The document discusses plans to create an ecologically minded living-learning community at Michigan State University. It would integrate the Bailey Scholars Program, RISE, and other groups interested in sustainability. The community would focus on an integrative curriculum, democratic self-governance, and making environmentally conscious choices around food, waste reduction and building operations. Organizers held discussions using techniques like Open Space Technology and mind mapping to develop the concept and garner support.

1. Connecting the Dots Growing an Ecologically Mindful Living Learning Environment

2. Copresenters Patti Kenney, Academic Learning Coordinator, Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program, Michigan State University Katie Clark, Student, Residential Initiative for the Study of the Environment, College of Social Science, Michigan State University

3. Additional Collaborators Frank A. Fear, Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies and Bailey Scholar, Michigan State University. Terry P. Link, Director, Office for Campus Sustainability and Bailey Scholar, Michigan State University. Laurie Thorp, Director, RISE (Residential Initiative for the Study of the Environment) and Bailey Scholar, Michigan State University.

4. Laurie Thorp Terry Link, Office of RISE Campus Sustainability

5. Frank Fear Shari Dann Bailey Scholars, CARRS F&W, CARRS

6. An ecologically mindful living learning community Connecting students’ commitments to Make the world a better place Integrate content areas Develop skills Engage wider community

7. Context Student dissatisfaction with living choices Land-grant university Provost’s Vision for Liberal Arts includes extending living learning options Diminishing financial resources Programs with common goals & values Commitment to collaborative process

8. Key players *RISE *Bailey Scholars *ECO *Community Agriculture, *Office for Recreation & Campus Resource Studies Sustainability *Environmental *MSU Student Journalism Organic Farm

9. Key commitments Ecologically mindful residence hall (control over food choices, waste reduction, building operations) Deliberative, democratic self-governance Integrative curriculum

10. The Importance of Dialog “ Dialog is shared exploration toward greater understanding, connection, or possibility.” Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute “ Dialog is about discovering what our true values are, about expanding our capacity for attention, awareness and learning with and from each other, exploring the frontiers of what it means to be human, in relationship to each other and our world.” Glenna Gerard, The Dialog Group

11. Integrative Curriculum Connected learning Criticality Holistic (personal, professional, academic, emotional, spiritual intelligence) Self-generated learning goals and evaluation

12. Community of Scholarly Practice Community becomes its own practice Theory and practice are interrelated Actions and reflections are interdependent Self-governance Engagement beyond the community

13. Modified Open Space 1) Whoever comes is the right people 2) Whatever happens is the only thing that could have 3) Whenever it starts is the right time 4) Whenever it’s over, it’s over

14. The law of two feet if at any time you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing – use you two feet and move to some place more to you liking

15. What makes Open Space work? Self-organization Safe environment High levels of diversity and complexity Chaos, or the drive toward change Inner drive toward improvement Stuart Kaufmann

16. Colloquy Learning Goals Develop programmatic framework Connect with relevant community programs & opportunities Identify linkages with existing campus programs Engage a supportive network of people to move the proposal forward

17. Mind mapping Will people really color on the board? Will any sense emerge out of the chaos?

18. Mind map

19. Emerging Groups Pedagogy of Place/Building & Landscape as Teacher Engagement and Governance Food Curriculum

20. Pedagogy of Place Location in a small, community oriented residence hall (food, beauty) Eventual location in a LEED certified residence hall Creation of a commons A building that teaches

21. Engagement and governance Who leads? What leadership styles for what contexts? How are community decisions made? Accountability How to balance shared decision making? How much autonomy?

22. Food Students have option to actively participate in food purchasing, preparation and disposal Student organic farm, local farmers Food that teaches: integrating food system, health and wholeness, budget Opportunity to grow own food

23. Curriculum 21 credits (specialization) 9 core, 12 elective Understand self in relation to place Systems thinking Synthesize knowledge across disciplines Think and act critically Deliberative dialog Leadership skills—thought and action

24. Interdependence in making Sustainable choices Economic Environmental Social

25. John Tagg (2004) “Alignment for learning” CONTENT PROCESS CONTEXT

26. For more information Colloquy: www.re-news.net/colloquy Bailey Scholars Program: www.bsp.msu.edu Proposal copies— e-mail Patti Kenney [email_address] or Katie Clark [email_address]