SCUP Annual International Conference

This current iteration of SCUP's sustainability workshop is taught here in Montreal by Dale Braun and Kelly D. Cain, both of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Pictured is Kelly Cain, explaining why a Web page about sustainability is of necessity going to be complex and wordy. "Reducing sustainability to a sound bite," he said, "won't ever work, because it is by nature complex." He went on to note that the desire for things to be simple, even in the face of their inherent complexity is one of the things that "got us here in the first place."

Here is the official description of this workshop, which will be offered in other SCUP venues in the future:

Creating a Sustainable Campus Community Through Integrated Planning–A SCUP Foundation Workshop
Presenters: Dale Braun, Campus Planner, University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Kelly D. Cain, University of Wisconsin–River Falls
Audience: This workshop is for any campus planner, organizer or administrator who is beginning to develop and integrate sustainability as a core value into their campus planning process.

Wonder how to get past those 'showstopper' comments and onto the real work of creating sustainable practices that bring inter- and intra-campus communities together? Sustainability-focused institutions recognize that success lies in developing an integrated strategy that (1) ties sustainability to its core mission and is supported by senior leadership, (2) merges the planning efforts of academic, student life, resource, and facilities professionals on campus, (3) lobbies for support from key constituents both on and off campus, and (4) identifies core funding. A good integrated plan addresses the kind of research, planning, implementation, and evaluation needed for a higher education environment. This workshop looks at a case of sustainable communities, the core ideas of sustainable communities, and the questions to ask in order to identify blocks and connect with others who want to move sustainability forward. Learn about the role that campus functions play within a sustainable community, best practices of long-term integrated sustainability planning, and gain new ideas for immediate campus action. You will build your understanding of:

1. Individual and campus impacts environmentally, socially and politically and how that information can aid in identifying and informing decision-making

2. The drivers behind sustainable communities, e.g., climate, peak oil, water, socio-economic disparity, etc.

3. Potential resources a campus can utilize to answer identified needs, and key pieces of the planning process

4. How to bring together key individuals into the planning process

Workshop includes workbook, continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments.