Teaching as a Sacred Life (opinion) – Inside Higher Ed

An Analysis of a Lifelong Academic Career in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals

A case study of a professor’s 56-year career at a liberal arts university provides a framework for understanding the tangible contributions of higher education professionals to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The subject, Dr. Joe P. Dunn, Charles A. Dana Professor of History and Politics at Converse University, has dedicated his professional life to practices that directly support key global objectives, particularly in education, economic growth, and institutional strength.

Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Inclusive Mentorship

The professor’s career is a testament to the principles of SDG 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. His impact is demonstrated through several key areas:

• Sustained Mentorship: Over nearly six decades, he has mentored hundreds of students, guiding them toward successful careers and advanced academic pursuits in top-tier graduate and professional schools.
• Fostering an Engaging Learning Environment: His office is utilized as a “teaching tool” and a “mini-museum” of his career, creating an immersive and inspirational space that encourages student engagement and curiosity.
• Multi-Generational Impact: The presence of second and third-generation students underscores a long-term institutional commitment to community and the delivery of consistent, quality education across generations.
• Didactic Pedagogy: He employs a teaching philosophy where all personal experiences, including travel and reading, are framed as educational opportunities to be integrated into the classroom, enriching student learning.

Impact on SDG 8 and SDG 10: Decent Work and Reduced Inequalities

Empowering Students for Economic and Professional Success

The professor’s work directly contributes to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by equipping students with the skills and support necessary for upward mobility and professional achievement.

1. Pathway to Professional Success: Graduates have secured prominent roles as scholars, provosts, and other professionals, contributing to a skilled workforce and sustainable economic growth.
2. Reducing Opportunity Gaps: By providing high-quality education and dedicated mentorship at a regional liberal arts institution, he helps to reduce inequalities, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to access prestigious national awards and opportunities.
3. Modeling a Sustainable Career: His long and fulfilling career exemplifies the principles of decent work, emphasizing purpose-driven contributions over purely hierarchical advancement.

Upholding SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Promoting Ethical Values and Building Effective Institutions

The professor’s educational philosophy and leadership roles align with the objectives of SDG 16, which focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

• Advocacy for Moral and Intellectual Integrity: He actively challenges moral relativism and intellectual dishonesty, asserting that education has a responsibility to uphold fundamental values against concepts like genocide and conspiracy theories, thereby fostering the ethical foundations of a just society.
• Strengthening Academic Institutions: Through 35 years of service as a department chair, he has focused on building a strong, effective, and inclusive institutional culture.
• Collaborative Leadership: His leadership model is centered on ensuring the collective success of his colleagues, a practice that builds resilient and collaborative teams, which are the cornerstone of strong institutions.

Challenges and Future Outlook

Sustaining Educational Goals Amidst Systemic Threats

The report acknowledges the existence of significant challenges to the liberal arts model, which could impact the continued achievement of these educational goals. However, the professor’s ongoing commitment to teaching, contingent on personal health, reflects a deep-seated dedication to the mission of higher education. His reluctance to retire underscores the perceived importance of direct, personal mentorship in shaping future generations and advancing the core principles embedded within the Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• The entire article is a reflection on a 56-year career as a college professor. The author’s dedication to teaching, mentoring students, and fostering a love for learning directly aligns with the core principles of providing quality education. He describes teaching as “the highest calling in this human existence” and his role as affecting students’ lives, which is the essence of SDG 4.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• The article highlights the author’s long, fulfilling, and productive career, which he describes as his “slice of heaven” rather than just a job. This embodies the concept of “decent work” promoted by SDG 8. Furthermore, his commitment to helping students secure “good career opportunities” and placements in “top graduate and professional schools” contributes to the goal of achieving full and productive employment for the next generation.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Towards the end of the article, the author, at 80 years old, reflects on his health. He acknowledges his “vulnerabilities—back surgeries, hearing and creeping infirmities” but expresses his desire to continue working “as long as mind and body cooperate.” This connects to the promotion of well-being and healthy aging, as his work provides him with a sense of purpose, which is crucial for mental and emotional health in later life.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.3: By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university. The author’s entire career is dedicated to providing quality tertiary education at a “small liberal arts college.”
• Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The professor’s pride in his students who “went on to top graduate and professional schools and good career opportunities” shows a direct contribution to this target by equipping them with the necessary skills for their future.
• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…and a culture of peace and non-violence… The author’s statement that “we should teach learning to think, not what to think. Yes, but we also have a greater responsibility” and his intolerance for “genocide,” “rape,” or “patent immorality” reflects a commitment to instilling values and critical thinking skills essential for responsible global citizenship.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… The author’s 56-year tenure, which he finds deeply satisfying and meaningful, is a testament to the concept of decent work. His role as a mentor who helps students achieve their own career goals also supports this target.
• Target 8.6: By 2030, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training. By mentoring “upper hundreds” of majors and guiding them towards successful careers and further education, the professor actively works to reduce the number of young people in this category.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The author’s continued engagement in a fulfilling profession at age 80, which he describes as his “Shangri-La,” implicitly highlights the importance of purpose and engagement for mental well-being and healthy aging.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Implied Indicator: Graduate outcomes. The article repeatedly mentions the success of former students as a measure of his own success. Specific examples include “my first high-profile student received a prestigious national Ph.D. award” and “several graduates from this past spring who went on to top graduate and professional schools and good career opportunities.” The number or proportion of graduates achieving such outcomes could serve as an indicator for Targets 4.3 and 4.4.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Implied Indicator: Career longevity and job satisfaction. The author’s “mere 56 years” in his role, which he does not wish to leave, serves as a qualitative indicator of decent work (Target 8.5).
• Implied Indicator: Youth employment/education rate. The professor’s statement that his majors “have done well” and his focus on their career paths imply a high rate of his students being in employment, education, or training after graduation, which is a direct measure for Target 8.6.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Implied Indicator: Active and healthy life expectancy. The author’s ability to continue his demanding job as a professor at age 80, despite acknowledging health issues, serves as an anecdotal indicator of maintaining well-being and functionality in later life, relevant to Target 3.4.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: insidehighered.com