This chapter chronicles the emergence of a research university, beginning when the university was just a twinkle in some eyes and noting the obstacles that had to be surmounted to arrive at opening day. After outlining the complexities that faced administrators in building a new research university, the author focuses on the political and…

Previous studies have pointed out the importance of empathy in improving attitudes toward stigmatized groups and toward the environment. In the present article, it is argued that environmental behaviors and attitudes can be improved using empathic perspective-taking for inducing empathy. Based on Batson's Model of Altruism, it was predicted that…

This paper includes over 1,250 stories that catalog a broadening and deepening commitment to campus sustainability by colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada. The 380-page report categorizes stories from nearly 600 higher education institutions into 24 chapters, spanning education and research, campus operations, and administration and…

This activity has been designed to help students understand a variety of concepts related to water use, efficiency, and students' own impacts on their watershed. It is intended for use both in the classroom and at home. The first concept covered in this exercise is, "What is a watershed?" Ideally this concept will be conveyed in the context of the…

This article addresses the role of universities in the sustainable management of metropolitan areas, drawing on the outputs from a workshop that brought together academics, professionals and politicians responsible for the urban environmental management of the metropolitan areas of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Urban…

This Legislative Review reports that: (1) HB 1348, a bill to permit concealed weapons at public events and places, including North Dakota University System (NDUS) campuses, was heard in the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee Friday, January 30. The State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) opposes this bill unless it is amended to…

Long Island Sound is an estuary of national significance and provides important economic, recreational, and aesthetic value to the citizens of Connecticut and New York. Investigations have been conducted regarding living marine resources and nutrient loading. However, Long Island Sound is often overlooked as an educational resource. This guide is…

Cassop Primary School and Eastchurch Church of England Primary School were winners of the 2006 Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy. This article describes how these schools have proved that the promotion of sustainable energy and the responsible use of energy is a central part of their practice and culture. Over the last eight years, a dedicated…

Fueled by concerns of a pending global crisis, environmental educators ask the question: How can we promote a responsible attitude and caring view of the planet among young people? Although nurturing an emotional connection with nature is a prominent theme and goal for environmentalists (Berry, 1987), little is known about how to translate…

In this article, the authors explore the following propositions: (1) Human behavior, individually and through institutions, is seriously threatening the earth and humankind; (2) A sustainable, equitable, harmonious future is desirable and possible; (3) Colleges and universities, as social institutions, have a general role to play in this scenario,…

Sustainability has become a central consideration across the board in university business decisions. Passing a tipping point, it has become a pivotal focus of management. College leaders are increasingly drawing connections between sustainability, institutional missions, and higher education's fundamental purposes. Administrators readily rattle…

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) took place in Rio de Janeiro in June, 1992. The main results of UNCED were the Rio Declaration, Agenda 21, Convention on Biological Diversity, Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Statement of Forest Principles. Agenda 21 is the international program of action for global…

A college composition teacher carries his convictions about wilderness preservation into the classroom. Like millions of others, he is drawn to the natural world and to literature about it; however, he is not sure what this type of literature should be called. The designation of a genre of "nature writing" is problematic, summoning, as…

This action research project sought to increase the waste management and recycling knowledge among 20 children age 4 and 5 years enrolled in a preschool program in Thessaloniki, Greece. A structured interview was developed to assess the children's pre-intervention knowledge of waste management and recycling. It indicated that most children knew…

This paper describes how a water monitoring program uses a science research paper to help students apply knowledge learned from the field, the lab, and class discussion. The application consists of examining water quality data of a river and determining what factors had an impact on the river, either biotic or abiotic. Students are asked to…