SUSTAINABLE URBAN SYSTEMSCOMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING AT SAN JOSÉ STATE

A LITTLE DEPT. BACKGROUND

• Department

• Graduate program

• ~100-120 students

• Faculty mix

• Emphasis on applied learning

• Long history of community-based learning

COMMUNIVERCITY SAN JOSÉ

• Place-based focus

• Long-term commitment

• Community-driven priorities**

• Multi-sector partnership

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED LEARNING

Community

University City

Building Community

PROJECT TYPES

• Multi-disciplinary — every College represented

• Scalable — short course component full class focus

• Driven by communities priorities many sustainability-themed projects

SUSTAINABILITY-RELATED PROJECTS

BENEFITS

• For communities…

• Access to skills/services

• Creative/innovative approaches (not constrained by political process)

• For students…

• Real-world skills/training

• Exposure to professionals/networking

CHALLENGES

• Time-consuming (for all!)

• Competing priorities — clients, faculty, students

• Project evolution

–Philip Randolph

“A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the

highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess.”