Weber State is again participating in the Worldwide Climate /Justice Teach-In, a Solve Climate by 2030 Initiative, a project of the Graduate Programs in Sustainability at Bard College in New York, in conjunction with partners worldwide and the Open Society University Network, with the goal of mobilizing hundreds of thousands of people (from universities, colleges, K-12 schools and more) on or around March 29, 2023 to focus on the critical climate justice work ahead, and on our shared resilient future. 

In the morning of March 29, 2023 there will be four 50-minute sessions on our campus, one each hour from 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. with in-person attendance for students, faculty and staff. Each session will feature a brief climate-change overview, three faculty flash talks of 5 minutes on climate and their disciplinary connection/engagement with the issues and solutions. The aim is to highlight the intersections and contributions that academic areas across campus have to offer to both our understanding of and solutions to climate change challenges. The flash-talks will be followed by time for interactive Q & A discussion as well as participants' starting a personal "punch list" of next steps for engagement. 

Students are encouraged to register on Givepulse for the sessions they plan to attend.

Resources for faculty to engage on climate change-related topics, impacts, and solutions independent of the campus event are available in a module in the Canvas Commons.  These may prove useful for those faculty teaching online/hybrid courses, on T/TH schedules, or who just wish to pick their own materials for a class assignment/discussion, etc., as a way of participating in the larger Teach-In. 

The module in the Canvas Commons is called "Climate and Justice World Wide Teach-In March 30, 2022" (faculty will need to be logged in to Canvas to access it).

Additional resources to bring the teach-in to your course include:  the recording of the 2022 World Wide Climate/Justice Teach-In presentations by various WSU faculty (available now, with indexed time markers for each presentation) and the 2023 Climate Teach-In presentations (which will be made available for use in classes by Monday April 3), and these thought provoking "Turn it Around" art and text flashcards made by youth for adults (educators, students, policy makers and more).  A sampling of resources for engagement on campus and beyond can be found here.

ALL faculty and classes are encouraged to connect with this initiative in some way whether that is: 

• bringing your class(es) to one or more of the sessions on Wednesday March 29th in the Shepherd Ballroom.  Please RSVP and/or indicate your plan to participate to let us know you are coming in person or doing your own thing.  (You may also just show up - but it would be great to know who is doing what).  
• watching part of the recorded presentations (the climate update/overview and faculty flash talks should take about  25 minutes) and holding your own classroom discussion;
• assigning it as an event for students to see on their own (event recordings will be made available, on this webpage, as soon as possible after the event);
• offering extra credit to attend and reflect; or
• finding climate-focused materials/topics to bring into your class independently for your in-person, online, or virtual classes. 

We need all tools, skills, and perspectives from across campus to address the collective challenges we face of climate change mitigation, adaptation and to foster community resilience and justice.   

 

Event Schedule

Campus-focused morning sessions: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., one session each hour (8:30, 9:30, 10:30, and 11:30 a.m.)

Shepherd Union Ballrooms B&C

Hourly schedule:

8:30 a.m. - 9:20 a.m.

• Welcome to Worldwide Teach-In Initiative, Alice Mulder (Sustainability Practices and Research Center | Geography, Environment & Sustainability)
• Brief Climate Change Overview - Carie Frantz, Earth and Environmental Science
• Faculty Flash Presentations:
  • Thom Kuehls, Political Science, The International Politics of a Global Crisis
  • Scott Moore, Medical Laboratory Science, Climate Change and Health
  • Maria Groves, Geography, Environment & Sustainability, Extreme Weather and Climate Justice
• Interactive solutions-focused Q&A and facilitated creation of a personal "punch list" for engagement

 

9:30 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.

• Welcome to Worldwide Teach-In Initiative, Alice Mulder (Sustainability Practices and Research Center | Geography, Environment & Sustainability)
• Brief Climate Change Overview - Caitlin Tems, Earth & Environmental Sciences
• Faculty Flash Presentations:
  • Chris Scheidler, English/Technical Writing, Climate Community Activism and Environmental Risk Communication
  • Aminda O'Hare, Psychology, Pollution, Mental Health & Neurological Disorders
  • Jeremy Farner, Construction and Building Sciences, Solving Climate Issues One Electric Home at a Time
• Interactive solutions-focused Q&A and facilitated creation of a personal "punch list" for engagement

 

10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

• Welcome to Worldwide Teach-In Initiative, Alice Mulder (Sustainability Practices and Research Center | Geography, Environment & Sustainability)
• Brief Climate Change Overview - John Sohl, Physics
• Faculty Flash Presentations:
  • Saori Hanaki, Exercise and  Nutrition Sciences, Climate Change on Physical Activity and Sports
  • Jim Hutchins, Health Sciences, How do Minds Change?
  • Carie Frantz, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Climate Change and the Great Salt Lake
• Interactive solutions-focused Q&A and facilitated creation of a personal "punch list" for engagement

 

11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.

• Welcome to Worldwide Teach-In Initiative, Alice Mulder (Sustainability Practices and Research Center | Geography, Environment & Sustainability)
• Brief Climate Change Overview - Stacy Palen, Physics
• Faculty Flash Presentations:
  • Michele Culumber, Microbiology, Microbes and Climate Change
  • Cully Long, School of Performing Arts, title TBA
  • Carla Trentelman, Sociology & Anthropology, Climate Change, Environmental Justice and Hazards
• Interactive solutions-focused Q&A and facilitated creation of a personal "punch list" for engagement