San Diego State University
PAE-19: Community Sustainability Partnerships

SDSU is engaged in partnerships with regional universities, school districts, businesses, and non-profits that further the social, economic and environmental sustainability of our city and region. Selected sustainability partnerships include: The Compact for Success, a partnership between SDSU and the Sweetwater Union High School District, which provides guaranteed admission to SDSU upon successful completion of academic benchmarks. According to 2010 President Stephen Weber "The partnership is a model for how universities and communities can work together to enhance success and, consequently, access to higher education for large numbers of diverse students." The Compact for Success program contributes to a more sustainable community by providing access to student in the local community to higher education, making education more affordable through local area scholarships, encouraging students to succeed by providing academic support, and supports diversity by guaranteeing admission for qualifying San Diego students, many of whom are from under-served populations.
http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/compact/history.html

SDSU faculty are founding members and serve on the steering committee of the San Diego Biominicry research and collaboration network the Biomimicry Business, Research, Innovation, Design, Governance, and Education (BRIDGE). The multi-organization partnership has created the world’s first biomimicry hub to promote biomimicry as a new paradigm for nature-inspired research, education, innovation, and investment to create a more efficient and sustainable world. Partners include: San Diego Zoo Global, the City of San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego, University of San Diego, and CONNECT. http://www.sandiegozoo.org/conservation/biomimicry/biomimicry/biomimicry_bridge

SDSU Service Learning Program supports on-going collaborations between community groups, students, and faculty on sustainability related projects including: the LoCAL arts collaborative, South Bay Sustainability News Letter, the Cultivating Food Justice Conference 2010, Tanzania literacy and Mnykokgo library project, and a study abroad to complete a UN Millennium Goals sustainability assessment in the Dominican Republic. Partners have included: the Public Conversations Project, the City of Chula Vista, San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project, the International Rescue Committee, and SLOW Food Urban San Diego. http://servicelearning.sdsu.edu/

The Clean Tech clean energy group is collaboration between SDSU, regional universities and businesses established in 2008 to accelerate the commercialization of clean technologies. Faculty from the group, including SDSU Biochemistry professor John Love won $50,000 grants at the 2008 Clean Tech Innovation Challenge Awards to develop prototypes to demonstrate the commercial viability of clean fuels. Partners include faculty from UC San Diego, SDSU, University of San Diego and Alliant International University. and Qualcomm, Inc. http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/news_releases/release.sfe?id=793

College of Extended Studies offers courses and certification programs in green building, event planning, travel study, and other fields that are open to the community. As a part of these programs CES and its businesses and community partners facilitate green networking and educational events to exchange knowledge and encourage collaboration around regional sustainability issues such as water use, green job creation, and alternative energy. http://www.ces.sdsu.edu/Pages/Engine.aspx?id=549

Other SDSU collaborations and partnerships include: CleanTECH San Diego collaborative, the Energy Innovation Small Grants Program, the Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy (SCERP),National Energy Center for Sustainable Communities, SDSU Center for Energy Studies , SANDAG Energy Working Group, and the US Good Neighbor Environmental Board.

For a listing of Centers and Institutes engaged in sustainability research and community partnerships see: http://crs.sdsu.edu/STARS.html