Classes and Office Hours for Spring 2023

Good morning, Roosevelt — and welcome to students and colleagues to the Spring 2023 semester! This is my 27th year teaching @RU and I’m very excited to meet my classes this week. Wishing everyone a great spring term!

Spring 2023 Office Hours

  • AUD 829 hours: Tu/Th 10:15am-12:15pm and Th 2-4:30pm
  • Virtual hours: generally M/W/F 9am-5pm (email, phone, or Zoom)
  • Please email me to set up an appointment, whether during the above office hours or at another time; I check email 7 days/week and try to respond to messages within 24 hours Mon-Fri
  • Available via phone, Zoom, or email

Spring 2023 Classes

  • SUST 210 Sustainable Future — T/Th 12:30-1:45pm (WB 616)
  • SUST 220 Water (online)
  • SUST 360 Writing Urban Nature (honors) — T 2-4:30pm (WB 616)
  • SOC 394 Internship (by arrangement)
  • SUST 395 Internship (by arrangement)

Progress Report on RU’s Fall 2022 Sustainability Planning: Student Presentation at the Loundy Human Rights Symposium

Three students from SUST 350 Service & Sustainability — Kiera Carpenter, Sophia Gallo, and Kayla Nelson — presented a Progress Report on our 2022 Sustainability Strategic Planning efforts this fall at the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project Symposium & Luncheon on Wed 11/30/22 at the Chicago Campus. View their slideshow here: SUST 350 Loundy Symposium Slide Presentation 2022-11-30 (pdf)

Thank you, Mr. Loundy, for your longtime support of the College of Arts & Sciences, and for making this special symposium possible!

The Joseph Loundy 2022 Human Rights Symposium @RU: History, Health, & Sustainability (this Wed 11/30)

When we look to history, there is much to be learned about human rights. We may find that local and global movements were born from particular events — often traumatic, and with great political, health and environmental impacts. Can the past inspire change for the future through activism and advocacy?

Please join the Roosevelt University community for the Joseph Loundy Human Rights Project’s 2022 Symposium and Luncheon on Wed 11/30 from 11am to 1pm in WB 418 at RU’s Chicago Campus. Distinguished guest panelists will explore the intersection of history, health policy and environmental sustainability, and how each individually and collectively can promote human rights and social justice.

Students will also present work from three related courses in RU’s College of Arts & Sciences: Public Health Issues and Ideas, taught by professor La Vonne Downey; Service and Sustainability, led by professor Mike Bryson; and Transatlantic Perspectives: Representing History and Trauma, co-taught by professors Margaret Rung (RU) and Arnoud-Jan Bijsterveld (Tilburg University, the Netherlands).

Featured Distinguished Panelists:

  • Mike Beard, global health director for the Better World Campaign
  • Diana Sierra Becerra, assistant professor of history at University of Massachusetts Amhurst
  • Gina Ramirez, Midwest outreach leader for the Natural Resources Defense Council, board president of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, and RU alum (MA Sociology ’14)

SUST 350 Service & Sustainability Student Team: “2022 Strategic Sustainability Planning @RooseveltU”

  • Kiera Carpenter, SUST junior
  • Sophia Gallo, SOC senior
  • Kayla Nelson, PSYC senior

This event is free! RSVP here for the symposium and lunch: https://alumni-giving.roosevelt.edu/loundy-project-2022-symposium

Can’t attend in person? Join in the conversation on the livestream via Zoom!

Sustainability Planning Workshop Sessions Today 11/1 & Wed 11/2: Goals & Initiatives for RU

Planning Workshop 2: Sustainability Goals & Initiatives – This second round of RU Strategic Sustainability Planning interactive workshops will review and analyze past goals, projects, and accomplishments; and then strategize and prioritize new campus sustainability goals and initiatives for 2023-28.

All RU community members are invited to participate in either one of these identical sessions, whichever best fits your schedule. Light food refreshments will be provided; just bring your own beverage!

  • Tue 11/1 from 12:00-1:30pm CST in AUD 720 and Zoom
  • Wed 11/2 from 5:00-6:30pm CST in AUD 720 and Zoom

Previous Events

Planning Workshop 1: Sustainability @RU Crash Course – This first round of RU Strategic Sustainability planning workshops was designed to get participants up to speed on what sustainability is, why it’s important, and what we can do to make a change at RU. If you’re wondering what sustainability entails at RU, this is a great place to start!

  • Tue 10/11 from 12:30-1:30pm CST  in AUD 720 and online (Zoom recording)
  • Wed 10/12 from 6:30-7:30pm CST online (Zoom recording)
  • Slide presentation from Workshop 1 (pdf)

RU’s 2022 American Dream Reconsidered Conference — Panelists Yessenia Balcazar (BA ’17 alum), Kiera Carpenter (BA ’24), and Dan Lyvers (BA ’21 alum) of the Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU were featured in the Oct. 18 Tuesday online discussion at 7pm CST on the topic, “Is the American Dream Sustainable?” with a special focus on Chicago as a city. The panel was recorded live on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Useful Resources on Campus Sustainability @RU

Detailed Zoom Info for Workshop 2 Sessions

Topic: Sustainability Planning Workshop 2A (Tue 11/1 session)
Time: Nov 1, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/94697760195

Meeting ID: 946 9776 0195

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,94697760195# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,94697760195# US (New York)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 946 9776 0195
Find your local number: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/u/adJBXkM143

Topic: Sustainability Planning Workshop 2B (Wed 11/2 session)
Time: Nov 2, 2022 05:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/93253117596

Meeting ID: 932 5311 7596

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,93253117596# US (Chicago)
+13017158592,,93253117596# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 932 5311 7596
Find your local number: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/u/ahx56GVaA

Please RSVP for events and/or submit any questions, ideas, or suggestions to Dr. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), SUST 350 Instructor and Professor of Sustainability Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Roosevelt University. Additional contact info here. Be sure to check the RU Strategic Sustainability Planning webpage for updates!

Campus Sustainability Planning Workshop Next Week on Tue 11/1 & Wed 11/2: Goals & Initiatives for RU

Planning Workshop 2: Sustainability Goals & Initiatives – This second round of RU Strategic Sustainability Planning interactive workshops will review and analyze past goals, projects, and accomplishments; and then strategize and prioritize new campus sustainability goals and initiatives for 2023-28.

All RU community members are invited to participate in either one of these identical sessions, whichever best fits your schedule. Light food refreshments will be provided; just bring your own beverage!

  • Tue 11/1 from 12:00-1:30pm CST in AUD 720 and Zoom
  • Wed 11/2 from 5:00-6:30pm CST in AUD 720 and Zoom

Previous Events

Planning Workshop 1: Sustainability @RU Crash Course – This first round of RU Strategic Sustainability planning workshops was designed to get participants up to speed on what sustainability is, why it’s important, and what we can do to make a change at RU. If you’re wondering what sustainability entails at RU, this is a great place to start!

  • Tue 10/11 from 12:30-1:30pm CST  in AUD 720 and online (Zoom recording)
  • Wed 10/12 from 6:30-7:30pm CST online (Zoom recording)
  • Slide presentation from Workshop 1 (pdf)

RU’s 2022 American Dream Reconsidered Conference — Panelists Yessenia Balcazar (BA ’17 alum), Kiera Carpenter (BA ’24), and Dan Lyvers (BA ’21 alum) of the Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU were featured in the Oct. 18 Tuesday online discussion at 7pm CST on the topic, “Is the American Dream Sustainable?” with a special focus on Chicago as a city. The panel was recorded live on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Useful Resources on Campus Sustainability @RU

Detailed Zoom Info for Workshop 2 Sessions

Topic: Sustainability Planning Workshop 2A (Tue 11/1 session)
Time: Nov 1, 2022 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/94697760195

Meeting ID: 946 9776 0195

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,94697760195# US (Chicago)
+16468769923,,94697760195# US (New York)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 946 9776 0195
Find your local number: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/u/adJBXkM143

Topic: Sustainability Planning Workshop 2B (Wed 11/2 session)
Time: Nov 2, 2022 05:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/93253117596

Meeting ID: 932 5311 7596

One tap mobile
+13126266799,,93253117596# US (Chicago)
+13017158592,,93253117596# US (Washington DC)

Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 932 5311 7596
Find your local number: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/u/ahx56GVaA

Please RSVP for events and/or submit any questions, ideas, or suggestions to Dr. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), SUST 350 Instructor and Professor of Sustainability Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Roosevelt University. Additional contact info here. Be sure to check the RU Strategic Sustainability Planning webpage for updates!

All Hands on Deck! Sustainability Planning Team Seeks RU Input this Fall 2022

This Fall 2022 semester, students and faculty in SUST 350 Service & Sustainability will work with Roosevelt’s Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC) and members of the university community to update and revise our Strategic Sustainability Plan, originally adopted in 2015. We need your help and hope that as many RU folks as possible will contribute their ideas, advice, and expertise to this endeavor!

Sustainability at Roosevelt University is a constantly evolving and dynamic process grounded in the “Three Es” of Environment, Economy, and Equity. Our first sustainability plan was written to be a “living document” that is updated periodically to reflect on our progress and articulate new goals and initiatives. The updated plan will be organized along the comprehensive and internationally-recognized STARS campus sustainability guidelines and incorporate the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030. By doing so, we will conceptually as well as concretely connect the local to the global.

RU’s sustainability efforts encompass the greening of buildings and campus operations; innovation and expansion of sustainability education and research opportunities for students, faculty, and staff; and most critically, the promotion of social and environmental justice within and beyond our campus. As noted by President Malekzadeh in his letter introducing Roosevelt’s first STARS sustainability assessment in December 2015, “The task of envisioning and creating a truly sustainable world is immense and complex. Colleges and universities are not only well suited to engage in this important work through innovation, education, and community engagement, they are obliged to do so” [emphasis added].

Our team of student researchers, in concert with the ESC, will engage in outreach efforts this fall to involve every segment of the RU community in this process, which is designed to be inclusive, participatory, and voluntary. We plan to host in-person and virtual workshops, info sessions, roundtable discussions, and other events to get ideas, feedback, and constructive criticism from students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, and trustees about Roosevelt’s present challenges and its sustainable future. We hope you’ll join us in this endeavor!

SUST 250 Sustainable University students developed proposals for improving campus sustainability in Spring 2022

The updated strategic plan will set out a new five-year timeline of goals, initiatives, and recommendations designed to reduce RU’s ecological footprint, fulfill our mission of promoting social and environmental justice, address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, enhance our reputation as a sustainability innovator, and contribute to our long-term environmental and financial sustainability.

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements of planning info sessions, workshops, and other events! For questions or to make suggestions, please contact Dr. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), Professor & Director of Sustainability Studies, Chair of the Dept. of Sociology & Sustainability, College of Arts & Sciences.

Greening RU & Saving Big Bucks: A Recap of Spring 2022 Campus Sustainability Student Presentations in SUST 250

by Alyssa Spleha (BA ’22), Sustainability Student Associate 2021-22

The reports are in for Roosevelt University’s SUST 250 Sustainable University course and the results are astounding! Throughout the semester, SUST 250 students have been identifying and tackling some of RU’s sustainability weak spots. Broken up into five teams, the class focused on the athletics department, dining center, student orientation, general waste, and sustainability leadership. Through conducting research and consulting students, faculty, and staff, each team found solutions to major problems, all of which include substantial cost-saving measures.

The Athletics Team tackled four main areas within the department: replacing disposable water cups with reusable water bottles, assessing choices for ethical sourcing of non-game day wear, donating used gear, and conducting future materials audits. By switching to reusable water bottles, the athletics department could save $204-352 per year and reduce their waste immensely. In addition, the team found that by donating old gear, the university could write that value off on its taxes.

The Food and Dining Team focused on reducing dining center waste and explored the option of reusable dining ware. One of the main issues they identified was the lack of labeling on the disposable dining ware as well as the lack of labeling on trash receptacles throughout the cafeteria. By switching to reusable dining ware, not only is it much easier for diners to properly dispose of their waste, but it will save the dining center a whopping $58,866 in the first year and an even more impressive $65,500 per year thereafter. (Remember that number!) Moreover, giving new students a set of their own dining ware to reuse again and again will reduce theft and greatly reduce waste.

The Student Orientation Team wanted to promote awareness of sustainability to new and transfer students by creating a PowerPoint presentation and a comical skit for the orientation team to present to incoming students each semester. With this presentation, incoming students will be well-versed in the basics of sustainability and Orientation Leaders can promote good waste-reduction habits. If all students collectively reduce their waste, it will save RU money in annual disposal fees and more importantly reduce the university’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Waste Team had the pleasure of conducting a waste audit of a heavily used disposal area in the dining center. They first conducted a pre-audit by weighing each waste bag collected from these receptacles: trash, recycling, and compost. Then, by further inspecting the contents of each bag, they discovered that an alarming proportion of compostables was being thrown in the trash. More specifically, over 90% of the trash by weight was compostable. They further found that the lack of labeling on packing items students to unknowingly throw out recyclable and compostable materials instead of properly disposing of them, despite the presence of recycling and compost bins throughout the campus. The team concluded that taking away unlabeled bins would encourage students to properly sort through their trash at the designated trash-sorting areas.

Last but not least, the Sustainability Leadership Team examined the accomplishments of past and present sustainability leaders at RU to make a case for why RU needs a designated sustainability coordinator on staff. Not only would a sustainability coordinator stay on top of reporting our sustainability efforts, but they would be able to write grants, create positive PR through green certifications, and implement cost-saving projects such as all the ones listed above. Just implementing the recommended switch to reusable dining ware in our cafeteria would generate more than enough annual savings to fund a full-time sustainability coordinator as part of the university’s operating budget — a staff person who in turn would identify other areas of savings as well as revenue generation.

In addition, implementing a “green fee” of $5 per semester per student could generate approximately $33,070/year to be used on specific sustainability projects such as creating a climate action plan, implementing student-led projects, offering professional development for faculty and staff, and much more. Besides these cost-savings, the team noted that supporting sustainability-related commitments to reduce carbon emissions, minimize waste, and promote environmental and social justice — all of which would be led and supported by a sustainability coordinator — is an ethical obligation of the university as well as a key fulfillment of its 2015-20 Strategic Sustainability Plan‘s goals and recommendations.

All in all, the students of SUST 250 each identified areas within the university that can be improved and would save the university tens of thousands of dollars every year. Beyond these remarkable cost-savings, though, as a social justice-oriented institution we are ethically obligated to prioritize projects such as these. By having a sustainability coordinator guiding these projects, the possibilities and savings far outweigh the initial upfront costs.

Want More? Watch these Zoom Videos of the SUST 250 Team Presentations:

Topic: SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Symposium 2022 (Food/Dining and Student Orientation) Date: Apr 19, 2022 10:50 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Meeting Recording: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/rec/share/PdNsQwc_flzTfM0D_4n3XMK7NE1lChxIKRFcwtxiRBy4hPDjKrpSSsge6wswYiPS.v__yiQoTNZstY3Oj

Topic: SUST 250 Campus Sustainability Symposium 2022 (Athletics, Leadership, and Waste) Date: Apr 21, 2022 10:51 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Meeting Recording: https://roosevelt.zoom.us/rec/share/1gI5wq2lmT2jCybabzwYcds6FjpEmIix8iNCvgthSqAxsYSKc2NJXCyEg65DwEDG.mfue7NiK8swvZ5Us

Elevate Your Education this 2022 Summer in SUST 390 Rooftop Garden @RooseveltU

This coming summer semester (2022) the Sustainability Studies program will reprise our popular and innovative special topics course, SUST 390 Rooftop Garden, at the Chicago Campus. The class will utilize RU’s unique 5th-story rooftop garden on its LEED Gold-certified Wabash Building as a living classroom for a hands-on, place-based, get-your-hands-dirty learning experience.

  • Title/number: SUST 390 Rooftop Garden (section 10)
  • Semester offered: Summer 2022 (10 weeks from May 31 thru Aug 8)
  • Location: Chicago Campus
  • Day/time: Online learning commences 5/31, with garden workdays and field trips to selected urban farms/green rooftops in the Chicago region scheduled by the instructor according to students’ availability.
  • Pre-req: ENG 102

SUST majors and minors may take this class to fulfill an upper-level SUST 3xx requirement, but 390 also is open to students at large seeking an experiential learning course, needing a general education course, or desiring elective credit.

RU President Ali, staff, and students harvest greens from the WB Rooftop Garden during the #AmDreamConf service day, 15 Sept 2016 (photo: RU Media)

Course Theme: Rooftop Gardens, Campus Sustainability, and Urban Agriculture

Diana Ramirez (BA ’17) works the garden plots on the WB Rooftop Garden, July 2017 (photo: M. Viveros)

Gets your hands dirty in this ten-week hybrid course which focuses on the unique urban ecosystem, the green rooftop, and features work in and stewardship of the fifth-story Roosevelt University WB Rooftop Garden in downtown Chicago. Students will learn about the relationships among food, biodiversity, waste, urban agriculture, green space design, and campus sustainability leadership through multiple modes: reading, participating in online discussions, taking field trips, and working in the RU garden during the summer late spring / early summer planting and growing season.

Course requirements and activities include online interaction through Blackboard; participation in garden workdays as scheduled by the student and instructor; and field trips to other urban community gardens and farms, whether rooftop or street-level. Participation in this course constitutes a significant contribution to the sustainability of RU’s Chicago Campus, and helps our community make progress on our 2015-2020 Strategic Sustainability Plan.

Moses Viveros sowing seeds in the rooftop garden, August 2017 (photo: D. Ramirez)

The RU Rooftop Garden in Chicago was started in the spring/summer of 2013, the first growing season after the opening on the Wabash Building in fall 2012. Since then, it has been funded and managed by the Department of Physical Resources, with work being done primarily by student interns and volunteers from the Sustainability Studies Program in the College of Arts & Sciences.

For questions and more details about this course, please contact Vicki Gerberich (vgerberich@roosevelt.edu), adjunct professor of Sustainability Studies; or Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), professor & director of Sustainability Studies.

Maria Cancilla (BPS ’18), Prof. Vicki Gerberich, and Michelle Giles (SUST senior) during #AmDreamServiceDay 2018 (photo: M. Bryson)

Apply for the Mansfield’s 2022 Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (thru 3/2/22)

The Mansfield Institute Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (FACE) will fund a second cohort of 15 Roosevelt University undergraduate students from any college or discipline. The cohort-based summer fellowship includes funding for a 3-credit Social Justice in Action internship-based course in May 2022. In addition to tuition, fellows will receive a stipend of $2,500.

Following their course work in late May, Fellows will work in a social justice–focused community-based organization in Chicago for 10 hours per week, for 10 weeks over the summer starting in early June. Fellows will have an opportunity to work with past Fellows, attend University events together, and have opportunities to present work at conferences.

Eligibility:

  • Open to all Roosevelt University undergraduate students in any college or major
  • Students must have between 45 and 72 credit hours completed on March 2, 2022
  • GPA of at least a 2.0
  • Be able to participate fully in fellowship activities including course work, internship work, and ongoing cohort activities throughout the year

Deadlines:

  • The application process opens on February 1 and closes on March 2, 2022.
  • Applicants will be notified by March 16, 2022.

To apply, visit the Mansfield Institute Fellowship for Activism and Community Engagement (FACE) webpage. For questions or more information, please contact Prof. Heather Dalmage (hdalmage@roosevelt.edu), Director of the Mansfield Institute.

Eden Place Founder Michael Howard Addresses the Resilience Studies Consortium on Environmental Justice

Mr. Michael Howard, CEO and co-founder of Eden Place Farms and Nature Center in Chicago IL, will address the Roosevelt and Resilience Studies Consortium (RSC) communities on Tuesday, 26 Oct 2021, at 11am CST on the topic of “Sustaining Environmental Justice in a Pandemic.” Please join the faculty and students of SUST 350 Service & Sustainability at Roosevelt University and ENVS 397 Environmental Justice at Western Colorado University as they host Mr. Howard’s virtual presentation and a Q&A session. This presentation is made possible by the generous funding of the RSC — thank you!

Michael Howard’s life passion is to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the Fuller Park community on Chicago’s South Side, both financially and environmentally. As Founder and CEO of the Fuller Park Community Development (FPCD) organization in the 1990s, he has worked to address housing, education, and environmental issues that have kept this generally African American and low-income community in poverty and disrepair.

In the late 1990s, Michael and his wife Amelia Howard led the effort to clean up a three-acre vacant lot near their Fuller Park residence that was piled two stories high with illegally dumped waste. With help from many in the community, the site was cleared of debris and restored into a thriving green space called Eden Place — still the only nature center on the entire South Side of Chicago. In the early 2010s, Eden Place opened its farm operation about a half-mile south of the nature center. They host community events, market their produce to local restaurants and farmers markets, and provide ecology, urban farming, and nutrition workshops to citizens of Fuller Park and beyond.

Since 2014, students in Roosevelt University’s SUST 350 Service & Sustainability class have volunteered one morning a week in a multi-year service project at Eden Place, helping with farm chores, repairing and painting structures, building trails, planting and harvesting crops, and organizing events to support the organization’s mission. In return, Eden Place has taught them much about the process and importance of community organizing, the rigors of urban environmental conservation and farming, and the challenges of fostering sustainability and community resilience in this era of social and economic stress.

Zoom Login Info:

Topic: Michael Howard on Environmental Justice for RSC
Time: Oct 26, 2021 11:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://roosevelt.zoom.us/j/97714968242
Meeting ID: 977 1496 8242

For More Information:

Contact Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu), Professor & Director of Sustainability Studies, Roosevelt University

The Resilience Studies Consortium, of which Roosevelt is a charter member, is a network of small liberal arts Institutions dedicated to sustainability and community resilience, place-based educational experiences, and shared academic and co-curricular offerings in ways that empower students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving world.