Graduation Date
8-2015
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Humanities and Cultural Studies
Department or Program Chair
Chase B. Clow, PhD
First Reader
Richard Simon, MFA
Abstract
We live in a culture in which we find ourselves disconnected with the natural world and yet suffering from the mounting implications of the impact that our actions as developing industry-based societies have had on the ecological systems of the planet. Institutions of Higher Education, such as colleges and universities, educate most of the people who develop and manage institutions in society. As centers for learning and the dissemination of knowledge, institutions of higher learning have an obligation to promote a culture of sustainability within their communities.This paper that explores concepts of sustainability in relation to higher education with particular focus on Dominican University of California (DUC). In addition to studying and reflecting on texts and articles focusing on sustainability in higher education my research includes interviews with faculty and staff at DUC and analysis of information provided on the school’s website. My research indicates that, as an institution, Dominican University of California has not addressed or incorporated concepts of sustainability into its processes or culture the highest possible degree. While DUC has taken some steps in this direction, such as implementing the STARS assessment of sustainability, it could go further. At the close of this paper, I make some suggestions for how it might approach future efforts towards sustainability.