty years ago. This constitutes an environmental injustice. With this in mind, the UK Urban Forest Initiative (UFI) team conducted further analysis to develop a better understanding of the influence of biophysical characteristics and socioeconomic factors on Lexington, Kentucky’s tree canopy. Additional data on the relationship between the formerly redlined areas and continued environmental effects in Lexington was collected. Our aim is that incorporating members of these communities impacted by redlining into the decision-making process will hopefully lead to the development and eventual implementation of thoughtful, practical recommendations for enhancing the city’s tree canopy in the future in an environmentally just way. These principles can then be applied to other cities and communities seeking to address environmental injustices stemming from the systemic racism of the practice of redlining.

The practice of redlining is a well-covered topic with much research and effort devoted to understanding how it worked in practice and addressing the negative effects it had, and continues to have, on minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals and households. This educational program will offer a summary of new research done to statistically link the practice to the level of tree canopy in these formerly redlined areas. Based on that research, the presentation will clearly articulate the ways in which redlining affected residents of these areas in terms of health, economic, and environmental impacts. Finally, the recommendations developed for how to work towards increased tree canopy while also improving tree species diversity for a more sustainable tree canopy in Lexington, Kentucky, will also be shared. Following these recommendations will hopefully rectify the environmental injustices experienced by racial minorities and those residing in lower SES neighborhoods in an equitably just, inclusive manner. The aim is to create a dialogue with attendees on the issue and generate ways in which those recommendations can be implemented in their own communities.

In this session, attendees unfamiliar with the practice of redlining will gain a basic understanding of its implementation and how it functioned to further the systemic oppression of racial minorities. A wide range of data establishing the statistical link between the practice of redlining and tree canopy coverage will be presented to further attendees’ understanding of the negative and long-lasting consequences this policy imposed on these communities. The critical component of this session will be the recommendations based on the work of the UFI team on how to begin to resolve the environmental injustice of reduced tree canopy levels in neighborhoods that were blatantly discriminated against in the form of redlining on the basis of either race or low SES. Attendees will be reminded that it is important to approach these efforts in respectful ways that are inclusive of residents residing in these neighborhoods to have agency in both the methods and the outcomes.

 

Integrating Wellness and Diversity Into the Sustainability Model

Allyson Green Visiting Assistant Professor, St Catherine University; Devin Breeggermann Student, Bemidji State University; Erika Bailey-Johnson Sustainability Director, Bemidji State University; Jordan Lutz Sustainability Project Manager, Bemidji State University

Gain knowledge of a different framing for sustainability that focuses on wellness and an Indigenous lens.

The Bemidji State University (BSU) Sustainability Office realized in 2008 that the work they felt called to do required a different visual representation than the typical Venn diagram that includes social, economic, and environmental components. The traditional models seemed limiting and did not engage the entire campus. Traditional sustainability work seemed to focus on recycling and light bulbs which are valuable topics, but art as well as theatre and music may well be an individual’s hook to creating a more sustainable planet. We all need to be involved. Two central themes emerged as BSU began to think deeply about their sustainability work. First, it made sense to have the environment as “‘all encompassing.” The environment is not dependent on us; we are dependent upon it (and part of it). This belief is strongly emphasized by the Indigenous communities that are embedded in and surround the Bemidji region. The second theme that emerged was the idea that we must not only take care of each other and the earth, but ourselves. Students and colleagues weren’t sleeping well or getting enough physical activity. What impact would this lack of self-care have on our responsibility to be good role models and stewards? Therefore, it felt imperative to include the importance of individual wellness in this new sustainability model. Augsburg University adopted BSU’s Wellness Model for Sustainability a few years ago and has begun to incorporate it into both co-curricular and curricular activities and initiatives. This has proved incredibly effective because its implementation allows students, faculty, staff, and community members to engage with sustainability from their own experiences, strengths, and interests. This diverse array of perspectives enriches and deepens the overall work. Attend this session to learn how both a public university Sustainability Office and private college faculty have integrated the Wellness Model for Sustainability into their work.

This way of thinking about humans’ roles and responsibilities as members of an interconnected community of life greatly shapes sustainability work at BSU. An economy is not just humans exchanging goods and services, but the entire web of relationship and reciprocity upon which all life depends. Trees share nutrients with other trees. Wolves feast on beavers and thus manage the wetlands. In a similar manner, the societal aspect of the traditional Venn diagram is not just referring to humans. It refers to interactions between all beings. A turtle rests on a rock. A lightning bug does a special dance to attract a mate. Society is complex and beautiful, and we are a part of it all. Every action should be evaluated regarding its impact on people and the planet. 

 

Assessing Food Security in Higher Education 

Jennifer Hodbod Assistant Professor, Michigan State University; Sidney Brandhorst PhD Student, Arizona State University

Food security exists when all people in a community, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Traditionally, college and university students have been left out of most food security conversations and affectionately profiled for their ramen-based diets. While this has been normalized and been seen as a characteristic of the “college experience”, research among college and university students has shown that consistent and prolonged periods of food insecurity can have adverse effects on students’ wellbeing and academic achievement. In this session, we present results from a university-wide food security study and the survey tool for other institutions who are interested in conducting their own assessment. 

Their study revealed an overall food insecurity rate of 26.9% at Michigan State University, and also found important differences among student sub-populations, specifically undergraduate and graduate students. Their results make clear that university students should not be treated as one homogenous group in food security studies as there are important differences between undergraduate and graduate student food experiences. This understanding would support more specific solutions to campus food security, and ultimately better food security outcomes for all. Additionally, they take a more holistic approach than previous campus food security assessments by including questions about both food access and utilization as well as academic and wellbeing outcomes. The presenters also advocated for the involvement of students in this issue, as they are motivated by this topic and want to contribute their perspective to its solution. 

Assessing food security on college campuses is crucial for student success and recommend that universities and colleges evaluate campus food security in a holistic manner, keeping in mind both access and utilization as well as potential subpopulation differences. This approach allows higher education institutions to tailor their solutions to meet specific needs and be more effective. This highly interactive session will briefly introduce food security, present results and lessons learned from the MSU study, and provide participants with tools for conducting their own university food security assessment.

•   Food insecurity has likely increased drastically during the COVID-19 crisis; this session will provide space for learning and discussion of this relevant issue for college students. 
•   Priming universities/institutions to be able to assess food security in their context to inform more effective strategies to address it. 
•   Supporting data collect on a critical sustainability issue in a uniform way across universities.
•   Identify food insecurity characteristics and important sub-groups of students generally and in their own institution 
•   Evaluate survey to identify where and how to adapt survey tool to their context
•   Capacity to apply survey in home institution and analyze resulting data

 

Connecting Your Campus Across Intersections of Climate, Race, and Internationalization

Inemesit Williams CANIE Board Member, International Education Specialist, Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE); Megan Swanick Director of University Partnerships, The GREEN Program

Environmental justice is racial justice. Sustainability necessitates addressing racism. Higher education must play its part to proactively strategize and foster interdepartmental collaboration to address environmental justice at our campus and in our communities. This session introduces a foundational understanding and template model for discussing environmental justice as it relates to international education practices, with further-reaching implications across all of higher education. This is a call for collaboration coming from a panel of international educators from a variety of backgrounds and organizations who seek partners in higher education in our mission to address pressing issues of climate justice.

With the newly released IPCC, it’s clear that the climate catastrophe is real, upon us, and pressing. Similar to the “phase 1” IPCC report, this presentation will begin by making the case that climate justice is real, upon us, and pressing. The session then moves on to provide what the upcoming phases of the IPCC report portend to: provide space for reflection, conversation, and action as we work together to drive solutions.

See a sample of this template in action and learn from three international education practitioners as they summarize sample intersections of climate, race, and justice and discuss actionable methods to educate and advocate through the field of international education to achieve a more just, equitable, and climate-centered future. The intent of this template workshop is to introduce the concept, provide a context within higher education, and deliver a rubric that can be replicated across any department, campus, or niche in higher education.

There is limited discussion on how the international education sector can see, discuss, and address the intersections of climate change, racial justice, and international education. Often practitioners comment on their uncertainty or discomfort in bringing up topics that they don’t feel well versed to address. 

1) Understanding of key concepts of climate change as it specifically relates to climate and environmental justice

2) Understand and consider specific examples for how climate justice affects higher education, with a particular emphasis on international education

3) Consider avenues for collaboration across departments in higher education to support students affected by climate justice

4) Gain a rubric for implementing their own personal or departmental workshop, webinar, or reflection series on climate justice 

 

Maintaining a Campus Bike Share Program for the Long Term

Ben Ng Student Sustainability Office Staff, Bemidji State University; Jordan Lutz Sustainability Project Manager, Bemidji State University

Located in Northern Minnesota, Bemidji State University (BSU) operates within a dispersed, rural, and diverse community. Following a three-year pilot program in which Nice Ride attempted to establish a self-sustaining bike share model for our semi-rural community, BSU’s Sustainability Office inherited the bicycle fleet. Student staff of the university have maintained the fleet of approximately 120 Vanmoof brand bicycles. Now branded after the school’s mascot, Bucky the Beaver, the Bucky’s Bikes program provides long-term rentals for students, faculty, and staff. In the absence of viable public transportation opportunities in our relatively rural community, the Bucky’s Bikes program particularly benefits international students and those who choose to spend their academic year without a vehicle. Partially subsidized by a student-funded Green Fee, the program staffs up to three students to maintain the bikes mechanically and provide rental services to their peers. We will discuss challenges inherent in staffing a long-term program with student staff who inevitably leave the institution.

Maintaining an internally operated bike share program offers unique flexibility in decision making. As such, our goal is to maintain our bicycle fleet, which we obtained with little upfront capital investment, as long as possible. Unlike many commercial bike share programs that dispose of broken bikes instead of investing in their maintenance, we choose to invest in long-term sustainability. We do so by employing students to learn basic mechanical and bike maintenance skills. Bikes are routinely checked after each semester. Though the program is not financially self-sustaining, we believe the many benefits of bicycling justify the investment of student Green Fee dollars into its continuation.

Participants will learn strategies for addressing various challenges inherent in successfully operating a bike share program in which every aspect is coordinated in-house, from mechanically maintaining bicycles to providing customer service through the rental process.