Climate Action and the Ethics of Student Engagement

Critics of activism on university campuses argue that academic institutions should stick to their core missions of teaching and research. While there is some merit to this argument and to the related view that teachers should avoid using their academic authority to impose their political views on their students, universities should not shy away from engaging in research and teaching on subjects with policy implications or from basing their own policies on the best available science. Nor should they refrain from supporting extracurricular activities that enrich their students' education with real-world engagement. The complexity and civilizational implications of the climate crisis make it a uniquely rich subject for interdisciplinary study that fosters students' intellectual growth, as well as an appropriate focus of extracurricular activities that complement students' work in the classroom. The chapter proceeds from these theoretical considerations to concrete examples of university programs that effectively support student involvement in climate-related activities.