Learning Resources

Abstract: To address compounding challenges, Pima Community College (PCC) District employed an innovative planning process by integrating the educational and facilities master plans. The results are exceeding expectations in repositioning the college. Using an integrated planning model, PCC demonstrates how to address challenges rapidly through the lens of a shared mission. No matter the scale of your institution, you will leave with knowledge needed to design your own integrated planning processes and leverage efforts to improve success rates.

Abstract: The challenge of planning a sustainable future is so great and the task so broad that moving our institutions of higher learning, let alone our society, toward sustainability requires an unprecedented coalition of leaders. Planners must use the best skills and knowledge of all members of the academy: faculty, students, staff, trustees, alumni, and administration. This article reviews and critiques the processes, circumstances, and leadership that enabled Northland College to make significant progress toward sustainability. An Environmental Council that supported strong linkages between student learning and sustainability was key to the progress. The council was an incubator of leadership from which students, faculty, and staff emerged as agents of change.

Abstract: Green buildings offer many compelling advantages over their conventional counterparts—increased educational performance, lower energy costs, and lower environmental impact, to name a few—so green buildings should be easier to develop. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Several strategies are important to avoid a protracted process. Develop a set of clear environmental performance goals (buildings as pedagogical tools, climate-neutral operations, maximized human performance), use Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) as a gauge of performance, and use the project to reform the campus building process. All of these steps need to involve a range of participants—students, faculty, administration, and facilities staff—to achieve the best results.