Cool Breezes, Cool Classes: Infusing Sustainability into the Curriculum at California State University Monterey Bay

Abstract

The goal is to increase student awareness of and engagement with campus governance and stewardship in relation to sustainability. Students collaborated in small groups to organize the review of literature, online resources, and interviews with faculty, staff, and students, then compared and contrasted past, present, and planned initiatives on their home campus with the experiences of peer and benchmark institutions. Project deliverables outlined specific actions related to broadly defined sustainability themes that could have the potential for successful implementation. A project report was shared with decision-makers in student governance and campus administration to serve as a resource for action planning in support of sustainability. Student learning outcomes included improved sense of place and campus engagement through place-, problem-, project-based curriculum and articulation of possible solutions to real problems for their campus and the State of California.