How are College and University Faculty Teaching about Climate Change? A Study from Puget Sound, Washington Jean MacGregor, Director Curriculum for the Bioregion

A public service initiative of The Evergreen State College, established in 1985; Works as a faculty development and curriculum development initiative across both two- and four-year institutions in Washington and beyond; Serves as the national resource center for curricular learning communities; Modest operating funding comes from the state legislature through Evergreen’s budget; special initiatives are grant- funded. One of these initiatives is…

The Washington Center’s “Curriculum for the Bioregion” initiative Our mission: To better prepare undergraduates to live in a world where the complex issues of sustainability -- environmental quality, community health and wellbeing, and social equity and justice -- are paramount. 30 institutions in the Puget Sound bioregion are the most involved but we have held workshops across the state of Washington. We have engaged faculty at 60+ colleges and universities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and BC.

How do we prepare students to live in the “century of the environment?” How do we not only foster sustainability literacy, but also create a culture of responsibility, action-taking, and leadership? How do we undertake this with integrity in each of our disciplines? Our animating questions regarding teaching for a sustainable future

Curriculum for the Bioregion: putting learning in place: We need to learn to adopt sustainable behaviors here, where we live, work, and play. We need to learn to adopt sustainable behaviors here, where we live, work, and play. There is an urgent need to understand the local places and systems upon which the quality of our lives depend. There is an urgent need to understand the local places and systems upon which the quality of our lives depend. Encounters with pressing issues and “big ideas,” especially with local applications, can have lasting meaning. Encounters with pressing issues and “big ideas,” especially with local applications, can have lasting meaning.

The Curriculum for the Bioregion Strategy: Linking and Building Communities of Educators Protecting Biodiversity Teaching “Big Ideas” in the Disciplines and in Sustainability Reflective and Contemplative Practices Teaching Cases Inter- institutional Faculty Learning Communities Faculty Learning Communities on Individual Campuses Faculty Learning Communities on Individual Campuses Learning Communities in and out of the Classroom Developing Healthy Food Systems Restoring Puget Sound Addressing Climate Change Environmental Health and Environmental Justice 1) Integrating sustainability into and across the disciplines 2) Engaging faculty and students with pressing issues in the bioregion and with the individuals and organizations working on them 3) Cultivating promising pedagogies for teaching sustainability Communities of Educators

Faculty Learning Communities

Summer field courses, with follow-up meetings to share teaching and curriculum ideas Pictured here: “Sound Learning Communities”

Why a climate change project? Longstanding interest in energy systems Assisted with early development of CAMEL Climate change infuses every conversation about sustainability Faculty participating in “C 4 B” tell us they want to strengthen their climate change teaching.

Inquiry and Planning Phase We wanted to learn: Who is teaching about climate change? What are they emphasizing? Are they engaging students in community-based service and/or research? Are there faculty/curriculum development initiatives already underway with respect to climate change? Are they doing climate-change research, especially in this region? Are they interested in joining a faculty learning community on teaching climate solutions?

Online Survey – Spring, questions, 3 of which were name/contact information Posted on “Survey Monkey” for about 3 months Our campus liaisons encouraged their colleagues to complete the survey, via messages and reminders. Some liaisons were excellent about follow-up; others, not so much.

Survey Participation 383 individuals began the survey 309 answered every question 347 responses were judged complete enough to include in the overall analysis 78% indicated they were teaching about CC now. 22% indicated they weren’t teaching about CC.

Campuses with most Participation Four – year campusesTwo-year campuses The Evergreen State College 58 Edmonds Community College 17 Western Washington University 24 Centralia College 16 Pacific Lutheran University 19 Highline Community College 15 Seattle University 18 Pierce College 15

Disciplinary Affiliations of Respondents

Where does climate change appear in college/university classes? Climate change and associated issues are being taught at a wide array of classes at all levels (Introductory courses, general education courses, study in the major) In over 60 disciplines and interdisciplinary subjects. Predictably this topic is taught the most extensively in science or applied science classes at both the introductory and advanced level

Top 10 areas where climate change is being taught: Climate change – entire courses or LC programs – (heavily skewed by LC programs, and interdisciplinary colleges) Biology - mostly introductory/gen ed courses Ecology – mostly upper division courses Sustainability courses - mostly upper division courses Environmental studies courses - mostly introductory/gen ed Chemistry - mostly introductory/gen ed courses Geology - mostly introductory/gen ed courses Environmental science - mostly introductory/gen ed courses Geography - mostly introductory/gen ed courses Energy studies - mostly upper division or prof/tech courses

Climate change is also being taught in such courses as: English Composition – writing courses Anthropology Philosophy Sociology Health Psychology Native American Studies However, 69% of the 508 reported courses were in the STEM disciplines.

Faculty members in different academic fields emphasize different topics in their climate-change teaching. For each topic, rate the degree of emphasis you give it in any of your courses, using the following scale: 0 – I give this no emphasis at all in any of my courses 1 – I make mention of this but not in any depth in any of my courses 2 – I give this modest emphasis in at least one or more of my courses 3- I give this significant emphasis in at least one or more of my courses

The topics were: 1.Science of the phenomenon of recent, anthropogenic CC 2.Science of the predicted impacts of CC 3.Ecological and/or carbon footprints 4.Mitigation strategies 5.The climate policy process 6.Geo-engineering solutions 7.Energy issues and alternatives 8.Adaptation strategies- ways to increase resilience 9.Social justice issues 10.Moral dimensions of CC 11.Climate change denial 12.CC communications including discourse in the media 13.Responses by the business community to CC 14.Differing emotional responses to CC 15.Collective responses and social movements 16.What individuals can and are doing now… 17.Responses coming from the arts and humanities

Community-based learning or Service-learning Only 23% of community college faculty and only 30% of four-year college faculty answered the question. Only tiny numbers lead field trips or direct community-based research on CC/energy related topics, or direct/require students to engage in service-learning opportunities.

Institutional Curricular Initiatives? A very small number of faculty development or curriculum development initiatives related to climate change are occurring on these campuses, even though 19 out of the 30 campuses are signatories to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which requires campuses “to carry out broad-scale climate change education and sustainability-across-the-curriculum initiatives.”

Examples of initiatives: The Evergreen State College - two TEDx events on climate change in past two years; and a faculty position in “Climate Justice” and will hire for that position this year; University of Washington Bothell - a new undergraduate degree program in Climate Science and Policy; Whatcom Community College has, since 2010, required a course in sustainability for all its AA degree graduates; At Western Washington University, Fairhaven College will devote a themed quarter to climate change in Winter Quarter, 2014, in partnership with the Whatcom Museum.

Reflections… When debriefing the survey results with my C 4 B Steering Committee (representing 18 of these campuses), There was a lot of silence. “Why?” I asked. –Feelings of guilt. –“I’m not doing enough in my classes.” –Feeling personally overwhelmed by the magnitude of the issue.

Reflections, continued “ So few students understand the science, I have to start from scratch. It takes all the time I have to teach them the science.” (Geoscientist, now a Science Dean) “Typically one fourth of my students think CC is a hoax perpetrated by Al Gore and company.” (Geoscientist) “We scientists are hesitant to get into policy issues because that would be perceived as advocacy.” (Biologist) “Jean, we just teach out the literature.” (Environmental Scientist) “Our teaching ‘windows’ are limited—and small. How can we enable faculty to widen their window with respect to CC?” (Dean of the Library)

“Climate Solutions” Project Plans Summer field courses in different regions of Puget Sound, with follow-up “faculty learning community” gatherings. They would feature: -What local governments, tribes, businesses, and non-profit organizations are doing with respect to adaptation and mitigation. -Sharing of teaching ideas, with a special emphasis on CC communication, education, and leadership. -Ways to foster agency and resolve on the part of our students, and ourselves.

Questions and Feedback? High tide event in Olympia, 2013 Jean MacGregor