Keywords
Citation
(2001), "US Presidents' Meeting at Oberlin College, November 2000", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 2 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2001.24902cab.006
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited
US Presidents' Meeting at Oberlin College, November 2000
US Presidents' Meeting at Oberlin College, November 2000Keywords: Higher Education, Sustainable development
Second Nature and several sponsoring organizations conducted a conference at Oberlin College, Ohio, USA on November 16-17, 2000 for over 30 college and university presidents, and other senior administrators from higher education.
The meeting goals were:
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to facilitate a discussion on the crucial role institutions of higher education can play in helping all current and future generations achieve good health, economic security, social equity and stability while sustaining the earth's life support systems; and
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to encourage the development of mechanisms for transforming the participants' institutions and to consider methods for working with other university leaders to make just and environmentally sustainable action a cornerstone of all learning, practice and community collaboration
Recommendations
The Oberlin Presidents' Meeting was an important first step in achieving high-level support for the Education for Sustainability (EFS) movement and starting to use that support to enact real change on college campuses. The following is a synthesis of recommendations that grew out of the evaluations participants returned after the Oberlin Meeting:
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Awareness and action. Participants recommended that strategies be developed for building awareness about the importance of EFS and encouraging action to implement EFS throughout higher education.
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Networking. Participants were pleased with the opportunity to network with others in their field as well as with experts in the field of EFS. They would like to have future opportunities for networking with a larger number of university presidents and other leaders nationally and regionally both in person and through other means such as the Internet.
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Tools. Participants are looking for specific tools, resources and/or models to help them to assess the status of their campuses in embracing EFS and to initiate or expand EFS on their campuses.
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Connecting. Participants recommended that EFS activities connect with other reforms in higher education, that are oriented toward preparing future leaders and professionals for character, citizenship and career in a world where the only constant is rapid change.