RSS

Northland College president speaks sustainability at higher ed conference

January 3, 2013

Northland College President Dr. Michael A. Miller will present at a prestigious national higher education conference this week. The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) invited Miller to present on best practices in higher education sustainability efforts during the CIC's 2013 Presidents Institute. The conference will be held Jan. 4-7 in Tampa, Fla.

The 2013 Presidents Institute is the largest annual meeting of college presidents in the nation. The theme of the conference is "Catalysts for the Common Good." Miller will offer perspectives from Northland College about successful sustainability initiatives on campus, including the formation of a sustainability work group and the college's recent partnership with area growers to bring more local foods to campus.

"Sustainability is complex and not a catch phrase or fad. Properly done it involves many different aspects of changing acollege's practices. It requires agility, resilience and long-term thinking," said Miller. "Sustainability is everyone's job. We are actively engaged in strategic planning that promotes responsibility among all of us for moving sustainable initiatives forward through outreach, research and deeper connections with our community."

Miller will present with Rosalind Reichard, president of Emory & Henry College. The two will speak alongside James Martin and James E. Samels, authors of "The Sustainable University." Martin and Samels interviewed more than 100 campus leaders and highlight their findings on myths about sustainability and the best sustainable practices for schools.

"One of the myths they reference is that sustainability is only about operations, energy and buildings," Miller said. "But sustainability is also about the curriculum, the community and how we partner with other organizations and individuals."

Some of the best sustainable practices outlined by college presidents in "The Sustainable University" include hiring a sustainability director, involving students in sustainablepractices and dedicating budget resources to such initiatives. Miller notesthat Northland College does all of these things. Not only that, but students oversee a Renewable Energy Fund on campus that contains roughly $45,000 for projects that promote sustainability.

"I'm honored to be asked to participate and share stories about the great things happening at Northland," Miller said. "We want to be a model of how a small liberal arts college can engage the community in sustainable practices and show that sustainability is a way to teach, learn and live."