ENVIRONMENTAL COLLABORATION:

An Interdisciplinary Workshop for ACS Faculty and Staff

October 15-17, 1998

Introduction

Birmingham-Southern College conducted a multi-disciplinary environmental studies workshop for faculty and administrators of Associated College of the South ("ACS") institutions. The workshop was held concurrently with the Greening of the Campus conference at Birmingham-Southern College on October 15-17, 1998. The workshop was designed to provide an opportunity for small groups of faculty and staff representing diverse backgrounds and disciplines from all ACS institutions to come together at a common site to examine environmental studies. The participants were divided into teams and participate in hands-on environmental projects, providing expertise and training on critical environmental topics. After the field experiences, the teams joined to synthesize their observations and discuss possible applications for environmental courses and programs. The faculty and staff joined the participants of the Greening of the Campus workshop for national speakers.

Purpose

With faculty and staff from various institutions and disciplines involved in the acquisition, analysis, and synthesis of environmental data, the workshop illustrated the necessity for a multi-disciplinary approach to problem-solving and the effectiveness of such an approach in environmental teaching and research. This workshop assisted faculty and staff in focusing on the importance of collaboration among individuals and institutions in course development, student/faculty research projects, and service projects.

A workshop team consisted of a scientist, a social scientist, a humanities faculty member, an administrative representative, and a student majoring in elementary education. The teams examined not only the scientific aspects of the problem, but also the political, social, and economic implications, emphasizing the interconnectedness of environmental issues. The faculty participants, through field work, workshop sessions, and informal activities, had an opportunity to identify colleagues and institutions for possible collaborative relationships, reinforcing the goals of the ACS Environmental Program.

The Environmental Collaboration workshop emphasized the importance of connections with the community. The teams went out into the community to access environmental problems; off-campus community consultants led several teams on the field projects; and the workshop served as a model on how to link the campus and the community.

The Workshop

Each ACS school sent four to five participants to the workshop. The participants were divided into ten teams consisting of participants with different disciplines from varying institutions. Each team was joined by a student representative from ACS institutions to emphasize the focus on college curriculum.

Participants in the Environmental Collaboration workshop arrived Thursday evening, October 15, and received their team assignment and background readings regarding the site visits. There was a reception for participants in both conferences on Thursday evening. The opening session began Friday morning with an overview of the workshop. There were three objectives of the workshop:

After the opening session, the ten teams were transported to several sites in Birmingham to collect data on water quality, urban runoff, ozone depletion, and indoor air quality. There was an environmental consultant at each site and testing equipment was available. The teams spent several hours at the sites. They returned to campus Friday afternoon to attend concurrent presentations by national speakers at the Greening of the Campus conference. Friday evening there were opportunities to meet informally with participants from other institutions, including attendance at the local October fest.

The sessions on Saturday allowed each team to synthesize their findings and develop conclusions on specific applications for their respective institutions. The participants reconvened on Saturday with presentations by each team and a general discussion on the direction of ACS environmental studies programs. Issues regarding undergraduate research and service programs were addressed during the plenary session. The Environmental Collaboration participants joined the Greening of the Campus conference on Saturday for a final concurrent session with a national speaker. The joint sessions provided an opportunity for interaction among the diverse attendees, including faculty, students, administrators involved in campus operations, and directors of community outreach programs. Interaction among 75 - 85 representatives stimulated activities for the four areas of concern in the ACS environmental studies program the interdisciplinary academic program, collaborative research, community service, and campus operations.

Field Experiences

Field trips to various sites were led by Birmingham-Southern College faculty members, faculty from nearby institutions, and local environmental consultants. BSC faculty and Roald Hazelhoff, Director of the Southern Environmental Center, had contacted several environmental experts and confirmed their willingness to lead field trips on Friday, October 16, 1998. The consultants identified the sites, organized the field testing, led the field trips, and facilitated discussion about the experience in the sessions on Saturday morning.

Birmingham-Southern faculty members leading teams included Dr. Dan Holliman, Professor of Biology, and Dr. Doug Waits, Professor of Biology. Additionally, Dr. Randy Haddock, a biologist with the Cahaba River Society, organized field trips to test water quality on the Cahaba River. Representatives of the Alabama Rivers Alliance and the Nature Conservancy led teams to test water quality on Turkey Creek, and an environmental manager at Sloss Industries demonstrated runoff monitoring from a strip mine reclamation site at Beltona. The Jefferson County Department of Health measures ozone levels and one team were provided with one-hour and eight-hour monitoring kits, as well as participated in a one-hour vehicle emissions test. Randy Dillard, a Health Department employee, was responsible for an air quality monitoring station and assisted with this team. Birmingham had consistently been out-of-compliance with ozone standards during the summer months. Dr. Bob Jacobs, a faculty member of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Environmental Health Department, assisted in conducting walk-through tests of best/worst case scenario homes, testing for bio-aerosols and carbon dioxide. Additional sites were identified as the project progressed.

Conclusion

The Environmental Collaboration workshop encouraged extensive participation by each ACS institution and provided a framework for the importance of examining environmental issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. By working closely on a team in the field with faculty and staff from other ACS institutions, participants developed collaborative relationships among colleges as well as broadened the disciplinary focus of individual faculty members. Holding the workshop concurrently with the Greening of the Campus conference brought 75- 85 individuals together to grapple with the complexities of environmental studies.

Jeanne L. Jackson
Birmingham-Southern College
900 Arkadelphia Road
Box 549065
Birmingham, AL 35254
Phone: 205-226-4679
E-mail: jjackson@bsc.edu