Institutional Support

Institutional Support

Vision
A Liberty Hyde Bailey Center for Sustainability is housed in a green building on the Cornell University campus. The Center houses several endowed chairships for faculty from multiple disciplines and is a vibrant center for interdisciplinary work. An academic field of sustainability puts Cornell on the cutting edge of sustainability teaching and research. This attracts a dynamic group of faculty and students. A fund is established via development fundraising to provide research grants for sustainability-related, interdisciplinary projects.

Using the successful "writing in the majors" course format, a "sustainability in the majors" curriculum is developed which integrates sustainability into curriculum across campus. This is supported through funded Teaching Assistantships, similar to the "writing in the majors" program, making it an appealing program for departments to become involved with.

The faculty reward system is recalibrated, starting with the faculty positions within the LHB Center for Sustainability, to encourage faculty to take more risks and be more innovative with their work. Teaching and outreach are encouraged and supported.

Other brainstorming pieces

• Pursue a Kellogg endowed chair in sustainable agriculture
• Include emphasis on sustainability-oriented work when writing new faculty job descriptions
• Student involvement is needed to drive changes in campus physical sustainability and this requires institutional support (Catch 22 of which comes first?); attracting motivated students and faculty and they will feed the other campus changes being sought
• Use transportation, food, energy, etc. ideas and changes as educational opportunities
• Work to develop the campus as a curriculum in and of itself (more education about students' physical environment and the impact of their daily decisions)
• Tap into classes to help set goals/develop ideas for campus sustainability (ie, energy, economics of different options, etc.)
• Make sustainability the topic for the first-year student reading project as a way to integrate sustainability into curriculum
• Funding sources-- current NSF Biogeochemistry IGERT is up for renewal soon and focus on sustainability is being discussed
• Reinvigorate and integrate existing programs within the broader umbrella of sustainability and the LHB Center
• Support extension, Community Food and Ag Program, etc.
• Invest in local businesses to meet sustainability goals (ie, biodiesel from locally grown materials and community processing plant)
  

Staffing needs

• Dilmun Farm manager
• Cafe manager focused on local foods (Mann library?)
• Internships
• Harness the energy of current and recent undergraduates and provide leadership training for recent grads (Student Leadership in Sustainability Program?)