The Sustainable University

In my Environmental Assessment and Milieu Management course, we are now reading a book entitled The Sustainable University.  In this book published just last year in 2012 by James Martin and James Samuels, these authors make the case for higher educations' role and challenges in advocating sustainability.  Colleges and universities have been at the forefront of efforts to preserve our natural resources for our future generations.  The research and education around sustainability on colleges and universities have been second to none.  However, this book provides a lens for those who are currently or plan to lead any college or university in the future.

Today, there has been several hundreds of university presidents who have signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment.  However, there are a great many university leaders who have yet made this commitment.  This book outlines four biggest challenges for presidents and other university leaders to face along with solutions to address these challenges.  The four challenges are:

• Effectively institutionalizing sustainability thinking
• Developing an efficient, flexible system of sustainability benchmarks
• Implementing an accountable university budget mode
• Engaging the Board of Trustees in the campus sustainability agenda

This publication outlines solutions that tackles these four challenges with the goal of ultimately educating but equally important, preserving our earth's resources for the generation that follows us.  The purpose of higher education goes beyond the classroom!  This is student affairs!

Tapped: Have You Thought About How You Drink Water?

This week, I had a surprising opportunity to watch TV for leisure.  However, my brain and guilt forced me to watch something that I would consider educationally relevant to school or work.  So, therefore, I chose to watch a documentary called Tapped (2009).  This documentary examines the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on our health, climate change, pollution, and our reliance on oil.  It was a facinating documentary to watch and to see how the bottled water industry began to thrive and grow.

I have always thought of the idea of purchasing water as incongruous.  I grew up on a farm in a small country town in Mississippi.  We didn't buy water.  We were just a few years removed from having to pump our own water from ground wells.  I've actually had the opportunity to use a ground pump well and even an "outhouse". Therefore, buying bottled water has always been a foreign concept and practice in my family growing up.  So, seeing this documentary has made me appreciate my upbringing a little more and have reaffirmed my practice of drinking self filtered water instead of purchasing water from water bottled companies that affect so many local people where they have plants/distribution facilities.

I encourage you to watch the documentary. You will not regret giving up that hour and ten or so minutes for this worthwhile piece that truly challenges our contemporary culture of thinking.

Is water a right or is it a commodity?

Four Frames of Environmental Theory

During the first week of classes, I had the pleasure of touring the historic and preserved North Campus at the University of Georgia.  The tour was a part of a class activity for the Environmental'''' course.  It was fascinating touring north campus through the lens of the authors Strange and Banning (2010) through the four frames of environmental design.  These four frames are physical, human aggregate, organized, and constructed.  Environments on college campuses are created within these four frames.  As we toured north campus, it became evident how the physical environment was constructed with buildings, fountains, gardens, etc.  Immediately upon seeing north campus, I always thought of "college" when I'm there.  The historic buildings, green space, etc gives the true collegiate feel when I'm visiting.  The human aggregate was best understood by the long traditions that have continued to be passed down.  For example, we saw countless students walking around the famous UGA Arch.  The organized environment that I took notice of was which departments were in which building and even which departments were housed on North Campus in relation to other parts of campus.  The constructed environment was also discussed as some classmates talked about how they feel when they are on campus or even when game day comes and the campus is conveniently packed with 100,000+ people moving around the campus and the city of Athens.

This will be an interesting class and I'm looking forward to the continued conversations around how college environments affect student learning and development.

The Relaunch

I know it has been quite a while since I've written a blog. My last year has been spent becoming adjusted to being a student again. I am entering my second year as a doctoral student in the College Student Affairs Administration Ph.D. program at The University of Georgia. Again, my first year was a year of adjustment and rediscovery. Throughout last academic year, I have realized a lot more about my interest as well as who I am as a practitioner-scholar within Higher Education. My passion for higher education is still strong.

Over the next few months, I will relaunch this blog as I incorporate some thoughts from an ongoing class project. This course is Environmental Assessment and Milieu Management. The course consists of theories and techniques for assessing human environments in educational settings and strategies for influencing them. As a part of my ongoing project in this course, we are asked to understand how sustainability is or is not present in our personal and professional lives. We were asked to find a mechanism where we can record what we notice, think and do about sustainability. Later in the semester, we will have a class summit to discuss and analyze what we've learned and how we engage the topic of sustainability.

Therefore, this blog will be a place for me to share thoughts into my personal and professional journey with sustainability. I hope you will indulge me for this semester as a use this platform to record my thoughts. I welcome your comments and feedback and I look forward to this great semester of blogging...

Letting Go Of The Past: Black Greek Lettered Organizations & Pledging

Black Greek Lettered Organizations, often referred to as BGLOs, have been dealing with an identity crisis since 1990, when the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing council for all BGLO's, abolished pledging was known by all of these organizations since the early 1900's. Gregory S. Parks, J.D., Ph.D., faculty member at Wake Forest University, and 1997 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, inc. is interviewed by Tony Reeves, a 1989 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to discuss how all BGLOs are dealing with hazing.

Below is that interview. Please listen in and give your response and thoughts as you see fit.

Listen to internet radio with Tony Reeves on Blog Talk Radio

Black Identity: What's Your Appropriate Level Of Blackness?

BLACK! BLACK Greek Lettered Organizations (BGLO’s), Historically BLACK Colleges & Universities (HBCU’s), 100 BLACK Men, Inc., National BLACK Nurses Association! All of these organizations seem to be great organizations that have a few things in common. The obvious is that they are all historically black organizations serving predominately and historically Black Americans, contemporarily referred to as African Americans.

These “Black” organizations were all founded under the precepts of uplifting the African American race in an era in our country when access for African Americans was limited. These organizations provide a network of familiar faces to African American. However, recently, these organizations have been battling the label of being organizations that reverse discriminate. Also, most of these organizations have been known, historically, to have to do more with less. This means that most of these organizations operate on a small fraction of a budget than their white counterparts.

Because of these characteristics of these black institutions and organizations, some including African Americans, deem these organizations as being “less”. Some believe that they would receive a less valued education if they attend and graduate from a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) vs. a Predominately White Institution. I hear some people also say that a black student attending a PWI should stir away from joining black organization to avoid a stigma. There are also some African Americans that suggest that being too entrenched in the “black” culture could hurt the resume. This negative stigma comes from the idea that being stigmatized as being “too black” also gives the impression that one exclusive or racist themselves.

The question that individuals have to ask themselves is “What is my bias and does black identity show up in that bias anywhere?”

Twitter Debate: Black Greeks' Barbaric Behaviors at 2011 Atlanta Greek Picnic - How Should These Behaviors Be Addressed?

I'm a new user of twitter. (@TRAVISLMARTIN)

I once stated that twitter did not make any sense to me. However, what I didn't know, is that I can have current events in the palm of my hand and coming to my mobile device right as it's happening. This phenomenom drew me into starting a twitter account. On this morning, I woke up to a number of tweets concerning behaviors of greeks, particularly those who are member of the organization in which I hold membership to and esteem so greatly. Tweets came from fellow members as well as the General (National) President calling out the behavior of these greek organizations. I saw one fellow member of my organization rebuke the comments of the General President so we ended up in a friendly and brotherly debate below. Please give your opinion this...



TheGoodTK TK
@sdunlap21 @theanalyzer0226 bruhs got red tear drops, "Bloody Delta Gamma Chapter" and trading, can be homage to the past #NotThatSeriosSkip

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK @sdunlap21 @theanalyzer0226 I totally disagree with this paying homage to the past. This is not our past!

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin it's a stretch, but it's lots of attention at a picnic for college kids, what's next house parties it's #NotThatSeriousSkip

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Just as u wouldn't want family/kids doin crazy stuff, we need bros who feel the same way about his fraternity. #CallASpadeASpade

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I agree but it's bigger issues than this picnic. 9 days away from "THE EVENT". Don't tweet bad press

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK There ARE bigger issues! So, instead of rippin Skip 4 calling dem out, rip bros who are acting ignorant! They are the "bad press"

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK It wasn't bad press when wood was swinin out in middle of thousands of pple but it is when called out on twitter. #seriously

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Bro's throw out the "bad press" card when it's convenient or when it helps 2 protect their interests.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin multiple tweets about a group of bruhs, in letters, at a Greek event. Versus addressing it and not tweetin about it.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin how do you confirm that the US president is coming in on tweet, and 10 tweets about "bloody" on nailia and trading with wood.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin was it only ALPHAS trading, was it sphinxmen trading? Or grown men who are at least active, doing service, and having fun?

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK It doesn't matter who it was! NE Greek, whether active or inactive should not behave in public like that in letters! #nonsense

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK If Bro's want 2 act out OUTSIDE of order of d org, they should be called out OUTSIDE. That's my stance.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin there will always be issues when it comes to bruhs in our frat. In our history book the jewels didn't like the beta chapter.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin they were doing things they didnt agree with, didn't like the activities and colors, but brothers interpret things differntl

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK U make statement about jewels not liking beta. Wow Where are you getting your history young brother?

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK ...and even if they did, does that make it right? There is an order n evry org & Alpha expects mem not to act as such.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I get my history from the only book every brother is given.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK If a bro don't like what org represent, then they shouldn't have joined in 1st place...or change it the correct way. Get involved

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK I understand ur point about keeping stuff in house but those bros were out of order.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin and they were, but the house of alpha is a house for a reason, we dont need outsiders reading, watching, instigating.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I'm not arguing on ht happened, any competent person knows that was wrong including those involved. But more people found...

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin out because of his tweets, and are speeding rumors, lies, and misinformation, because hte attention he brought to it.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin at one point they said it was bruhs from my great state NC, acting like gangs and fighting and trading when that wasn't true

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin Travis to Travis I understand your point. But I don't like the attention brought into the matter. I feel tweets made it worse

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK I don't think tweets made it worse. It was already worse when actions of such was taken. Pple will always gossip & lie anyway.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin and I respect your opinion. But when you publicly criticize the actions of a few, the effects are never good.

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin no matter the situation, approach brothers behind closed doors, the Jewels wouldn't tweet that. They would not use the public

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin everyone with a title wants to add their 2cents "oh I felt disrespected too" so what, handle it off twitter and carry on!

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Well u just said that things should be handled in house but u just quoted history that YOU said is published in a history book.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK The History book is a published book for ANYONE to read. Now does that make the Charles Wesley wrong for publishing that?

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin Charles Westley the 8th jewel? I got that wrong on my test then

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin bottom line is I agree with what 99% of alphas agree with, but he shouldn't have even tweeted on the subject!

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin were doing big things under Pres. Mason, everyone is looking for flaws. Don't give their fire fuel, it's #NotThatSeriousSkip

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK What are you talking about the 8th jewel? Huh!? Don't stray away from the question. Does that make Wesley wrong?

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin He is historian, not a president! He's not the head of our organization. He isnt in the wrong. Our discussion now isn't wrong

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Ok Brother Travis. I will agree to disagree my bro. I'm done. Great debate though. #goodwill

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin As the president, most recognizable brother alive, and most importantly a leader you don't publically criticize or exasperate

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK LOL...had 2 response 2 last tweet. It doesnt matter if you're natl prez or a neophyte. EVERYONE should be held to same standard

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I agree brother *follows* I'm still a young man, with a lot to learn. I understand your point, and respectfully disagree

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin I just feel like as a leader public reprimands, and criticizing isn't a good look. NEVER IN PUBLIC, OR WORSE ON TWITTER

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Pres Obama must and always do PUBLICLY condemn certain actions by citizens and that should b no different when it comes to Skip

TheGoodTK TK
@travislmartin Obama answers and leads the public, Alpha Phi Alpha isn't the public, but a close & private bond between brothers.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Ok. Agree. But when things get outside of the house like behaviors this weekend, then the leader must speak on it.

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Alpha Phi Alpha is a priv and close bond between brothers but we're also a public organization/business

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK Again, good debate bro. Take care & enjoy the rest of your evening. Hope to meet ya someday.

TheGoodTK TK
This is why I love APHIA a discussion with a good brother @travislmartin we didnt end up agreeing but we both see where were coming from

TheGoodTK TK
and @travislmartin didn't throw out age, pay grades, or titles a good debate. THANK YOU BROTHER onward an upward always!

travislmartin Travis Martin
@TheGoodTK "@travislmartin didnt throw out age, pay grade, r titles a good debate. THANK YOU BROTHER" >>Dat's what it's about. #brotherhood