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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The college campus as a living laboratory for meaningful food system transformation
- University at Albany (NY)
- Johnson & Wales University, Providence (RI)
As has become abundantly clear to the social scientists, agriculturalists, policymakers, and food justice advocates who have taken up the fight, progress toward more resilient, fair, and effective food systems …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Students as co-researchers: Using participatory action research to address college food insecurity
- University of San Francisco (CA)
Studies indicate that college students experience high rates of food insecurity. Growing awareness of food insecurity on college campuses has resulted in efforts by many institutions to address the problem …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Advancing sustainability leadership by shifting relational ‘agreement structures’: a transformational higher education change program
- Harvard University (MA)
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
- Institute for Strategic Clarity (MA)
Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires leaders to navigate different fields and work across public, private, and plural sectors. Higher education (HE) is positioned uniquely to bring disciplines together …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Teaching critical hope with creative pedagogies of possibilities
- University of Sussex (Sussex)
How can we teach critical hope, amidst contemporary challenges that seem intractable, within neoliberal educational institutions that work to foreclose transformative pedagogies and through academic critique that can result in …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Teaching students to collaborate with communities: expanding engineering education to create a sustainable future
- Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)
Engineers are crucial to solving the world’s most pressing challenges, but they cannot do it alone. Creating new and more just systems that support people and planet requires that engineers …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Post-Pandemic Lessons for Destination Resilience and Sustainable Event Management: The Complex Learning Destination
- Texas A&M University (TX)
This paper aims to share post-pandemic lessons for destination resilience and the sustainability of events. It offers a new perspective that reimagines the space and place of events as learning …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Environmental behavior of university students
- University of Malaga (Malaga)
- ESIC University
Purpose: This study aims to build a model for the analysis of the environmental behavior of university students.
Design/methodology/approach: A partial least square method was adopted, and a questionnaire on …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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A New Curriculum for Sustainable Fashion at Textile Universities in Europe – Preliminary Results of the European Project Fashion Diet
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena
- Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi (Iași)
- University of Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg)
- Trakia University
- Hochschule Reutlingen
The strong demand for a transformation of the textile and fashion industry towards sustainability requires a continuous implementation of the guiding principle of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in education …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Building legitimacy for sustainable business schools: Using the business model concept when teaching corporate sustainability
- University of Gothenburg
Dedication to sustainability means that business schools face challenges to their legitimacy. Teaching is the central activity through which business schools build legitimacy, and there are three legitimacy related aspects …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Developing interdisciplinary consciousness for sustainability: using playful frame reflection to challenge disciplinary bias
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
A major challenge for interdisciplinary teamwork on complex sustainability issues is the often-conflicting disciplinary perspectives and underlying values and assumptions among collaborators. Interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers and practitioners therefore requires …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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What do We Know About Teacher Educators’ Perceptions of Education for Sustainable Development? A Systematic Literature Review
- University of Vechta
Teacher educators prepare prospective teachers to deliver Education for SustainableDevelopment (ESD) in schools. Lecturersí personal perceptions of ESD guide them inthis work. While there has been some research into lecturersí …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Teacher Education for Sustainable Development: A Review of an Emerging Research Field
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Leibniz Universität Hannover
- University of Vechta
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
- Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Teacher Education for Sustainable Development (TESD) is a niche innovation in teacher education that empowers teachers to prepare learners to address global socio-environmental challenges. To advance the diffusion of this …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Sustainable development goals research in higher education institutions: An interdisciplinarity assessment through an entropy-based indicator
- University of Agder
- Università degli Studi di Torino
Since 2015, the United Nations has urged higher education institutions (HEIs) to adopt an interdisciplinary approach towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In other words, universities are encouraged to transcend …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Sustainability Initiatives for Management Education: A Roadmap for Institutional Integration
- University of San Francisco (CA)
- Zambuling Institute for Human Transformation (DC)
- Sustainable Capacity International Institute
What are the best ways to integrate sustainability concepts into higher education institutions and management education? Sustainability, global responsibility, and social innovations are increasingly accepted worldwide as part of a …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Training students for complex sustainability issues: a literature review on the design of inter- and transdisciplinary higher education
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Purpose: To prepare students to address complex sustainability issues, they need to be trained in inter- and transdisciplinarity. This paper aims to contribute to better understanding how to do this, …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Education for sustainable development through research-based learning in an online environment
- Universität Bremen
Purpose: The society faces growing global challenges in terms of sustainable development. A key factor in preparing society for these challenges is education for sustainable development (ESD). This study aims …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Assessing teacher training programs for the prevalence of sustainability in learning outcomes, learning content and didactic approaches
- Kyoto University
- University of Bayreuth
- Vietnam National University, Hanoi
- Hanoi National University of Education
- University of Da Nang
- National Academy of Education Management (Vietnam)
Reorienting teacher education should be placed at the heart of reorienting education towards sustainable development. This requires that teacher education institutes reorient and redefine their outcome standards as well as …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Transforming students’ behaviour preferences: achievable changes by a sustainability course
- Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impacts of a sustainability course that was designed to evoke measurable transformational changes in students’ preferences and in their roles …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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The importance of the Sustainable Development Goals to students of environmental and sustainability studies—a global survey in 41 countries
- Goethe University Frankfurt
To fight the global problems of humanity, the United Nations has adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve these goals, it is necessary that future decision-makers and stakeholders in …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Assessing sustainability knowledge for undergraduate students in different academic programs and settings
- California Polytechnic State University (CA)
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (WI)
Purpose: As sustainability teaching and learning rises in importance, an increasing number of higher education institutions (HEIs) are assessing the effectiveness of their approach to sustainability education. However, most assessments …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Navigating hope and despair in sustainability education: A reflexive roadmap for being with eco-anxiety in the classroom
- Auckland University of Technology
In this article, we reflect on our experiences of teaching sustainability in management education in an emergent context of increasing and pervasive eco-anxiety. Our collaborative autoethnographic enquiry stemmed from the …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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How Higher Education Institutions Walk Their Talk on the 2030 Agenda: A Systematic Literature Review
- Università di Bologna
Universities are rethinking their teaching and research programs and their whole third mission in response to the framework provided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But how do universities walk …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Being bird and sensory learning activities: Multimodal and arts-based pedagogies in the ‘Anthropocene’
- University of Gothenburg
There is little room left for doubt or even debate at the severity of the ecological, indeed planetary crises that we find ourselves in during this period coined the Anthropocene. …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Nature as Mentor: Catalyzing First-Year Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Transition Through a Biomimicry First-Year Seminar
- College of Charleston (SC)
- University of Minnesota System Office (MN)
University students crave immersive, collaborative, interdisciplinary, applied learning contextualized to real world sustainability challenges. Liberal arts and sciences institutions are particularly well positioned to respond. Here we report on our …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Justice-Oriented Learning: Reconfiguring Experiential Education with a California Farmworker Community
- Nova Southeastern University (FL)
- San Francisco State University (CA)
This community-based research project examines a land-based education program which creates opportunities for contextualized learning, acknowledging the value of immigrant farmworkers’ lived experiences. The study highlights how this culture of …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Authentic assessment targeting sustainability outcomes: a case study exploring student perceptions
- Victoria University of Wellington
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand student experiences of authentically assessed community partnership projects and reflect on authentic assessment from a social and environmental sustainability perspective. Design/methodology/approach: …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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The development of high leverage practices in environmental sustainability-focused service learning courses: applications for higher education
- University of Connecticut (CT)
- University of Maine (ME)
High Leverage Practices (HLPs), as a core set of teaching practices, represent important instructional priorities and provide instructional guidance for students’ engagement in practice-based instruction. The goals of this research …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Sustainable management education and an empirical five-pillar model of sustainability
- Charles Darwin University
Management academics, as the primary researchers of business practices and the educators of future managers, play critical roles shaping corporate behaviour and industry response to global sustainability challenges. However, the …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Key insights from climate communication – and how they can inspire sustainability in higher education
- Hochschule Konstanz für Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung
Purpose: To combat climate change and safeguard a liveable future, humanity needs fundamental and rapid social change. The purpose of this paper is to show, why and how climate communication …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Beyond the Deficit Model: Organic Chemistry Educators’ Beliefs and Practices about Teaching Green and Sustainable Chemistry
- Queen's University
The rise of global environmental issues has stressed the importance of sustainability and green chemistry teachings. Nevertheless, these topics remain largely untouched in most post-secondary organic chemistry lecture courses. This …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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The Principles for (Ir)Responsible Management Education: An exploration of the dynamics of paradox, the hidden curriculum, competencies and symbolization
- De Montfort University
- Oxford Brookes University
This article discusses whether, as academics, we are behaving irresponsibly in the manner in which we deliver the much-vaunted Principles for Responsible Management Education. The Principles for Responsible Management Education …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Student Led Governance of a Campus Community Permaculture Garden at a Liberal Arts University
- St. Lawrence University (NY)
This case-study supports the implementation and social investment in university campus community gardens as an interdisciplinary resource for academic research, extra-curricular activities, and community building. Using a permaculture design model, …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Sustainability infrastructure insights from a campus sustainability survey
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
The physical and social infrastructure of an environment influences the ability of that place to be sustainable. To evaluate the sustainability culture and literacy of a university environment, a campus …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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A Place-Based Sustainability Approach to Learning about Photovoltaic Solar Energy
- University of San Diego (CA)
An ethical and effective engineering practice is inherently place-responsive and designs for a sustainable future. Engineering students must therefore be educated within a sustainable and sociotechnical paradigm. In the spring …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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How university students assess the planetary boundaries: A global empirical study
- Technical University of Dortmund
- Goethe University Frankfurt
In order to effectively address global environmental problems, it is important that future decision-makers in society are aware of the safe operation space for humans, which is limited by the …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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In Defense of Doom and Gloom: Science, Sensitivity, and Mobilization in Teaching about Climate Change
- State University of New York at New Paltz (NY)
Given the profound social implications of climate change, this subject is increasingly important for a broad range of sociology classes. Sociology instructors who address the subject of climate change face …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Connection to nature of university students in the environmental field — An empirical study in 41 countries
- Goethe University Frankfurt
People's personal relationships with nature are seen as essential factors influencing environmental behavior. Although human-nature relationships have been a recurring research topic in a wide range of disciplines, there has …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Transforming education for the just transition
- University of Dundee
- King's College London
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour
Society faces many challenges in promoting a just transition to a low-carbon economy, a transition that does not create or exacerbate injustices. Notably, the just transition can only be attained …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Developing curricula that equip designers with capabilities to enact sustainable futures: A matter of ethos
- Queensland University of Technology
This project addresses the lack of research regarding emerging roles for designers in the 21st century and their associated capabilities, along with the lack of studies looking into how a …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Empowering Future Leaders to Advocate Sustainable Action: A comparative analysis between two university programmes focusing on leadership and sustainability in Sweden and Germany
- Malmö University
Sustainability must be integrated into our everyday world. To achieve that, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established. Some scholars agree that the SDGs are not enough. So, a new strategy …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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A self-Identity-development approach to higher business education for sustainability
- University of Manitoba (MB)
This study is focused on reorienting conventional educational approaches in higher education, particularly in higher business education, that tend to link unsustainable inner values with economic and analytical skills. Higher …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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What can Sustainability Schools Learn from the Career Services Offered at Business Schools?
- University of Michigan (MI)
Increasingly, the importance of sustainability as a goal for different sectors in society is becoming paramount. Given the importance and urgency of this, the objective of this paper is to …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Integrating a sustainability curriculum within maritime education: case study of a South African university
- World Maritime University
Sustainable Development (SD) is increasingly receiving attention in the maritime sector with literature suggesting that sustainability in this sector has moved from being a mere buzzword to a challenge that …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Moving Towards Increased Biological Diversity on Campus Through Environmental Stewardship
- Radboud Universiteit
Moving towards higher sustainability on campuses is the priority in the majority of university agendas. However, when it comes to biodiversity loss, many people tend not to recognize the urgency …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Alternatives to the Mainstream Economic Growth Paradigm in Business Administration Curricula at Dutch Research Universities.
- University of Twente
This Master’s thesis sheds light on the reasons for including or excluding alternatives to the mainstream economic growth paradigm in/from the Bachelor curricula of Business Administration (BA) programmes offered at …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Perspectives on Sustainability in Short-term Faculty-led Programs
- School for International Training (VT)
Sustainability is a relatively new topic to the field of International Education. Despite this, its importance is tantamount for the continuation of the industry for future generations. The industry’s significant …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Environmental Attitudes of Community College Students Concerning Age, Gender, and Race
- St. John's University, New York (NY)
Many studies have shown the mental, physical, and academic benefits of environmental education to students. Equally important, environmental education can develop our students into more environmentally minded citizens. However, we …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Understanding Environmental Justice Instruction in Higher Education: Activist Epistemic Orientations and a Continuum of Community Engaged Curricular and Pedagogical Practice
- University of Massachusetts Boston (MA)
Starting in the early 1980’s, the environmental justice (EJ) movement was critical in drawing much needed attention to how communities of color, low-income groups, Indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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The Green Passport Program: Proposing A Study Abroad Program to Encourage Sustainable Behavior and Offset Emissions
- University of Richmond (VA)
The University of Richmond has a goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, and in order to do this, carbon offsets are likely a necessary component to implement in lieu …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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Who will save the world if the profit is too low?: A single case study on a Swedish business school, investigating their work toward responsible management education
- Jönköping University
Background: Business schools are one of society’s most influential institutions as they contribute to transforming and influencing the way the business world works. Hence, business schools bear responsibility for the …
- Posted June 15, 2023
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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.