Curriculum
Introduction
One of the primary functions of colleges and universities is to educate students. By training and educating future leaders, scholars, workers, and professionals; higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to understand and address sustainability challenges. Institutions that offer courses covering sustainability issues help equip their students to lead society to a sustainable future.
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Innovations in Sustainability Curriculum: Teaching Full Cost Analysis through Student-Produced Documentaries
- Furman University (SC)
The David E. Shi Center for Sustainability at Furman University sought to increase teaching of full cost analysis as a suite of tools that can be used as a framework …
- Posted June 4, 2015
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Watershed UGA
- University of Georgia (GA)
With funding from the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, the University of Georgia (UGA) is leveraging a current town/gown campus stream restoration initiative to create a transformative experience in sustainability for …
- Posted May 18, 2015
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Aquaponic food production as an integrating context for campus sustainability
- Allegheny College (PA)
The Food for Sustainability project at Allegheny College utilizes aquaponic systems for indoor, year round tilapia and lettuce production. The products are sold to Parkhurst Dining Services and are incorporated …
- Posted April 11, 2014
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Sustainability Now and Powerful (SNAP!) International Program to Restore Landscapes, Recharge Educators, and Replenish Learning Systems
- Prescott College (AZ)
Students in Prescott College's Doctoral Program in Sustainability Education developed a program to honor and share the stories of outstanding programs across the planet in sustainability education. The program has …
- Posted April 11, 2014
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A Unique Hawaiian Learning Approach to Sustainable Living, Island-wide
- University of Hawaii Kauai Community College (HI)
A three prong approach to providing students with campus and community-wide learning at the UH Kauai Community College encompasses and concurrently implements:
1) Curriculum review ongoing, applying the General Electric …
- Posted March 28, 2014
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Creating a Living & Learning Laboratory for Applied Sustainability and Campus Farm Through Collaboration and Student Engagement
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
Through a collaborative effort among the campus and local community, Southern Oregon University created a living and learning laboratory for applied research and projects in sustainability, The SOU Center for …
- Posted March 28, 2014
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Green Leadership Program
- University of South Carolina (SC)
Sustainable Carolina's Green Leadership Program allows students to graduate with Leadership Distinction in "Professional and Civic Engagement." This comprehensive, interdisciplinary program broadens students' understanding of leadership and sustainability. During the …
- Posted March 28, 2014
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Students for Environmental Sustainability
- Kennesaw State University (GA)
The project is a student lead initiative aimed at improving culinary sustainability education and practices among students in both universities and k-12 institutions. The project has three primary focuses on …
- Posted March 8, 2014
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Dalhousie University's College of Sustainability: Transforming a campus for sustainability education
- Dalhousie University (NS)
Over the past five years, Dalhousie University's College of Sustainability has developed and implemented an innovative model for sustainability education, which transforms university education to ensure all graduates have the …
- Posted May 16, 2013
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Solar power, horticulture and culinary arts integration project
- Metropolitan Community College (NE)
Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Neb., is committed to being a center of sustainable education. MCC's approach to sustainability is comprehensive: we work on campus, in classrooms and in the …
- Posted May 10, 2013
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Planning and launch of campus-wide, undergraduate major in sustainability
- The Ohio State University (OH)
A campus-wide, undergraduate sustainability major was launched in Autumn semester 2012. Since then it has become one of the fastest growing majors on campus having enrolled over 70 students. A …
- Posted May 9, 2013
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Foothill College Sustainable Learning Community
- Foothill College (CA)
As part of the President's Climate Commitment, the incorporation of sustainability into the general curriculum was identified as a campus goal. The Sustainable Learning Community project is not only a …
- Posted May 9, 2013
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Incorporating Sustainability Across the Entire Curricula
- British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)
In 2011, BCIT required all new and existing educational curricula to incorporate sustainability. This was achieved through a combination of changes in educational program development and review policies; capacity development …
- Posted May 7, 2013
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Sustainability Innovation in Practice: Western's Collaborative Planning Results in Living Lab Model for Sparta Public Safety Training Facility
- Western Technical College (WI)
Western expanded its Sparta(WI) campus to consolidate its Public-Safety Programs on one campus reducing the need for students to travel 35 miles to Western's campus in La Crosse(WI). This opportunity …
- Posted July 27, 2012
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Galileo's Pavilion
- Johnson County Community College (KS)
- University of Kansas (KS)
The goals of the Johnson County Community College Center for Sustainability, combined with the need for additional classrooms at the ever-expanding college, led to a unique opportunity to create inspired …
- Posted July 27, 2012
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Alfred State's Net-Zero Energy Demonstration Home
- Alfred State College (NY)
Students in a variety of construction-related programs at Alfred State constructed a net-zero energy demonstration home as part of their coursework. The 2200 square foot home, which is located on …
- Posted July 9, 2012
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Culture Clash: Art, Electrons, Teaching, Research, and Engagement Meet at the Solar Strand
- University at Buffalo (NY)
The University at Buffalo's 750 kilowatt Solar Strand, brought to life by world-renowned artist Walter Hood, reflects a transformative vision that defines the future of sustainability. Its approach moves beyond …
- Posted June 29, 2012
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The Bagley Classroom: Supporting environmental and outdoor learning at the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
- University of Minnesota, Duluth (MN)
- Salmela Architect (MN)
The Bagley Classroom supports learning in a 55-acre natural preserve within the University of Minnesota Duluth campus. The Bagley Nature Area has taught and inspired students about the natural environment …
- Posted June 23, 2011
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1702 - green dorm project
- Pratt Institute (NY)
The Living Lab 1702 project began in Spring 2009 as an interdisciplinary studio course focused on sustainability. The goal: to challenge the students understanding of green design in order to …
- Posted June 21, 2011
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Establishing the new College of the Environment at the University of Washington
- University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
The overarching objective in establishing the College of the Environment was to create an organization with the necessary scale and diversity of educational programs, research, and intellectual capacity to positively …
- Posted June 30, 2010
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Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program at the University of Vermont (UVM)
- University of Vermont (VT)
The University of Vermont Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program serves as an example of successfully integrating sustainability into courses across disciplinary boundaries with a modest budget, Provost-level support, and a handful …
- Posted June 25, 2010
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Integrating Teaching, Research and Operational Sustainability: Utilization of Bio-Energy at UNBC, Canada's Green University
- University of Northern British Columbia (BC)
In Spring 2009, UNBC installed Canada's first university owned wood pellet heating system. The project showcases the use of bio-energy as a sustainable, carbon-neutral energy source. UNBC's wood pellet system …
- Posted June 24, 2010
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Sustainability Education Across the Province (SEAP): Faculty Train the Trainer Workshop at Simon Fraser University
- Simon Fraser University (BC)
This project's purpose was to train faculty members from across British Columbia, Canada to be sustainability education trainers. The workshop enabled them to not only integrate sustainability into their own …
- Posted June 9, 2010
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.
All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.
AC 1: Academic Courses
- Percentage of courses that are sustainability course offerings
- Percentage of academic departments with sustainability course offerings
- Inventory of sustainability course offerings (upload)
- Website URL - Sustainability course offerings
AC 2: Learning Outcomes
- Description of institution level sustainability learning outcomes
- List of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability
- Percentage of students who graduate from programs that require an understanding of sustainability
- Website URL - Sustainability learning outcomes
AC 3: Undergraduate Program
- First sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program
- Second sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program
- Third sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program
- First sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration
- Second sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration
- Third sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration
AC 4: Graduate Program
- First sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program
- Second sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program
- Third sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program
- First sustainability-focused graduate-level minor or concentration
- Second sustainability-focused graduate-level minor or concentration
- Third sustainability-focused graduate-level minor or concentration
AC 5: Immersive Experience
- Description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s)
- Second sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program
- Third sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program
AC 6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
- Copy of the sustainability literacy assessment (upload)
- Copy of the sustainability literacy assessment (description)
- Website URL - Assessment of sustainability literacy
AC 7: Incentives for Developing Courses
- Description of the course development incentives
- Website URL - Incentives for developing sustainability courses
AC 8: Campus as a Living Laboratory
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.