Systemwide Sustainability Committee Facilitated Engagements

Advancing Sustainability Across Campuses

The University of Minnesota Systemwide Sustainability Committee (SSC), representing leadership from all five University of Minnesota campuses, has identified three priorities to promote sustainability across all five campuses. One of the priorities is the creation of a shared climate and sustainability curriculum across the University.

This initiative marks the first ever multi-campus collaboration on systemwide climate curriculum in the University of Minnesota’s history, and this novelty makes study of approach, benefits and interest critical to program development and success. Data showed the idea had merit as faculty, staff, students, and senior leadership scored it an eight out of 10 on a 10-point priority scale.

This project advanced this initiative through further scoping and data collection from the people most directly involved in and affected by how this curriculum is developed and implemented.

Outcomes

• Created synthesis report outlining scope, roles, responsibilities and next steps to move the initiative forward systemwide
• Held five on-campus, in-person, facilitated and graphically recorded engagements
• Outlined suggestions for next steps and success indicators
• Identified faculty, staff, senior leadership and students who want to participate in co- creating a systemwide climate curriculum
• Garnered enthusiasm and the potential for system-wide collaboration from University Chancellors