This coming Fall 2024 semester the Sustainability Studies program once again will feature its unique section of SUST 330 Biodiversity that meets at the Field Museum of Natural History on Thursdays from 9am to 1pm.
Overview of SUST 330 at the Field Museum of Natural History
SUST student Lindsey Sharp (BPS ’16) in the FMNH mammalogy lab, Fall 2015 (photo: J. Kerbis)
Taught by Dr. Julian Kerbis Peterhans, professor emeritus of natural science at RU and longtime zoologist at the FMNH, this course is an exceptional opportunity to learn about biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability at one of the world’s foremost natural history research museums.
The Field Museum is actually a “Library of Biodiversity” as it has been documenting plant, animal and fossil species of the world for over 125 years. As Dr. Kerbis Peterhans notes, “Come join the team at the museum where you will work on these specimens: either sorting, cataloguing, photographing, drawing, data-basing, or counting. Let us know if there are a particular group of plants or animals that you are interested in and we will see if we can find you a position.”
Dr. Julian Kerbis Peterhans
SUST 330 includes weekly seminar-style class meetings where students discuss readings and hear from scientists working on biodiversity research in a variety of fields. They then work individually with a scientist in one of the many laboratories/collection departments of the museum, based on their individual interests. Several RU students have secured research internships as well as short- and long-term paid positions following their successful experiences in this course.
For additional information about SUST 330 at the Field Museum, please contact Dr. Kerbis Peterhans (jkerbis@fieldmuseum.org) or Dr. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu).
Location: Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago (map here)
Day/time: Thursday 9am-1pm
Start date: 5 Sept 2024
Pre-req: UWR (ENG 102), proof of Covid-19 vaccination for FMNH
SUST majors and minors may take this class to fulfill an upper-level SUST core requirement, but 330 also is open to students at large who need a general education course in natural science and/or experiential learning (EXL), or who desire elective credit. It also counts toward the Environmental Science minor for biology and other science majors.
Students in SUST 360 Writing Urban Nature explore Northerly Island along downtown Chicago’s lakefront, March 2023 (photo: M. Bryson)
Yeah, OK — that’s a pretty big claim in the invitation that is this post’s title. But in the Sustainability Studies program (SUST) at RU we really do mean it. Let’s be real, shall we? A world rocked by climate change, toxic pollution, devastated biodiversity, and persistent environmental injustice demands change. Who is going to do it? Education, experiential learning, and activism are key parts of the struggle to create a truly sustainable planet (not to mention city), and that’s where SUST courses come in. All majors are welcome in this house!
RU students should look over the Fall 2024 schedule using this Coursefinder, (2) check your remaining course requirements in Degree Works, and (3) email, call, text, and/or bang on the door of your academic advisor with your planned schedule and any questions you have about your upcoming classes. Your advisor will provide you with an RU Access registration code so you can register. Click on selected titles below for detailed course previews!
Sustainability Studies courses still open for enrollment this Fall 2024:
SUST 210 Sustainable Future (online 8wk B session, EXL, Staff) SUST 220 Water (T 2-4:30pm, EXL, Prof. Bryson) SUST 230 Food (hybrid + field trips, meets five Fridays 9:30am-12pm, Prof. Gerberich SUST 240 Waste (online, 8wk A session, Prof. Jones) SUST 260 Nature & Black Liberation (online, Prof. Ruffin) SUST 261 Writing for Non-Profits (TTh 2-3:15pm, EXL, Prof. Blancato) SUST 320 Sprawl, Transportation & Planning (online, 8wk B session, Prof. Gerberich) SUST 330 Biodiversity (Field Museum, Th 9am-1pm, EXL, Prof. Kerbis)
EXL = Experiential Learning course (part of the CORE gen ed requirement)
Online = fully online asynchronous, no required F2F meetings
Hybrid = selected F2F meetings on specified dates + online asynchronous work
For additional useful info, see this Advising Resources page on Prof. Mike Bryson’s (aka Prof B) faculty website as well as this Registration page on the RU website. Questions about any of these classes? Please email Prof B (mbryson@roosevelt.edu).
Students of SUST 250 Sustainable University (April 2022) after their team presentations of campus sustainability projects
In celebration of Earth Week @RooseveltU, we are pleased to share some good news! At the last RU Senate meeting of the 2023-24 academic year on 19 April 2024, the Strategic Sustainability Plan for 2024-29 and accompanying Resolution were endorsed by a unanimous vote of the Senate membership. These documents, listed below, are now under consideration by the university’s executive leadership.
Resolution for the University Senate at its 4/19/24 Meeting (pdf)
Thanks to everyone in the campus community over the past two years who participated in workshops, completed surveys, attended events and presentations, provided feedback in writing or at meetings, and otherwise supported and encouraged this effort — especially the students who worked on the Sustainability Strategic Planning Team that began as a group EXL project in SUST 350 Service & Sustainability last Fall 2022 semester. The most valuable and important sustainability asset we have at Roosevelt is our people: students, staff, faculty, administrators, and alumni. Your contributions and continued support are greatly appreciated!
Text of the Sustainability Resolutionof 19 April 2024
Whereas sustainability is a defining issue in our age of climate change, biodiversity loss, toxic pollution, resource inequity, political instability, and environmental injustice;
Whereas colleges and universities play a critical role in advancing knowledge, developing solutions, educating citizens, and demonstrating leadership for a more just and sustainable world;
Whereas the three pillars of sustainability — ecology, economy, and equity — are congruent with Roosevelt’s historic mission of advancing social justice;
Whereas in 2010, Roosevelt committed to greening its campus operations, launched new academic programs, developed university-community partnerships, and assumed leadership among local higher ed institutions in its efforts to advance sustainable development on campus and within the Chicago region;
Whereas in 2015, Roosevelt adopted its first Strategic Sustainability Plan for 2015-20, with the full endorsement of the Senate, the President’s Executive Council, and the Board of Trustees;
Whereas in 2020 said Plan expired, necessitating the development of a new Plan with input from the entire RU community that takes stock of our progress, identifies areas of improvement, and prioritizes actions to create a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship across every facet of our operations;
Whereas the work we do transforming our University into a truly sustainable institution will reduce our ecological footprint, strengthen our financial resilience, raise our academic reputation, attract and retain more students, improve our working and learning environments, and inspire alumni and potential donors;
Therefore, be it Resolved that the University Senate endorse Roosevelt’s new Strategic Sustainability Plan for 2024-29 and forward its recommendations to our Executive Leadership.
Passed unanimously the RU Senate on 19 Apr 2024
Useful Resources for Campus Sustainability Planning
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): all RU students & staff have access to its many online resources; use your RU email to login
A Short History of Sustainability @RU from one prof’s perspective (pdf)
The O.G. RU Strategic Sustainability Plan 2015-20 (pdf)
AASHE, “Beyond the Right Thing to Do: The Value of Sustainability in Higher Education” (pdf)
Important Earth Week Update — Voting Period Extended! This Th 4/25 is the LAST DAY for RU students to vote on the Mental Health Referendum (ending at midnight) and the SGA needs 400 or so votes (yes or no, just total votes cast) for the referendum tally to count. About 120 more votes are needed by the end of Thursday 4/25!
Message from Roosevelt’s Student Government Association:
Dear RU students — The Student Government Association (SGA) would like to inform you about an important re-vote of the upcoming Mental Health Referendum and Student Government Executive Board election for fall 2024!
SGA is proposing a referendum to introduce a $150 per semester fee aimed at expanding face-to-face mental health and physical support services on campus. This fee will be used exclusively to bolster existing mental healthresources and create a more comprehensive and accessible support system for all students.
To vote please seeLaker Connect — this link takes you to a page where this is a link for voting on this referendum.
Voting Yesfor this referendum will create a new in-person counseling center at Roosevelt University for the Fall 2024 semester. This includes up to 12 counseling sessions (in-person or virtual) with the same mental healthprovider and expanding services (in the future) to include physical healthservices on campus. This will include increasing counseling fees from $27 a semester to $150 for full in-person counseling services per semester.
Voting Noon this referendum will mean no new counseling services, and the current mental health resources will remain the same including TimelyCare. This means that your counseling fees will remain at $27 with only digital resources.
Today is the LAST DAY for RU students to vote on the Mental Health Referendum (ending at midnight) and the SGA needs 400 or so votes (yes or no, just total votes cast) for the referendum tally to count. 200 more votes are needed by the end of today 4/19!
Message from Roosevelt’s Student Government Association:
Dear RU students — The Student Government Association (SGA) would like to inform you about an important re-vote of the upcoming Mental Health Referendum and Student Government Executive Board election for fall 2024!
SGA is proposing a referendum to introduce a $150 per semester fee aimed at expanding face-to-face mental health and physical support services on campus. This fee will be used exclusively to bolster existing mental healthresources and create a more comprehensive and accessible support system for all students.
To vote please seeLaker Connect — this link takes you to a page where this is a link for voting on this referendum.
Voting Yesfor this referendum will create a new in-person counseling center at Roosevelt University for the Fall 2024 semester. This includes up to 12 counseling sessions (in-person or virtual) with the same mental healthprovider and expanding services (in the future) to include physical healthservices on campus. This will include increasing counseling fees from $27 a semester to $150 for full in-person counseling services per semester.
Voting Noon this referendum will mean no new counseling services, and the current mental health resources will remain the same including TimelyCare. This means that your counseling fees will remain at $27 with only digital resources.
This week from 12:30-1:45pm in WB 616 — Sustainability Teach-In Presentations: Join the students of SUST 210 Sustainable Future and SUST 250 The Sustainable University for a good old-fashioned teach-in as seven student teams present their projects on vital sustainability issues of the day affecting both RU’s campus and the world at large:
Tu 4/16: food, consumption, and waste
Th 4/18: athletics, energy, transportation, and water
This April is #RUEarthMonth2024, and there are lots of ways to go green here at Roosevelt. Whether you’re on or off campus — from attending talks and webinars by invited speakers to hearing presentations by current students to joining in the student org RU Green’s activities and community service work — you can participate in and contribute to the sustainability of our campus community.
SUST 395 Internship Presentations: As part of the annual Roosevelt Student Research & Inquiry Symposium, three Sustainability Internship students completing SUST 395 internships this spring 2024 semester at the Field Museum’s botany department (Daniel Dodinval and Kenny Koster) and the Southeast Environmental Task Force (Kristina Gillespie) gave oral presentations last Th 4/11 to the RU community on their research projects and community engagement activities. Check out the Zoom recording of their talks here!
All Week 4/15-19 — Student Mental Health Referendum Vote: All students have the chance to vote on a Mental Health Referendum for the RU student body. Below is an infographic about the issue and referendum. SGA is holding a Referendum Info Session on Zoom on Tu 4/16 at 2pm.
Mon 4/15 5-6pm — Earth Month Clean-Up with RU Green & the Black Student Union: Come join RU Green & BSU for a service project in recognition of Earth Month. We will be beautifying the area surrounding our campus by picking up trash. All supplies will be provided. Meet in WB Lobby by 5pm. RSVP and event details here on Laker Connect.
Tues 4/16 12:30-1:45pm — SUST 210/250 Sustainability Teach-In Presentations: Join the students of SUST 210 Sustainable Future and SUST 250 The Sustainable University as three student teams present their projects on vital sustainability issues of the day (food, consumption, and waste). Attend live in WB 616 or virtually by Zoom. Email Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) for more info.
Tues 4/16 2pm — Virtual Tour of the MWRD’s Famous “Deep Tunnel”: one and all are invited to attend a free live virtual tour of the Chicago region’s water infrastructure and history on Tuesday, April 16 at 2 p.m. Travel back in time to early Chicago to see how we reversed the Chicago River and developed wastewater treatment technology. Go behind the scenes and under water to see how we transform the water you use every day; descend 300 feet into the deep tunnel system, and watch our electrofishing crew at work sampling fish on the Chicago River. See goats and sheep at work maintaining native prairie landscaping! (Yes, you read that right.) To register, click here.
Wed 4/17 thru Tues 4/23 — One Earth Film Festival (various locations): the One Earth Film Festival returns April 17 to 23, 2024, in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Department of Environment for its 13th festival season. Five days of in-person screenings at over 14 locations across the greater Chicago area will be followed by two days of virtual screenings. Sustainability and the Arts!
Thur 4/18 12:30-1:45pm — SUST 210/250 Sustainability Teach-In Presentations: Join the students of SUST 210 Sustainable Future and SUST 250 The Sustainable University as four student teams present their projects on vital sustainability issues of the day (athletics, energy, transportation, and water). Attend live in WB 616 or virtually by Zoom. Email Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) for more info.
Thur 4/18 & Sun 4/21 — WeDigBio Citizen Science Event at the Field Museum: Be a part of a global effort to digitize centuries of data about life on Earth! Organisms may include ferns, fungi, mosses, lichens, insects, and mammals. Participants will have an opportunity to meet scientists and join in behind-the-scenes tours or talks about the significance of the scientific collections. WeDigBio will be held in-person at the Field Museum on 4/18 and 4/21, from 9:30am to 1pm. For more info and to register for this event, please click here.
Fri 4/19 after Senate 12-4pm –Green-up / Clean-up Event: Immediately following University Senate, RU faculty and staff are invited to connect, collaborate and clean out office spaces. Details are forthcoming about special services and activities, but wear your Roosevelt green, grab some coffee and a snack and get ready for some spring cleaning! Details here on Inside RU.
Sat 4/20 thru Mon 4/22 — 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!
Wed 4/24 6-7pm CST — RU Students Explore the “Democracy of Place”: Join RU students as they engage other students from across the US in an online discussion about the present and future state of democracy. Led by students of the Resilience Studies Consortium, this interactive conversation will explore the importance of place, public spaces, sustainability, community resilience, and more. Zoom link: https://western.zoom.us/j/92506664532
Not enough stuff to choose from? Keep checking our blog for more updates about great Earth Month 2024 events and activities. And don’t forget to get outside!
Next week 4/15-19, all students have the chance to vote on a Mental Health Referendum for RU students. Below is an infographic about the issue and referendum; also, SGA is holding a Referendum Info Session on Zoom on Tu 4/16 at 2pm.
Vote and make your voice heard!
Posted ineducation, health, Roosevelt, students|Comments Off on RU Students: Vote on the Mental Health Referendum 4/15-19 on Laker Connect!
This April is #RUEarthMonth2024, and there are lots of ways to go green here at Roosevelt. Whether you’re on or off campus — from attending talks and webinars by invited speakers to hearing presentations by current students to joining in the student org RU Green’s activities and community service work — you can participate in and contribute to the sustainability of our campus community.
Mon 4/8 thru Fri 4/12 — Spring 2024 Roosevelt Student Research and Inquiry Symposium: a week-long virtual event featuring a mix of live sessions, poster presentations and pre-recorded oral & performance studies presentations on a wide range of topics. Student presentations will be posted on the site during RSRIS week. Register for sessions ahead of time (not required) to receive a link to add the event to your calendar. Check the detailed schedule here: pdf.
Th 4/11 3-4pm — SUST 395 Internship Presentations: As part of the annual Roosevelt Student Research & Inquiry Symposium, three Sustainability Internship students completing SUST 395 internships this spring 2024 semester at the Field Museum’s botany department (Daniel Dodinval and Kenny Koster) and the Southeast Environmental Task Force (Kristina Gillespie) will give oral presentations to the RU community on their research projects and community engagement activities. Please join us! Attend live in WB 1015 or via Zoom (details here).
Mon 4/15 5-6pm — Earth Month Clean-Up with RU Green & the Black Student Union: Come join RU Green & BSU for a service project in recognition of Earth Month. We will be beautifying the area surrounding our campus by picking up trash. All supplies will be provided. Meet in WB Lobby by 5pm. RSVP and event details here on Laker Connect.
Tues 4/16 and Thur 4/18 12:30-1:45pm — SUST 210/250 Sustainability Teach-In Presentations: Join the students of SUST 210 Sustainable Future and SUST 250 The Sustainable University as student teams present their projects on vital sustainability issues of the day. Attend live in WB 616 or by Zoom. Email Prof. Mike Bryson (mbryson@roosevelt.edu) for more info.
Fri 4/19 after Senate 12-4pm –Green-up / Clean-up Event: Following the success of our fall semester event, we are pleased to announce our next Green Up Clean Up will be Friday, April 19, 2024, on both campuses, immediately following University Senate. You and your colleagues are invited to connect, collaborate and clean out your office spaces. Details are forthcoming about special services and activities, but wear your Roosevelt green, grab some coffee and a snack and get ready for some spring cleaning! Details here on Inside RU.
Sat 4/20 thru Mon 4/22 — 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!
Wed 4/24 6-7pm CST — RU Students Explore the “Democracy of Place”: Join RU students in an online discussion about the present and future state of democracy led by students of the Resilience Studies Consortium as they explore the importance of place, public spaces, sustainability, community resilience, and more. Zoom link: https://western.zoom.us/j/92506664532
As part of the annual Roosevelt Student Research & Inquiry Symposium, three Sustainability Internship students completing SUST 395 internships this spring 2024 semester at the Field Museum’s botany department (Daniel Dodinval and Kenny Koster) and the Southeast Environmental Task Force (Kristina Gillespie) will give oral presentations to the RU community on their research projects and community engagement activities. Please join us!
Sustainability Studies @ Roosevelt University 