Notes From the Higher Education Track, Friday March 27th.

We discussed what gives us hope:
* The Rodale Institute's work that shows that by converting 460,000 acres of farmland to organic production, it would offset 25% of the environmental impacts. (Citation not verified.)
* Hope that the Obama administration will sign the Kyoto Protocol. Hope that new policies are being discussed and drafted for post-Kyoto Protocol measures.
* The new president has a focus on climate change.
* High school students are getting involved by buying locally and learning about the environment.

Questions:
* How can we involve students in the changes occurring within Higher Ed?
* What should Higher Ed do?
* How do we teach interconnectedness, such as the African proverb "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

Possible Answers:
* Service-learning: stop talking at students and get them involved in the community. (High School Student)
* Teach universal knowledge, problem-solving, critical thinking
* Systems thinking
* Higher Ed has the responsibility to lead by example by looking throught he lens of sustainability to encourage society to do so.
* Taking advantage of online learning as a sustainable option, looking at how to make it interactive
* Focus on student outcomes
* Integrate across the curriculum and disciplines
* Turn in and return assignments online...difussion through innovation that expands and expands
* Whole systems vs. current research practices focused on narrow topics
* Qualitative research as more valid within academia
* Transdisciplinary degrees