· Therefore, we strive to transform and renew social, economic and ecological systems to create just and peaceful relationships between humanity and the rest of Creation.
Goals
To
strengthen our care for God’s creation by enhancing our knowledge, values, and
actions.
To increase sustainable practices at
EMU.
The QEP will provide EMU students the opportunity to engage in
learning experiences throughout the curriculum as well as to experience a
campus environment with a heightened commitment to environmental
sustainability. As a result, the EMU graduate will be able to:
1. Define
and justify environmental sustainability from a theological perspective.
Environmental sustainability is commonly defined as meeting the
“needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).
Sustainability education, then, commonly emphasizes learning and working to
secure a future that is economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable.
Grounding the QEP in Anabaptist theology will shape our definition of and
educational approach to sustainability to include the concepts of creation
care, peace, and social justice.
2.
Explain how individual, institutional, and community actions impact the
environment.
Through curricular and extracurricular activities, students will
be encouraged to consider the environmental impact of actions at all levels of
society – the individual, the institution, and the larger community.
3. Name
and defend actions that promote environmental sustainability at the individual,
institutional, and community levels.
Similarly, students will be encouraged to identify or develop
actions to promote environmental sustainability. In addition, students will be
expected to make arguments that support and explain the need for and viability
of such actions.
4.
Integrate the principles of environmental sustainability within the student’s
discipline.
The sustainability principles articulated under learning outcome 1
(health of all current and future humans and other species; the fairness,
equity, stability and security of human cultures and social systems; economic
opportunity for all current and future humans; and ecological diversity and
integrity) are broad and interdisciplinary in nature. Thus, each major program
offers exciting opportunities to explore how these principles may be applied in
the field. As a result of the QEP, students will be able to identify and
explain how sustainability principles can be integrated into the practice of
their chosen discipline.
5.
Incorporate environmental sustainability into one’s values system.
This outcome is essentially a restatement of a central part of the
University’s mission – to produce graduates who embody “the enduring values of
the Anabaptist tradition,” which include creation care.
As EMU works at integrating sustainability into its curriculum and university life this guide will provide a clearinghouse of resources for students, faculty and staff.