Abstract
During the 2008—2009 academic year, Macalester College engaged over 400 students, staff, and faculty in sustainability strategic planning. Located in urban St. Paul, MN, Macalester is a small, liberal arts college with an educational program known for its high standards in scholarship and its special emphasis on internationalism, multiculturalism, and service to society. Using a highly participatory approach, the campus generated a sustainability plan with specific, measureable priorities in 2009. Making use of several cross-college teams, the strategic planning process engaged the campus community in several planning phases: capacity building, practical vision and obstacles, data collection and stakeholder input, strategic directions, and implementation. Lessons learned include how to provide for appropriate and constructive participation, multimodal communication strategies, the importance of staff capacity, leveraging college resources for tasks such as data collection, and the importance of connections to senior college leaders.
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