Pacific University

Courses and Programs

While my work with other projects has been to create something new, my work at Pacific University is to change an already-existing paradigm. This has proven to be more difficult and progress towards change has been slower. In spite of bold rhetoric towards adopting integrative, experiential, and engaged pedagogies; silos, territories, and convention all work against transformation. While collaboration and dialog are powerful tools, ecologists tell us that an established system resists change and that it sometimes takes radical disruption to re-set the system. Thus, a part of my function is to prod, poke, and unbalance as well as to gather together and build.

One strategy for promoting change at Pacific University has been to propose programs and courses that cross disciplinary boundaries,

empower students to act in support of their interests, and address real-world problems. While many of these proposals will never be approved, their existence has served to open dialog, promote interactions, and push movement towards adopting new teaching practices. Another strategy has been to bring in guest speakers that expand conversations beyond the campus boundaries and connect our initiatives to a greater community. Examples include Fritz Haag, David Orr, and Mark Lakeman.

EcoArt

I first offered EcoArt in 2007 as a way to explore a different approach to the traditional object-based art practice. The course was controversial in the art department but student response was overwhelmingly positive and some of the work they did was published in Drain Magazine. While acceptance from the art department was slow in coming, it eventually saw the value of socially engaged art practice and has now fully adopted the activist approach.

Plastic Impact

“Plastic Impact” was a guerilla artwork installed by an anonymous student group at Pacific University. It consisted of 1347 plastic shopping bags tied end to end to form a rope that was entwined around the trees throughout the campus. The work Is an attempt to demonstrate how many plastic bags would be used in a day if each student in the college of arts and sciences used just one bag. The project took over two weeks to assemble and involved an unknown number of students working secretly in collaboration. The work was up for three days after which it was completely removed by the artists in a second late-night action.

Published in Drain Magazine

Art Project

Terry O'Day: "Plastic Impact

Review/Interview

Creating Sustainability; The Activist Art of Terry O'Day by Julie Alderson

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Permaculture Design

In 2007-2012, I held an interdisciplinary position with responsibilities in both the Art and Environmental Studies departments. During that time, I co-developed and taught a permaculture course and helped to develop a new Sustainable Design major. Recently, the Art Department adopted a design track of its own that also has at its core a consideration of sustainability and systems thinking. The design track includes ARTST 207, Design for Sustainability, an art-focused version of permaculture design.

Other Proposals

Listed below are some of the programs and courses that I've had a primary role in developing.

Majors

Sustainable Design Major (Environmental Studies - now Applied Sustainability)

Sustainability Education Major (approved by COE, not approved by CAS)

Art Major, Design Track (includes multiple SU designated courses)

Concentrations in the Environmental Studies: Policy, Culture, and Society major

Design for Sustainability

Education for Sustainability ( currently in progress, approved by COE)

Focal Studies (interdisciplinary groups of courses that fulfill a general education requirement)

The Educated Rabble-Rouser

People, Planet, Profit