National University’s Integrated Approach Towards Sustainable-Green Campus: Leadership, Curriculum, and Outreach

Abstract

AbstractNational University (NU) has a multifaceted yet integrated approach towards a sustainable or ‘green campus’ with a variety of programs led by the university’s short-term and long-term commitments. The different actions taken towards a sustainable-green campus can be categorized in the following three key areas: administrative leadership, curriculum and research, and community and outreach. The administrative leadership starts at the top with our Chancellor’s commitment to incorporate sustainability practices in all facets of its operations. One of the recent actions includes initiating the LEED certification process for a large campus building in San Diego, CA (see more under Curriculum and Research below). Other green operational activities include recycling and native landscaping. Students are encouraged to solve real world problems sponsored by a company interested in sustainability (or environmental) related issues. The LEED certification research work was actually completed by a team in the MS Environmental Engineering program. Currently, one team in the MS Sustainability program is researching the validity of awarding a real world LEED Neighborhood Development certification. Faculty members have introduced innovative pedagogy such as Game Design, Creation, and Play as part of graduate level courses to engage students effectively to understand better the difficult concepts of sustainability. The objective is for the students to understand and demonstrate the triple bottom line of sustainable development, namely, Environment, Economy, and Equity in their games and project. The feedback from students on this approach has been very positive. NU takes an active role in community and outreach programs. NU also holds an annual ECO Fair. This is part of NU’s community outreach efforts to educate and demonstrate to the general public concepts about environmental and economic sustainability. NU has a multi-faceted and yet an integrated approach towards a ‘sustainable-green campus’ through leadership, curriculum, and research and community outreach efforts.KeywordsCampusGreenSustainabilityLEEDOutreachRecyclingeWasteEco-fairLeadershipCurriculumEnvironmentEconomyEquity