Category: Faculty

SUST Alumni & Student Panel Next Tues 10/18 @RooseveltU

Next week Roosevelt University kicks off its 2022 American Dream Reconsidered Conference at its Chicago Campus as well as online. The theme of this year’s conference is “The City and the American Dream,” and many exciting and thought-provoking talks, panel discussions, and events are planned throughout the week.

Alumni, students, and faculty of the Sustainability Studies Program @RooseveltU are featured in the Oct. 18 Tuesday online panel discussion at 7pm CST on the topic, “Is the American Dream Sustainable?” with a special focus on Chicago as a city. The panel will be broadcast live on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube — links to those social media sites are below.

Is the American Dream Sustainable?

The science of urban ecology demonstrates that cities are not mere technological constructions, distinct from and diametrically opposed to nature, but complex ecosystems. As laboratories for sustainable innovation, such as green rooftops, cities offer a unique vantage point for re-imagining the sustainability of the American Dream. Using Chicago as a prime exemplar, our panel consisting of students and alumni will explore how urban sustainability advancements and environmental justice activism are redefining how we think about and work toward the American Dream.

Featured Panelists

Yesenia Balcazar (BA ’18) — Senior Resilient Community Planning Manager at the Southeast Environmental Task Force; MA in urban planning and policy (UIC ’21)

Kiera Carpenter (BA ’24) — SUST Student Associate, College of Arts & Sciences; RU Student Steward for 2022-23 in the Resilience Studies Consortium

Dan Lyvers (BA ’21) — Chief Operating Engineer at the Stickney wastewater treatment plant (the world’s largest such facility), Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicagoland

Moderator

Mike Bryson, Professor of Sustainability Studies, College of Arts & Sciences; RU Faculty Steward, Resilience Studies Consortium; Scientific Affiliate, Field Museum of Natural History

Viewing Information (So Many Options!)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/678320980097230

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/video/event

/urn:li:ugcPost:6985981931213504512/

YouTube: 

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.

Fall 2021 Return to Campus

With Illinois and the City of Chicago recently entering Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan, Roosevelt is excited and optimistic that the plans for more in-person operations this fall will be realized. In accordance with public health guidelines, changes will be coming to our facilities in preparation for safe and efficient return to campus. Below is information and resources to this effect, as copied from the Roosevelt Covid-19 website. These guidelines/requirements will be updated as new information becomes available.

Updated Mask Protocol

Per CDC criteria, Chicago and Schaumburg areas have moved into “substantial transmission” status. Beginning Monday, August 2, masks will be required for all individuals while on campus. The only exceptions are when eating in spaces designated for eating (the dining center and Fainman Lounge), when alone in your office or when in your residence hall room. Read more about mask guidance while on campus. The COVID-19 Response Team continues to monitor the state of public health and will provide updates to the community as needed.

Capacity Limits

Effective Tuesday, July 6, in accordance with Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan, capacity limits are lifted for all campus spaces. Please note, work is beginning to remove or adapt signage and furniture around campus to reflect these changes. We appreciate your understanding and patience. If you have any questions about a particular space on campus, please ask Physical Resources.

Visiting Campus

Roosevelt is committed to a safe and responsible return to on-campus operations this fall. Please use the following guide to help plan your return to campus.

Step 1: Submit Your Vaccination Documentation

Students and University employees planning to return to campus must submit vaccination documentation or have an approved exemption at least 48 hours prior to visiting campus. Read more about the Roosevelt vaccination requirement.

Students submit their documentations here: roosevelt.edu/vaccine-student

Faculty and staff submit their documentation here: roosevelt.edu/vaccine-employee

Step 2: Fill Out Your Daily Self-Assessment

Students and University employees who have uploaded proof of vaccination or an approved exemption will continue to fill out the daily self-assessment form. A digital “sticker” indicating they are cleared to be on campus will appear on the same screen as the green check mark after a successful daily self-assessment. It may take up to 24 hours your sticker to appear after your proof of vaccination is uploaded. 

Students, faculty and staff don’t forget to download the mobile app (iOS or Android) to make your campus entry more efficient.

Step 3: Show Your Verification to Campus Safety

Show campus safety your verification via the RU app or the self-assessment kiosks at campus entrances. 

Guests and University Contractors

Residential guests will be required to register with the Dean of Students prior to their visit, at which time they will have to submit proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID-19 test within three days of their visit. They will complete the guest daily self-assessment form and be logged in Campus Safety’s badging system upon arrival on campus. 

Employees of regular University contractors (custodial staff, cafeteria workers, etc.) and members of rental partner communities will follow their respective rules on vaccinations/testing. Those individuals will continue to fill out the guest daily self-assessment form. All will need to have RU IDs. Individuals identified by the contractor/partner as compliant with their rules at the beginning of the semester will be issued a physical sticker to be added to their ID, indicating they are cleared to be on campus.

All other visitors to campus will complete the guest daily self-assessment form. They will also be logged in Campus Safety’s badging system upon arrival on campus. 

Earth Week 2021 @RooseveltU

This April is #RUEarthMonth2021, and there are lots of ways to go green at Roosevelt as part of our university sustainability efforts, whether you’re on or off campus — from attending talks to hearing from SUST alumni to joining fellow students in RU Green’s activities. All events are virtual and detailed information can be found in the various links below!

Mon 4/19 thru Mon 5/3 — Spring 2021 Student Research and Creative Scholarship Symposium: week-long event featuring a mix of live sessions, poster presentations and pre-recorded oral & performance studies presentations. Student presentations will be posted on the site during RSRS week. Register for sessions ahead of time (not required) to receive a link to add the event to your calendar.

Mon 4/19 thru Th 4/22 — RU Green Earth Week Activities for students, including an Environmental Success meeting (Mon), Day in Nature (Tue), and Planting & Good Vibes (Th).

Tues 4/20 — Nature, Love, & the Healing Wilderness: a talk by author and naturalist Tom Fleischner, sponsored by Prof. Mike Bryson’s SUST 101 Humans & Nature class and the Resilience Studies Consortium (3-4:15pm).

Th 4/22 Earth Day — RU Alumni Talk Sustainability: two panel sessions, each featuring five SUST alumni talking about the sustainability work they do in their jobs, communities, and personal lives, as well as reflecting on the meaning of Earth Day (1pm and 6pm).

Th 4/29 — SUST Alumni Talk Grad School: join recent SUST alumni as they recount their process of researching, selecting, and applying to a graduate program; what their time in graduate school has been like; and how their RU education prepared them for graduate study (5-6pm).

Throughout April — Earth Day Service Opportunities & Events throughout Chicago, sponsored by the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) and other organizations. Check out the many events listed here by C3 as well as these by the Cook County Forest Preserves. Help clean up parklands, restore natural areas, and meet conservation-minded and nature loving sustainability nerds from across the city. Fun and rewarding in a deeply spiritual and dirt-under-your-nails kind of way!

7/31 Update on Covid-19 & Fall 2020 Planning @RooseveltU

Roosevelt University’s Coronavirus (Covid-19) Emergence Response website provides the university community with up-to-date information about this rapidly changing situation. This includes a helpful section on Learning and Working Remotely for students and faculty. Please check this site frequently for new information on classes and campus operations. RU students also should check their student email accounts frequently for announcements from the university as well as their professors.

7/27/20 Weekly Recap: please read this info posted on 7/31/20 for Covid-19 related info on RU’s upcoming Fall 2020 semester.

COVID-19 Website Update

Updated quarantine guidance along with updated FAQs were posted to the COVID-19 website. Please keep in mind there are still many unknowns and the information is subject to change given the current state of public health.

Fall 2020 Athletic Competitions Postponed

Earlier this week, Roosevelt University announced its postponement of 2020 fall sport intercollegiate athletic competitions as the result of ongoing public health concerns related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Roosevelt will begin work immediately to plan the resumption of competition in those impacted sport programs during the 2021 spring academic semester. Read More

Return to Campus Information Session Recordings

Thank you to all the members of the Roosevelt community who attended our Return to Campus Information Sessions. If you were unable to attend, please view the recordings below:

Upcoming Return to Campus Information Sessions and Discussions

Current Students, Campus Life and Residence Life
Hosted by Jamar Orr, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
Wednesday, August 5 at 12 p.m. CDT
For current students and family
Click here to RSVP

Human Resources Protocols and Procedures
Hosted by Toyia K. Stewart, Vice President for Human Resources
Thursday, August 6 at 10 a.m. CDT
For Roosevelt faculty and staff
Click here to RSVP

Stay in Touch. Update Your Contact Info.

We want to make sure you are receiving important updates from Roosevelt. If you haven’t already done so, please make sure your contact information is up to date by submitting this form.

Kind Regards,
Roosevelt COVID-19 Response Team

covid19info@roosevelt.edu
Roosevelt COVID-19 Website

Bubbly Creek: An Environmental Quagmire (Chicago Tonight Interview)

I was honored to be interviewed for this Chicago Tonight special report on the current status of Bubbly Creek, aka the South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River. This was an effort by students in the DePaul University Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence. Legendary local TV journalist Carol Marin came to my RU office in downtown Chicago, where we chatted about the Creek’s history and present condition while the students filmed us. Take a look, and let me know if anyone can saying “capping the sludge” better than Carol!

FOIA Workshop Session @RU Monday 2/18

SUST and SOC majors, check out this excellent workshop at RU scheduled for tomorrow, Mon 2/18, at 11am in AUD 314. (See this pdf).

This workshop is ideal for students in my current SUST 340 Policy, Law, & Ethics course, as well as for all SUST and SOC majors. If you’re on campus tomorrow and free at 11, I highly recommend attending! However, if you’re unable to make it, no worries: there will be handouts available — and Prof. Cusac is a good colleague of mine who would be happy to speak with you individually about how FOIA requests could enhance your environmental/sociological research.

SUST 360 Writing Urban Nature: One-Week Experiential Learning Course this May

Registration Information

  • SUST 360-01 Writing Urban Nature — CRN 31243 / Pre-req: ENG 102 with a grade of C- or better

Meets May 21-25 from 9:30am to 5pm at RU’s Chicago Campus. Required pre-session on May 9 from 4-6pm, room TBA — videoconferencing also will be provided through Zoom for the pre-session. Some additional work online required. Final writing assignment due June 1st.

See detailed course preview here!