AN EXAMINATION OF CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND IGNATIAN CHARACTER IN JESUIT HIGHER explore EDUCATION P UBLISHED BY THE I GNATIAN C ENTER AT S ANTA C LARA U NIVERSITY SPRING 2009 VOL. 12 NO. 2 Sustainability at Santa Clara University 5 Sustainability in Catholic 10 The Theology 26 Toward a Culture of Higher Education of Sustainability Sustainability on Campus SPRING 2009 P UBLISHED BY THE I GNATIAN C ENTER FOR J ESUIT E DU C ATION AT S A N TA C LARA U NIVERSITY F ROM THE C ENTER D IRE C TOR Peter Thamer ’08 ustainability is the new watchword. Before arriving at Santa Clara three years ago, I ranked “sustainability” with Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. the likes of “post-modernism” as concepts regularly used Executive Director S on college campuses but elusive to define. I did my best when Paul Woolley I tossed an empty water bottle into the recycle bin. But that Associate Director was it, and I was quite satisfied. This issue ofexplore challenges Elizabeth Kelley Gillogly ’93 my naive preconceptions and, I trust, yours. The message in Managing Editor the pages that follow is a simple one: as citizens of a globalizing Amy Kremer Gomersall ’88 world we need to call forth a culture of sustainability now for Design the sake of future generations. Ignatian Center Advisory Board The editorial staff of explore intends this issue as a primer Margaret Bradshaw Simon Chin on sustainability. Keith Warner sets the stage by insisting Jan Claesson that sustainability is more than environmental ethics. It has Paul Crowley, S.J. a complex inter-disciplinary character that also includes Michael Engh, S.J. Frederick J. Ferrer economic development, social equity, and education. Turning Michael Hack to theology, Paul Fitzgerald examines the proper understanding Thomas Kelly of God’s charge to humankind to exercise “dominion over the Jennifer Konecny works of his hands” (Psalm 8:6, see Genesis 1:26ff). For him, Terry Nally Kevin P. Quinn, S.J. our power over creation is limited: “God remains the master... Mark Ravizza, S.J. of the universe. We serve in the household of the Lord, carrying Abby Sobrato out God’s will and caring for each other, all humans, and all Joseph Symkowick Margaret Taylor creation as God’s stewards.” To promote sustainability is the Catherine Wolff secular answer to this theological insight. Here on campus, educating for and about sustainability explore is published two times per year by the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education at Santa Clara is now a high priority. Sara Garcia from SCU’s education University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA department insists that contemporary teacher education must 95053-0454. www.scu.edu/ignatiancenter 408-554-6917 (tel) 408-551-7175 (fax) promote ecological literacy and environmental ethics across The views expressed in explore do not necessarily represent the views of the Center. We welcome your the curriculum. Her theoretical comments are complemented comments. The Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education seeks to by Lindsey Cromwell’s report on practical initiatives at SCU preserve and extend the Catholic identity and Jesuit mission at Santa Clara University. As a Center of Dis- that include sustainability academics and research, energy and tinction, the Ignatian Center is dedicated to advancing the University’s strategic vision of “educating men and water conservation, and waste minimization. Ed Maurer’s women to be leaders of competence, conscience, and Bannan grant report on an immersion trip to Nicaragua by compassion,” by serving students, faculty, staff, and community partners. an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students intent on Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San learning about sustainability and water development in the Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula international context likewise highlights the global nature of in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master’s and law degrees and engineering SCU’s sustainability concerns. Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest As Meghan Mooney concludes in her article, to create a graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institu- culture of sustainability on campus, Santa Clara still has much tion demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu. to do. But I agree with her: let the fun begin! Copyright 2009 by Santa Clara University. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Peace, 04/09 Q-3,600 KEVIN P. QUINN, S.J. AN EXAMINATION OF CATHOLIC IDENTITY AND IGNATIAN contents CHARACTER IN JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION Sustainability at Santa Clara University 5 Sustainability in Catholic Higher 20 Where is Sustainability Happening Education at SCU? BY KeitH DOUGLass WarNer, OFM Sustainability BY LiNdseY CROmweLL ’04 Rather than create a provides a positive vision for the future of the “sustainability requirement,” SCU is integrating human family, and Catholic higher education sustainability into many disciplines, in the same offers opportunities—and has obligations—to manner as it appears in the real world. advance this important cause. 26 Toward a Culture of Sustainability 10 The Theology of Sustainability on Campus BY PAUL J. FitZGeraLD, S.J. If our religious BY MEGHAN MOONEY ’09 SCU demonstrates a considerations of the ecological crisis lead us to commitment to sustainability in many ways. But conclude that we must devise new ways of living to what extent has sustainability become part that are truly sustainable, then perhaps religious of campus culture and an internalized value in reflection has a crucial role to play in ecological the beliefs and actions of Santa Clara University conversations. students, faculty, and staff? 16 Empowering Teachers as 30 Water for Life: A Journey to Environmentally Literate: Ethical Nicaragua Exploring Sustainable Considerations Development BY Sara S. Garcia Teachers, as socially BY ED Maurer While working on a gravity- responsible agents of change, must integrate fed water system design capable of supplying environmental concepts into curricula to help clean drinking water with no outside energy, students learn about the rapidly changing world two SCU students and their advisor learned and how they can help. that sustainable water development entails engaging with the community, protecting the COVer phOTO BY FJ GAYLOR PHOTOgraphY. environment, and ensuring the long-term Assistant Professor Justen Whittall ‘96 is an expert on West operation of the system. Coast plants, especially the federally endangered Metcalf Jewelflower and California’s Torrey Pines, one of the rarest pines in the world. His work is one of the many examples of 35 Upcoming Events sustainability research at SCU. Visit www.scu.edu/explore 35 Next Issue for a link to more information about and a video of Professor Whittall. explore Spring 2009 3 Theme Title for Issue Here Though twice the size of the former Orradre Library building, SCU’s new Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library use about the same amount of energy. Sustainability in Catholic Higher Education BY KEITH DOUGLASS WARNER, OFM Assistant Director for Education, Center for Science, Technology, and Society; Lecturer, Religious Studies Department; and Faculty Director, Xavier Residential Learning Community Origins and meanings but of a new kind: sustainable. It proposed THE WORLD COMMIssION ON sustainability as an integral framework, in which ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BROUGHT economic development, social equity, and THE IDEA OF SUstAINABILITY TO THE environmental protection are seen as inseparably GLOBAL stAGE IN 1987. THE UNITED related goals. NATIONS spONSORED THIS stUDY The Brundtland Commission advanced OF THE RELATIONSHIP BEtwEEN public understanding of the link between ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE economic growth of the poorer nations ENVIRONMENT, PUBLISHED AS “OUR and global environmental protection. The COMMON FUTURE,” ALSO KNOWN AS commission argued that poorer countries must “THE BRUNDTLAND REPORT.” PRIOR have the opportunity to develop economically— TO THIS, THE UNITED NATIONS if they are denied this opportunity it will be HAD stRUGGLED TO FIND A WAY TO much harder to convince all countries to support ADDREss GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL practices that can be sustained over time—but PROBLEMS. The industrialized countries had richer countries must foster policies to favor proposed international treaties and action, but environmental conservation with economic the developing nations had prioritized the need development. “Our Common Future” laid for economic development, with little interest the foundation for the “Earth Summit” at in environmental regulation. The commission Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. This summit provided the conceptual framework for marked the real beginning of international coordinated action, proposing that all nations environmental protection initiatives and have a stake in fostering economic development, proposed a sustainable development agenda. Charles Barry explore Spring 2009 5 S U stAINABILI T Y IN C AT HOLI C H IGHER E DU C AT ION The three pillars of sustainability Environmental protection Social Economic equity development figure 1 A simple definition of sustainability is day, have no alternative but to use resources “meeting the needs of the present generation in a short-sighted way—for example, cutting without compromising