University of Dayton
AC-5: Immersive Experience

ETHOS provides students with community-based, solutions-focused, applied learning experiences that address technical sustainability and accessibility challenges on campus, in the greater Dayton community, in the U.S., and abroad. The program serves approximately 60 students annually within the School of Engineering. The immersion program places students with community organizations to co-develop innovative sociotechnical solutions that address sustainability challenges such as environmental justice, food insecurity, global inequality, water stewardship, and climate change. Students collaborate with a hyper-local organization on community-identified needs and aspirations. Their design and implementation work is guided by equity-centered design, principles of just and sustainable technology, cultural humility, and reciprocal partnerships. To assess the success of the projects, ETHOS students develop final presentations, final technical reports, and weekly photo reflections which are assessed based on academic, civic, intercultural, vocational, and personal transformation student learning outcomes. The presentations and reports are currently archived in an internal ETHOS database. However, many of the student projects are selected each year for the Stander Symposium, an annual student research symposium featuring student presentations, poster sessions, inclusion in a publicly accessible abstract catalogue, and inclusion in the university’s eCommons repository

The Sustainability, Energy & the Environment ILLC is for students of any major. Students are invited to think critically about the myriad approaches to sustainability, energy, and the environment by integrating material from several different disciplines throughout two semesters. Humanities Commons courses will share readings and attend events together, and students and faculty in all of the courses will interact and integrate activities. The first-year seminar features guest lecturers from across the University and also includes community leaders, giving students the opportunity to explore sustainability, energy, and environmental themes from different points of view and to contribute student's own ideas through projects and student-initiated events. The SEE ILLC is part of UD’s Sustainability, Energy & the Environment Initiative for first year students. The program spans the entire academic year.

The Rivers Institute (and Dayton Civic Scholars) program is supported by a director, two graduate assistants and an undergraduate program assistant dedicated to providing students with solutions-focused, applied learning experiences that address water stewardship and sustainability challenges on campus, in the greater Dayton community, in the U.S., and abroad. Each cohort of 15 students annually represent all schools of the university including engineering, business, health and sports science, and arts and sciences majors. This three-year program develops environmental leadership and civic engagement skills and guides students to develop innovative solutions to meeting sustainability challenges such as environmental justice, water stewardship, and climate change. To assess the success of the projects, River Stewards and Dayton Civic Scholars are evaluated on the application of the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community’s five practiced principles of community building and their overall year and a half “project process”. The student projects are assessed on their ability to do the following: identify a true community need, identify and map community assets around that issue/need, develop social capital - mutually beneficial and trustful relationships, facilitate constructive public conversations and balance their own inquiry and advocacy, and develop a co-created widely shared vision which would be the “project.” These projects are currently listed on the River Steward alumni website. Some projects have evolved over the years and still continue on until this day and others become catalysts for further action. Additionally seniors are required to present their projects to the community and at the Stander Symposium, an annual student research symposium featuring student presentations, poster sessions, inclusion in a publicly accessible abstract catalogue, and inclusion in the university’s eCommons repository.

Additional URLs:
https://udayton.edu/llc/integrated_llcs/sustainability_llc.php
https://udayton.edu/artssciences/ctr/fitz/student-servant-leadership/river-stewards/index.php; https://udayton.edu/artssciences/ctr/fitz/rivers_inst/index.php