Question trying to Answer: How is Aldo Leopold's influence present at Loyola through

the Institute of Environmental Sustainability?

The objectives of the Leopold Education Project are:

To share Aldo Leopolds land ethic, his legacy and his writings with educators,
students, and families.

To instill in learners, through direct experience, an appreciation and respect of

the natural world so they may develop a positive relationship with the land.

To advance learners scientific understanding of the land communitys natural

processes so that they may make informed decisions about conservation/land
use issues.

To advance learners critical thinking skills through hands-on/minds-on activities.

need to broaden our view of value beyond economics, so that we can see the
immense intangible values associated with the land.

The more you know about the land, better you can treat it

Leopolds Values:

Animals as well as abiotic factors should be considered a part of the community

Humans have to change their mindset to consider themselves as part of nature

rather than conqueror of it

Learn that it is self-destructive to be a conqueror

We have to value nature for reasons other than its economic value

Learn more about how every little plant, insect, animal, depend on each other

Emphasize the responsibility of landowners

Case Study Analysis: Where Loyola (general) and the IES (specific) has been in the
past, how we got to where we are now, and where we can go in the future to be more
aligned with Aldo Leopold's institutional/educational vision.
Interview Questions:
Kevin Erickson - Urban Agriculture Coordinator

1.) What does Loyola, or the Urban Ag program specifically, do to engage the
community alongside an academic setting?

Nearly all of Loyolas academic departments engage in the community. This is

part of our Strategic Plan 2020 which calls for Loyola to provide service that
promotes justice (see Mission below).

Example-Department of Ed: We have education liaisons that work between

Loyola and local public schools so that resources are shared for students and
teachers.

Example-IES: Operates a Farmers Market for the local community, consults with
local organizations on restoration and agricultural development projects, supports
Internships with local organizations in the community, donates campus grown
produce to the community, Climate Change Conference open to the community
to help educate on environmental issues, policy, research, etc.

Loyola University- Community Relations is part of local business networks that

help economically develop new areas around campus (Rogers Edge economic
development group), we organize an Earth Day event that mobilizes 100
staff/students to help with local service projects

Arrupe College- 2 year school offered to low-income population- part of

commitment to service that promotes justice

Heres the Loyola Mission Statement:

o Five Characteristics of a Jesuit Education
o Commitment to excellence: Applying well-learned lessons and skills to
achieve new ideas, better solutions and vital answers
o Faith in God and the religious experience: Promoting well-formed and
strongly held beliefs in one's faith tradition to deepen others' relationships
with God
o Service that promotes justice: Using learning and leadership in
openhanded and generous ways to ensure freedom of inquiry, the pursuit
of truth and care for others
o Values-based leadership: Ensuring a consistent focus on personal
integrity, ethical behavior in business and in all professions, and the
appropriate balance between justice and fairness

o Global awareness: Demonstrating an understanding that the world's

people and societies are interrelated and interdependent
2.) How could we improve on this or even add more to increase our efforts of
sustainability?

Improvement in community involvement would come from an increased

emphasis and directive funding from University Administration. Each department
is doing individual work in community outreach, but there could be a more wholesystems approach to this to minimize inefficiencies and acknowledge work
already being pursued by each department.

Sustainability: Areas to increase sustainability on campus would include:

increased composting from all campuses including sports events, integrating
alternative energy on campus rather than purchasing carbon-offsets as our main
method of working towards a goal of carbon neutral. Food procurement in our
dining areas, reducing energy consumption and water use across all areas of
campus.

According to Aldo Leopold's views of connecting people with conservationist

views through hands-on learning, what do you believe is the most important
action to take when trying to expose students to a real-world setting?

Get out of the classroom and experience real programs, businesses, and
organizations doing this work. This includes Internships, volunteering, research,
and community engagement. We also have an amazing campus in Woodstock
called LUREC that allows students to engage in conservation/restoration work on
a larger scale.

4.)How are his views about humans connecting with nature or views about why
conservation/sustainability is needed in an academic setting present within Loyola
Urban Ag?

It is important that the ideas cultivated in the academic setting be mirrored in the
physical operations of the campus. This allows the campus community to
engage in sustainability from an individual and systems approach, which is
relevant to any organization they work with in the future as well as their personal
life. For example, individual students can engage in our compost collection
program and we collect organic waste from dining halls as a systematic
approach.

In LUC Urban Ag, the program is designed to cultivate both personal and
professional growth within the field of sustainable agriculture. In addition to the
program serving Loyola students as a mechanism to cultivate relevant

knowledge, career experience, and leadership, it also serves the larger campus
and local community by providing fresh food to the Farmers Market and local
food pantries. This is also very important in the urban landscape as humans are
often disconnected from nature in this setting. Growing food in a city connects
humans to our most basic needs and reminds us that even though we live in a
relatively unnatural setting, we still rely completely on nature to fulfill our most
vital resources.
5.) What kind of ethics or responsibilities do you uphold when working with the land?
How has this changed throughout your time here at Loyola?

An important approach I have towards agriculture is to create more value than is

produced in the form of food crops. I envision soil health somewhat like a bank
account. One cannot continually withdraw funds from a bank account without
also adding funds into the account. This works similarly with agriculture. One
cannot expect successful results without investing resources into the land that
create value in the long-term. This approach is not only more beneficial to local
ecosystems and local economies in the short and long-term, but it also allows for
growth and sustainability for future generations of terrestrial organisms- including
humans.

This approach is the main goal of sustainable agriculture and has remained since
my introduction into the farming world. My knowledge of soil ecosystems during
my time at Loyola, which has led to allowing for more specific approaches to
long-term soil health and fertility as opposed to managing soil health on a year to
year basis. Ive also learned to fight less against nature by incorporating
practices such as attracting beneficial insects instead of using pesticides, adding
organic matter into the soil to mitigate water loss, and by planting native edible
plants to reduce pest, disease, and provide food and habitat for pollinators.

Aaron Durnbaugh - Director of Sustainability

How does your role as the Director of Sustainability influence students and the IES
community to develop responsible environmental values?

One aspect of my role is to support the culture of sustainability here at Loyola.

This includes outreach, educational programming, communications/marketing.
Both to share our successes and challenges but also to provide helpful tips on
how members of the loyola community can advance Loyola's sustainability goals

How do you think Loyola or the IES embodies Leopolds vision for human interaction
with nature? Any specific examples?

I can't speak for the IES. I think Loyola's value of sustainability is embodied in its
value of social justice. While we have some environmental (ecological) priority
given to certain elements (Lake Michigan, biodiversity around LUREC) because
of our campuses and locations, our primary motivation for sustainability is the

impact to people. This considers vulnerable populations in the world such as the
global poor and disenfranchised but especially those individuals in our
neighboring communities that feel the impacts of environmental degradation,
pollution and extreme weather events.

I'm no expert of Leopold but its my understanding that he argued that people
were a part of natural systems. This is certainly the argument of sustainability in
the triple-bottom line definition. Ultimately Loyola is here for our students and to
serve as a place of learning. This is primary. That being said, we want to reflect
the values of our traditions and the our students and sustainability towards social
justice is strongly supported by our community.

What is the status report for the Climate Action Plan in reaching our targets for 2025?
How does this target incorporate Leopolds conservationist view?

Some goals are on target (energy efficiency, solar pv, wind turbine, adaptation,
teaching, education campaign, demonstration sites, annual reporting) but many
are not (green purchasing, water efficiency, landscape, pest management, solar
thermal, RECs, carbon offsets, research).

The target demonstrates the moral and ethical importance of climate change
dedicating resources to addressing our campuses' impact globally and in our own
backyard.

I have no idea how this connects to Leopold. It connects to our moral obligation
to reduce carbon emissions and the subsequent suffering that all living things will
incur if we see our climate change at rates and ranges that the populations on
earth have never experienced.

Ray Dybzinski - Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental Sustainability

How and why do you engage students in your experiments?

For two reasons: (1) experiments require a lot of maintenance and work to obtain
results, so I need the labor, and (2) experiential learning is a fantastic way for
students to apply things they learned in class in a real-world setting.

How do you implement the teachings of Aldo Leopold pertaining to environmental ethics
into your experiments?

I wouldnt say I do.

How does your role as an educator of ecology help instill responsible environmental
values in your students, for instance, through sustaining of natural cycles, the
preservation of plant and animal species, and the exercising of caution before changing
ecosystems in major ways without careful study of future consequences?

Id say the biggest impact I might have is in dispelling common folk myths that
environmentally-aware students commonly have. One common myth is that
nature is always in balance until humans mess it up. Another is that all of the
organisms in a community purposefully work to maintain the balance of
populations and biogeochemical cycles. I try to replace these myths with a soberminded understanding of how ecosystems actually work, which is precisely the
kind of understanding needed to address real environmental challenges.

Nancy Tuchman - Founding Director, Institute of Environmental Sustainability

What are the Objectives of IES?
What did you have in mind when creating IES and separating it from the biology
department?

Never a part of biology department it was 4 departments that merged together

To develop a unit that would look at the interdisciplinary problem

Environmental issues are a huge problem and cant be addressed by one

discipline. Need ecology, policy, economics, and ethics.

Very interdisciplinary, social sciences, basic science, humanities, economics

Did any environmentalists inspire you when creating this program? If so who and why?

Al Gore inspired her because watched inconvenient truth

Talk about climate change -- people support him with his passion but nothing
ever happens so he was getting depressed seeing that everyone understands
the problem and knows we have to make a change but no one ever does
anything

She thinks hes right and he was one of the people he was talking to and she
thought she needs to do more! Was inspired. Work with Fr. Garanzini who
understood climate change, biodiversity and being an injustice issues because
they disproportionately affect poor

Really central to whole society of Jesus

o Father G really wanted to see us be leaders, invest, move fast

More information on the Aldo Leopold award. How was this award created, what criteria
needs to be met to win the award?

6 o r 5 awards given to students for their excellence in their performance through

4 years

Outstanding seniors

Highest grade point or grade point and service online -- describe him and why
we name the award after him and criteria

Leopold was the first award

o Wanted to honor him by naming an award after him

Criteria (online): Aldo Leopold Award for Outstanding Achievement:

o Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) was an ecologist, conservationist,
environmentalist, forester, scientist and author. He held the first
professorship of Wildlife Management in the U.S. His emphasis on
biodiversity and ecology was influential in the development of modern
environmental ethics. His book A Sand County Almanac (1949) is
considered a landmark in the American conservation movement.
o The recipient of this award has demonstrated excellence both
academically ( 3.20 GPA required) and in service/action toward the
greater good. Students who meet the GPA requirements will be contacted
and requested to send an accounting of their extra-curricular activities
over their undergraduate career to be evaluated by the Awards
Committee.

What was the intent of the new IES courses that will be offered in the next year or so?
More statistical and quantitative specialization? What are those courses?

Dual degree masters/bachelors in 5 years. Masters in public health, business

administration, or public policy -- Outside of IES unit

Working on developing master's program that will be solely offered in the IES: NS
in environmental science
o 1 non thesis version: all classes for professionals
o 1: MS degreeclassic masters of science, some in course work some in
thesis research

More research oriented programs

Yes to statistical & quantitative

o Revising 6 majors, adding more quantitative and more stats

o All students have to take year of general bio and gen chem and both labs.
o Offer environmental lab, environmental statistics course both required
o Electives: statistic courses,

BS degree science is central

BA: less science, more social sciences, policy and economic

Chris Peterson - Academic Program Director and Professor, Institute of

Environmental Sustainability
How has the mission of the IES program changed since its inception?

Our mission hasn't changed. Before the inception of IES, the faculty and staff of
the Department of Environmental Science, CUERP [Center for Urban
Environmental Research and Policy], and the Office of Sustainability (all of which
have been subsumed by IES) were engaged in development of new curricula
and able to work with the architects of the labs, greenhouse/aquaponics facility
and the biodiesel lab to generate what we thought would allow us to fulfill the
mission best. While the mission hasn't changed, the ways in which we achieve
our mission goals are constantly evolving thanks, in large part, to input for our
majors and alumni. We will be launching a new curriculum for all of our 6 majors
in Fall 2017 incorporating changes identified/requested by our current majors or
alumni as ways to make the program more robust. We've brought on senior
faculty in Sustainable Business Management to inform our students of alternative
models of business... moreover, we've brought on adjunct faculty to fill what we
perceived as intellectual 'holes' in our curriculum. For example, Environmental
Economics (ENVS 328) is required for all of our majors, yet it presents economic
issues from a traditional, consumer/producer prospective. Now we also offer
'Ecological Economics' (ENVS 335), which explores more sustainable models,
which clearly has relevance in dealing with issues of social justice.

Since the inception of IES, we've produced, in collaboration with LUC faculty/students
from both sciences and humanities, and collaborators worldwide, an electronic
environmental science textbook intended for upper-division high-students/lower-division
college students that incorporates consideration of ethical and spiritual perspectives.
This is available on the web for no cost to students around the globe.

In March, 2017, we will be holding our 4th Annual Climate Change Conference
that, historically, has drawn students and faculty from Jesuit Universities across
the country, and local residents. Themes obligatorily involve ethical
considerations.

Since the inception of IES we have expanded our internal internship program,
providing hands-on experience and opportunities to take the lead on projects of
interest in our Biodiesel Lab, Greenhouse/Aquaponics facility and Office of
Sustainability... their efforts have generated services and structures that enhance
sustainability on campus and benefit the local community. Also, our solutions to
environmental problem (STEP) classes continue to provide all LUC students the
opportunity to devise, develop and bring to fruition projects that will (or already
have) affect positive change on campus and beyond. Product of this class
include the Biodiesel Lab, the LUC Farmer's Market, Urban Ag program, Bottled
Water ban, apiary...

We also continue to expand our partnerships with external internship providers,

including (among others) the Environmental Law and Policy Center which
provides IES students two internship slots per semester. ELPC is a regional
leader in dealing with pressing environmental issues, including formulating ways
to deal with potential environmental policy impacts of a Trump administration.
Currently we have over 80 potential internship providers that inform us when
slots are available. Many of these internship opportunities for our students deal
either directly or tangentially with issues of environmental justice.

While the mission of IES has not changed, the ways we accomplish this mission
have been fluid, allowing us to respond input of students, staff and faculty to
make modifications to increase our ability to effectively address local, regional
and global environmental problems. Successful solution or mitigation of
environmental problems which, by their nature, disproportionately influence the
disenfranchised and poor, requires multi-disciplinary collaboration. A critical
consideration in these efforts are ethical considerations.

Do you think the IES program would benefit from introducing more ethics-based
environmental courses or including more ethical teachings in foundational
environmental science courses?

Absolutely. Currently there are two courses that directly deal with ethical
perceptions and consideration of environmental issues (ENVS 284
[Environmental Justice] and PHIL 287 [Environmental Ethics]). Historically,
THEO 184 (Moral Problems: Ecology Crisis) was taught regularly, but is no
longer a part of the LUC Core, so the Theology Department can no longer afford
staff to teach it. ENVS 383 (Human Dimensions of Conservation) clearly must
incorporate issues dealing with ethical considerations. We are strengthening our
connections with the Quinlan School of Business to partner in developing
curricula that address sustainable business practices. We hired Professor Nancy
Landrum, jointly with QSB, to develop these collaborative ties. A new minor in
Sustainable Business has already been developed and approved.

We have already reached out to both the Theology and Philosophy Departments
to brainstorm about the prospect of new course development. Beyond the

excellent classes that already exist, there are quality faculty with
interests/expertise in ethics related to environmental issues that we would love to
develop classes that would be available to all LUC students that would increase
recognition that dealing with the current environmental crisis must incorporate
ethical considerations.

As for including more ethical teachings into foundational environmental courses,

the philosophy behind 'Healing Earth' applies here. As stated above, dealing
with environmental issues... recognizing the impact on others and how to
consider all consequences or action or inaction... requires an approach that
extends beyond science. Policy and planning decisions must incorporate
consideration of these issues. An advanced course(s) that goes beyond the
basics would be useful (although I believe THEO 344 [number may not be
correct] is an option, although I don't know how often that course is taught.

Ping Jing - Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental Sustainability

How does your role as an environmental sustainability and climate change educator
help instill responsible environmental values in your students, for instance, through
sustaining of natural cycles, the preservation of plant and animal species, and the
exercising of caution before changing ecosystems in major ways without careful study
of future consequences? Please provide examples.

am not sure that I fully understand the last part of the question. ENVS 224 is a
tier-II science core course, which focuses on the scientific part of climate change.
I try to keep my own opinion out of the lectures when I teach evidence of climate
change and the analytical methods used in climate research. Students should
learn to draw their conclusions through critical thinking exercises and
consequently form their own opinions regarding solution to climate change. A
specific example is when students learn how scientists make the "diagnose" that
the primary cause of modern climate change is human burning fossil fuels. I give
students several hands-on exercises, in which students use mathematical
analysis to understand why natural causes cannot explain the observed warming.
Another example is when students practice running a simple climate model to
see the consequence of the disturbed carbon cycle. They will run the model
under different assumptions of CO2 emission scenarios. The model predicted
CO2 concentrations and temperature changes in the next 100 years (which are
shown to continue increasing even with sharp CO2 emission cuts) demonstrate
the urgency of taking immediate action to cut CO2 emissions.

A key component of environmental sustainability is a sustainable climate system.

Through taking the climate change class, I hope my students will understand that
the climate system is a very complicated system. The responses of the climate
system to perturbations are complicated and interactive. There are unexpected
and unrecoverable consequences. This means we must be also careful when we
seek solutions to climate change (e.g., geoengineering and albedo modification).

How do you think Loyola or the IES embodies Leopolds vision for human interaction
with nature? Any specific examples?

I think Loyola, especially IES, embodies Leopold's vision for human interaction
with nature well. We offer environmental courses that cover human-and-nature
interaction. Students have lab and field work opportunities (e.g., biodiesel lab,
toxicology lab, LUREC internships). We have student-run campaigns and
activities on campus every semester that address environmental sustainability
(Examples: Earth Week, Water Week).

Have you seen any specific changes in the IES curriculum since 2013 that emphasizes
Leopold's views (positive changes in that direction or not)?

To my best knowledge, changes in the IES curriculum since 2013 have been
discussed and recently submitted to the University for approval. This is a good
question to ask Prof. Peterson. My impression is that the new changes will
emphasize Leopold's views and they are positive changes. Examples include
developing new courses in Solutions to Environmental Problems (STEP), career
development, environmental statistics, environmental management, and more
options for capstone courses.

Do you see the IES curriculum and mindset integrating into the Loyola curriculum?

I am not capable of answering this question because I am not familiar with the
Loyola curriculum. I hope it is well integrated into the Loyola curriculum.

Amber White - Post Grad Student and Recipient of LUC Aldo Leopold Award
1.) What steps did you take to win this award?
I started doing research in conjunction with the biodiesel lab my freshman year and
stuck with it throughout my undergraduate career. The most important event that kept
me involved was my sophomore year when I applied for an EPA grant to support my
research- this really kept the door open for me to keep doing research and progressing
on my project. Also, I maintained a good relationship with my advisers, Zach Waickman
and David Crumrine. This was incredibly important because they helped me stay
engaged and guided me through the research process, which encouraged me to stick
with it.
2.) How did your actions on campus embrace Leopold 's view, specifically that of handson experience with conservation and engaging a community?
Leopold strongly believed in the ethical treatment of the land and actively engaging with
how we use the land. I tried to act out this ethic through my individual actions on
campus such as recycling and reducing my waste. As an RA I challenged my residents
to make a "go green promise" to stick to one action that would reduce their waste and
moved away from paper intensive decorations. My research was also focused on waste
water treatment and the sustainable use of water in the biodiesel production process,
which further embraced Leopold's view because of the intent to responsibly use our

resources and not take in excess and no mindlessly discharging waste.

3.) What was your main goal to achieve on campus or academically and what were the
problems you faced?
My main academic goal on campus was to go to graduate school. I may have changed
what programs I wanted to go into, but I have always intended on getting a grad degree.
The most challenging thing about this was continuing to build my resume and take
classes that would make me a great graduate candidate. I ended up taking 20 credits
Fall of my senior year and that was probably the most challenging semester I had
academically, not because I took really hard classes but because all my classes
required a lot of busy work, so of which wasn't going to be applicable to my graduate
career. Regardless, those classes were still important and have provided me with a
great background for being an engaged citizen and scientists, something that can easily
be overlooked in pursuit of a degree.
4.) In your opinion, what is the most important action Loyola can take to continue to
pursue Leopold 's ideals?
I think Loyola has done a phenomenal job thus far of attempting to bring Leopold's
ideals into action. Moving forward, I think the most important place for them to move
from here is away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner energy. We are getting really
great at reducing our waste, but shifting to clean energy is the next big step in my
opinion.
5.) Finally, what has Loyola already done to engage you within a community in a
sustainability setting?
Most notably I worked with the Green Learning Community to incorporate green living
ideas into residents daily life. Aside from this, Loyola makes it hard to not think about
"being green" - this helps develop a group think of being sustainable and makes it part
of the community life. Also, by building such a great environmental science program,
Loyola has attracted a community of students that does care about the environment
from their first day on campus, including students that aren't IES majors.
Savannah Webb - Urban Ag Student Worker; Outdoor Garden Manager
1.) What does the Urban Ag program accomplish with engaging students as volunteers
and how does that change or help them to connect more with nature/conservation?
Volunteering at Urban Ag may expose students to a variety of agricultural concepts and
practices, from seeding and transplanting to maintaining our aquaponics unit volunteers
truly make the program possible. I think teaching students about the life stages of our
plants helps to connect them with nature; most students at Loyola that I've encountered
really have no idea how most of their food is grown. Volunteering with Urban Ag shows
them that food is more than packaging or Buzzfeed cooking videos. My hope is that
volunteering can give students a better appreciation for the struggles that come with
practicing agriculture in a mindful, sustainable way.
2.) How could Loyola improve its connection to the community?
Loyola could do more community outreach. At least within IES and Urban Ag in
particular, we could team up with community groups to connect people with LINK
cards/WIC coupons to our farmers market. Loyola's lab classes and engaged learning

classes could place a greater emphasis on building lasting connections with our
community. Loyola could stop buying up every open lot in the neighborhood, Loyola
could invite community members and groups to our events. There's a lot that Loyola
could do and I think it would start with having conversations/qualitative interviews with
community members/organizations to ask them this same question.
3.) According to Aldo Leopold's views of connecting people with conservationist views
through hands-on learning, what do you believe is the most important action to take
when trying to expose students to a real-world setting?
I think it's really important when teaching anybody anything to show them the big
picture, to ask them to think about the impacts and effects of their work, and to think
critically about the information you're giving them. Don't just ask people to get their
hands dirty but explain to them why it's important and expect that they may think about
the purpose differently from you. Find common ground.
4.) How has working as a student limited or even promoted your efforts towards
conservation/sustainability?
Working as a student has exposed me to a lot of conservation and sustainability efforts.
I have learned about many different groups and organizations, I've attended
conservation/sustainability events in Chicago, I've met a lot of people who are involved
in this work. The people I've met have shared their ideas and projects with me and that
on its own has exposed me to a lot of new information. The only way it's limited me has
been with the time commitment--I don't really have time to volunteer frequently with
other projects.
5.) What kind of ethics or responsibilities do you uphold when working with the land?
How has this changed throughout your time here at Loyola or in the Urban Ag program?
For me this is a question that has to have a context. Working in Chicago I think a lot
about conserving soil and water resources, keeping litter out of the gardens and nearby
streets, and building rapport with our neighbors and passersby. I have a great respect
for plants and natural processes (decomposition, weather, soil health, insects) and I try
to emphasize that with my work and how I work with volunteers/interns. If I was working
in a less urban setting I think my responsibilities would include understanding the native
ecosystem and trying to build it up around my agricultural endeavors. As I've worked at
IES for longer I've personally put a greater emphasis on community
engagement/attitude. We (as students/workers) can only do so much without a greater
community support.
Patrick Green - Director of Experiential Learning
1.) How does engaged learning help student get out of the classroom and into the
community?So, engaged learning started in Fall 2012 with the intention of how do we
weave experiential opportunities into the curriculum in really significant ways to help
students to bring their learning to life. That can be achieved in a variety of ways which is
why we have the five categories of engaged learning: academic internships, fieldwork,
undergraduate research, public performance. All the categories are community focused
to all student to connect their learning to a larger community and explore their topic of

study.
2.) What was the main goal when creating the engaged learning program?
A lot of it was based on research that said students learn more deeply by applying their
learning. It allows them to directly see how their topic of study connects to their
community and how what theyre studying can apply to real life issues. We are bringing
it to life.
3.) What could be better about the program now that its established within the
academic setting?
We just completed from some focus groups of students which said that they wished
other loyola student would be more engaged. In a course you can always tell which
student want to be actively engaged and which are just checking the box of
requirements. We try and get them to see the importance of it and find a passion in it
which is why we try to promote engaged learning and why its important. It can build on
itself and we want to show that there are multiple ways to get involved and this is the
reality of the program.
4.) Can requiring engaged learning take away from the focus of what its trying to do?
Anytime you require anything, theres resistance. and sometimes thats human nature. I
think in the creation in engaged learning we were very sensitive to that which is why we
have the five categories. Students have lots of opportunities and I often describe it as a
buffet where you can try anything and we want you to pick more than one. By requiring
it student may lose the focus of what the program is trying to accomplish. Whatever you
self-identified identities may be, the jesuit mission of loyola seeks justice and we
question how we do that and what does that mean to me and my community? We try to
accept this invitation of service and reflect upon what we mean in this question which is
the real reason we have engaged learning.
5.) What is the biggest take-away from engaged learning? Whats the biggest thing that
impacts their life?
I think the biggest take away is the connection of theory to practice. They read about
these concepts but when you have the different types of learning they put these into
practice and see what they look life in life and in real people when they have a name
and a face and that these problems are bigger and more complex than we realize. The
second is the reflection of what role do I have in this community? Student find this place
that challenges them to find out who they are within their own communities.
Compare Leopold and Loyola

People need to establish a relationship between nature and humans instead of

just trying to use it as an instrument
o Loyola is trying to expand the internal internship through the Biodiesel
Lab, Loyola Farmers Market, and Urban Agriculture to try and get more
involved in nature instead of just relying solely on class to teach.

o We have LUREC to further expose students to nature and the relationship

that we can build with it

Leopolds values state that we should teach history differently and how the land
helped the people through time; meaning the success of humans have been
based off the land and what it can offer them.
o K.E interview: the soil needs to be a long-term investment to ensure the
further yields of crops while building a way to interact with the land in an
environmentally sound manner

Contrast Leopold and Loyola

Leopold wants to broaden our view on the value of nature beyond economics
o Loyola is actually expanding into sustainable business classes and
practices which shows an incline to more economics-based courses

Leopold argues that humans should consider themselves as a part of the

environment rather than try to conquer it.
o Many people, both faculty and students, at Loyola believe that there
should be a greater focus on the idea that humans are a part of nature.
However, that idea can often be contradicted on campus with the
continuous construction of new buildings as well as a lack of focus on how
we can help our ecosystems.

Loyola believes that sustainability can be further achieved through service

learning and community involvement, which can relate to the engaged learning
courses offered (Green and Durnbaugh interviews)
o Loyola is focused more on sustainable living while as Leopold focuses
more on conservation vs. preservation with an agreement on
conservationist views
o Loyolas IES focuses a great amount on technological optimism, which is
the belief that technological advancements will solve environmental
problems, while Leopold argues that tools are dangerous because they
can be easily abused by humans

Solutions

The Institute of Environmental Sustainability should continue to increase efforts

to decrease fossil fuel use on campus and implement more clean energy projects
similar to the biodiesel lab providing fuel for the campus shuttles

IES should increase efforts to engage the community and sustainability on

campus by bringing the community into the discussion on sustainability as well
as increase funding. We need to help our own community have easier access to
the resources we can supply.
o Need to help Rogers Park build up their environmental efforts as well as
community engagement/support (Savannah/Kevin interviews)

Leopold argues for less quantitative classes because it disconnects us from

nature
o We suggest increase the amount of class that are more hands-on like in
labs or engaged learning and decrease the numerical requirements of IES
and non-IES major that only include lecture.
o Classes need to be more interactive with discussions, debates, outings,
and experience. Applying what you learn in class can only be achieved if
you have an experience within nature
o Leopold worries that science education will teach students how to
understand nature, but not necessarily how to enjoy her.

We agree with leopold because having an academic curriculum that includes a

hands-on experience fosters a deeper appreciation for the environment.
PHIL 287:06E Engaged Learning References
1Durnbaugh, Aaron. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. Oct. 2016.
2Dybzinski, Ray. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. 8 Nov. 2016.
3Erickson, Kevin. "Leopold at Loyola." Personal interview. Nov. 2016.
4Green, Patrick. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. Nov. 2016.
5Jing, Ping. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. Oct. 2016.
6Leopold, Aldo, and Charles Walsh. Schwartz. A Sand County Almanac, and Sketches
Here and There. New York: Oxford UP, 1987. Print.
7Peterson, Christopher. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. 16 Nov. 2016.
8"The Land Ethic." The Aldo Leopold Foundation. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.
9Tuchman, Nancy. "Leopold at Loyola." Telephone interview. Oct. 2016.
10Webb, Savannah. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. Nov. 2016.
11White, Amber. "Leopold at Loyola." E-mail interview. Nov. 2016.