Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities

Global Stewardship Initiative

Campus Activity Report (1995-1996)

Bethel College

Robert Kistler

r-kistler@bethel.edu

Academic Environmental Activities and Innovations

Fall Semester, 1995

Nature walk during Faculty Retreat led by Dr. Robert Kistler, August 30, 1995

Display on Waste Reduction by Environmental Studies Program during Minnesota Waste Reduction Week, October 2 - 8

January Term, 1996

A new course in the general education category, Science, Technology, and Society, GES318K Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands: Natural History and Future Prospects was developed and taught by Dr. James Reynhout in Ecuador, January, 1996.

Spring Semester, 1996

Dr. Keith Anderson, Campus pastor, presented as part of a series on Genesis (February 21, 1996), a chapel entitled "A World for All of Us". The four main points were 1) that humanity is in nature, 2) humanity is over nature, 3) humanity is under God who created and cares for Creation, and 4) we are thus called to treat all things with integrity.

Earth Day Celebration, April 22, 1996

- Tree planting ceremony outside freshman dorms

- Guest speaker Dr. Owen Owens, Director of Ecology and Racial Justice,

Division of Social Ministries of American Baptist Churches U.S.A.

A new community covenant, April 1996, was unveiled which incorporated the following environmental component (see http://www.bethel.edu/college/ catalog/acadinfo/lifestyl/lifestyl.htm for the entire statement) :

We value the wise stewardship of resources:

We believe all human and natural resources are a trust from God. We value work, creative expression, and wise use of time, ability, and money. We believe in wise use of natural resources. We will use them to do God's work and to benefit God's creation.

We prohibit gambling and vandalism. In addition we reject materialism and harmful exploitation of natural resources.

A new course in the general education category, Science, Technology, and Society, ENW340K Environmental Writing in American Society, was developed and taught by Dr. Thomas Becknell, Professor of English.

The theater Dept. touring troupe went to Belize in March and toured two preserves to gather information for a play dealing with the environment. We met with the Audubon Society to make connection on performing the play and receiving more information on jungle/forest life. We presented the environment play at the Bliss Institute for several schools.

Dale Rott, Associate Professor of Theater Arts, brought an environmental play in progress into an environmental science class taught by Dr. Robert Kistler in a beneficial different perspectives collaboration to bring science into theater and theater into the teaching and learning of environmental science.

Summer, 1996

Junior Biology/Environmental Studies student Tiffanie Rosine, chosen by Bethel College, attended a two week environmental training conference in Belize, May 17 - 29, hosted by the Christian Environmental Association at their Jaguar Creek facility.

Junior Environmental Studies student Kim Maki attended a meeting for student environmental leaders sponsored by the Christian Environmental Association at their Hidden Lake Retreat center near Sacramento, CA

Fifteen Students, two staff, and five Bethel faculty participated in a service learning Target Earth Project, hosted bye the Christian Environmental Association at Jaguar Creek in Belize, Central America, June 1 - June 7 1996.

Bethel College joined the Green Seal Environmental Partners Program, making a commitment to purchase green products and continuing to maintain a comprehensive recycling system.

Fall Semester, 1996

A bird and nature walk was led by Drs. Teresa DeGolier and Robert Kistler at Faculty Retreat, August 29, 1996.

Student Environmental Club was formed and initiated activities on Sept. 30 with a showing of the Lorax and a subsequent discussion period.

Environmental Studies has developed an educational display for Minnesota Waste Reduction Week, September 30 - October 6, 1996.

Curricular Environmental Innovations

GES120 Creativity in the Fine Arts Dr. Wayne Roosa, Professor of Art, developed a session on "the relationship of mankind and nature" in which he showed examples of 19th and 20th century works that dealt with issues of the beauty of nature how we have "lost touch" with it.

GES105 Freshman Seminarthe text used for this course is a book by Campus Pastor Keith Anderson which contains a chapter on the call of Christians to be environmental stewards, [Anderson, K. 1995. What They Don't Always Teach You at a Christian College. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, Chapter 27. This Island Earth]

GES322K Cancer: Science and SocietyDr. James Reynhout, Professor of Biology, covers the fact that 80% of cancers appear to be environmentally induced and discusses extensively such things as smoking, air pollution, asbestos, pesticides (like DDT), occupational carcinogens, etc.

GES330K Food Production: The scientific, technological, and societal impacts of some current US food production methods, BIO207 Microbiology, GES904K Human Impacts on Coral Reefs in the Philippines and HawaiiDr. Ian Johnston, Associate Professor of Biology, attempts to help students refine their own theology of creation, and from there hopefully move to a more enthusiastic active stewardship of the natural world.

GES318K Ecuador and The Galapagos Islands: Natural History and Future ProspectsThis new course was developed and taught by Dr. James Reynhout in Ecuador, January, 1996

GES461P Christian Perspectives of Global PeacemakingA general education course for seniors in our Contemporary Christian Issues category, taught by Dr. Vincent Peters, Associate Professor of Social Work, devotes a significant amount of time on peace and environment, how militarism destroys environment. A student service learning project in this area examined this during summer session 1996 and will do so again Fall, 1996.

ART100 2-Dimensional DesignProfessor of Art, Dale Johnson takes his class goes into the campus and finds sources of design in nature, i.e.. plants or fish with complimentary colors. In the process they discuss the aspect of balance and care of the planet and specifically the Bethel College campus. Appreciation of beauty in nature is as essential in art as the sciences and is a powerful motivator to act on the understanding gleaned from classes.

BIO101D Principles of Biologya more extensive coverage of ecological principles and a laboratory doing ecological analysis were added to this non-majors course by Dr. Teresa DeGolier, Assistant Professor of Biology.

BIO302 Human Ecologya new course for majors in Biology and Environmental Studies, developed by Dr. Robert Kistler, Professor of Biology, takes a deeper look at the inter-relationship between humans and their environment.

CHEM103D Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry and CHEM111D General Chemistry students, beginning in Fall 1996 are introduced to proper methods of handling and disposal of hazardous materials. This is also incorporated into training for teaching assistants.

CHEM 200 Laboratory Safety and Chemical Hygiene, a course required of all Environmental Studies majors, taught by Dr. Paul Tavernier, Professor of Chemistry, included a waste disposal section on all types of waste disposal in the lab including an explanation of recycling at Bethel.

CUL383G Missions in the 21st Century, a general education course in our Systems category taught by Dr. Herb Klem, Professor of Missions, Bethel Seminary, includes a discussion of population growth and its impact on world ecological systems and world economic imbalances which will influence the world ecological systems. The course segment covers about 3 lectures on the mission of the church and the state of the world from a demographic position.

ENW340K Environmental Writing in American Society, a new general education course in science, technology, and society was developed and taught by Dr. Thomas Becknell, Professor of English, Spring 1996

MAT124M Calculus IAssistant Professor of Mathematics, Patrice Conrath uses an example of the bioamplification of DDT to teach calculus.

Scholarly Work

Dr. William Johnson, Political Science, has been revising a book on urban planning which was first published in 1989. The focus is land use, and one chapter specifically discusses policies and programs on growth limitation, open space and critical area protection, pollution control, and the like. Johnson, W. 1989. The Politics of Urban Planning. Paragon House, New York.

Dr. Dave Clark, Professor of Theology, Bethel Seminary, just published a textbook, with Bob Rakestraw, "Readings in Christian Ethics: Issues and Applications." This is an anthology of mostly, but not exclusively, evangelical writers who discuss various ethical issues. We included two chapters on topics that evangelical ethics has been slow to recognize and emphasize. These include chapters on race relations and on environment. We basically conclude that care of the environment is an ethical duty for believers based on the creativity of God and his cultural mandate in Genesis 1. We also argue against the misrepresentation of the dominion theme of Genesis as a rationalization for abuse of the earth and specifically rebut the notorious essays of Lynn White, Jr., and Ian McHarg who facilely draw a cause/effect relationship between the teachings of Scripture and the environmental holocaust. This is a book of readings that sets different perspectives in contrast with each other for the purpose of stimulating student discussion and perspective-formation. We hope and intend, however, that our students (mostly future ministers) will be impressed with the importance caring for God's gift, the environment.

[D. K. Clark and R. V. Rakestraw (eds.) 1996. Care for the Environment. Readings in Christian Ethics, Volume 2: Issues and Applications. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.

Dr. Teresa DeGolier, Assistant Professor of Biology, is completing a paper entitled "Relationship of Avian Cecal Lengths to Taxonomic Position, Food Habits, and Intestinal Lengths"