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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How Higher Education is approaching its commitment to sustainability through sustainability courses
- Western Michigan University (MI)
For over a decade, the concepts of education for sustainable development have been recognized by many higher education institutes. A significant number of higher education institutions have signed agreements and …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Campus Sustainability Plans as Pedagogical Opportunities for High Impact Student Experiences
- Furman University (SC)
As universities strive for increased sustainability, there is a growing need for coordinated and comprehensive campus sustainability plans that provide specific action items and clear roadmaps to improved sustainability within …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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So You've Been Told to Teach About Sustainability? Now What?
- Teachers College, Columbia University (NY)
- University of Hawaii System Office (HI)
Sustainability curriculum in higher education is increasingly institutionalized; we have moved past the 'early adopters' across the faculty who have been drivers of sustainability across the curriculum. What happens when …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Key Competencies in Sustainability: Curriculum and Program Development
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- Sustainability Curriculum Consortium (MD)
Every year, new sustainability degree programs are launched at colleges and universities across the USA joining a global trend of sustainability degree programs offered at higher education institutions worldwide. This …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Applied Learning: Interventions for Sustainability Impacts
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Portland State University (OR)
- Princeton University (NJ)
- University of Calgary (AB)
Applied learning (AL) for sustainability is an umbrella term and encompasses student engagement activities (e.g., internships, courses, research practicums) that deliver exceptional student experiences and a positive outcome for sustainability …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Key Competencies in Sustainability: Overview and Next Steps
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Chatham University (PA)
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
- Sustainability Curriculum Consortium (MD)
The Panel-discussion is part of a nationwide process to solicit feedback on an initiative with the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE). The goal of the initiative is …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Improving Our Understanding of Sustainability with Bio-Mimicry
- Schuler Books (MI)
Some systems are much more sustainable than others, and this is not random. It is because certain key properties are present in more sustainable systems, but absent from unsustainable systems. …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Achieving SDGs and Engaging Higher Education Using EPA Tools
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a suite of freely available, web-based tools that assist diverse audiences, including higher education institutions, in tackling local and regional environmental problems, building …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Win-Win-Win: Incorporating Authentic Sustainability Learning Into Technical College Courses
- Western Technical College (WI)
Incorporating sustainability in the curriculum need not be a one-off or a stretch to fit in any curricula, even those not typically associated with sustainability. Hear one example of how …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability in the Visual Arts, Design and Creative Fields
- University of San Francisco (CA)
Designers make the most beautiful trash. Educators in Design, Visual Arts, and other creative fields are challenged with educating our students on how to create high impact messages with low …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Academia as a Platform for Student Sustainability Action on Campus and in Your Community
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
Students at the University of Pittsburgh have been driving environmental and sustainability changes on campus and in the Pittsburgh community for more than a decade through classes designed to engage …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Worry & Hope: Results from a Focus Group Study on Students and Sustainability Curriculum
- University of Hawaii System Office (HI)
The University of Hawaii used a focus group study across ten campuses to better understand student perspectives on global and local environmental issues, climate change, and sustainability, and how these …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Planning and Implementing a University-Wide Curriculum Disruption to Teach About Climate Justice
- The New School (NY)
From February 26-March 2, 2018, The New School will invite all 14,000 faculty, staff, and students to participate in a university-wide curriculum disruption entitled 'Disrupt Climate Injustice.' This means stopping …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Laudato Si and UNSDGs: An Ignatian Framework for Teaching Human Geography
- St. Louis University High School (MO)
St. Louis University High School created an innovative Human Geography course incorporating the AP Human Geography curriculum with studies of Ignatian values based on Pope Francis' 'Laudato Si: On Care …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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High Impact Pedagogical Practices for High Impact Sustainability Learning
- Indiana University Indianapolis (IN)
In the face of a rapidly-changing planet, sustainability is one of the most promising solutions to address social, economic, and environmental problems. Through IUPUI's Themed Learning Community (TLC), 'Sustainability: Thriving …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Campus Sustainability 101 - A New Course for First Year Students
- DePauw University (IN)
Due to their complex and global nature, modern environmental problems like climate change, water scarcity, or mass extinction events can be overwhelming and really, really scary, especially for college students …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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How Do We Meaningfully Integrate Sustainability Into Global Studies Curricula?
- Champlain College (VT)
As higher education increasingly acknowledges the necessity of producing a globally-engaged student body, it has a responsibility to create a high-quality and relevant global studies curriculum. Former iterations of global …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Advancing Sustainability: Student-led Projects, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Inter-Silo Teamwork
- Carleton College (MN)
Carleton College's study abroad program titled 'Sustainable Energy Principles and Practices in India' exemplifies how higher education institutions can foster experiences and skills that students can use to promote sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Teaching Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Through Contemporary Art
- Beloit College (WI)
What role can art play in solving current environmental challenges? What should artists do to promote awareness? Is it ethical for artists to make more objects in a world already …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Best Practices in Integrating Sustainability and Business Education
- Appalachian State University (NC)
- North Carolina State University (NC)
This workshop focuses on how to integrate sustainability concepts into business education and increase engagement with the business community to improve their impacts. The primary focus will be on how …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Experience The SDGs Abroad: Reimagine Your Curriculum with The GREEN Program
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
The GREEN Program (TGP) is an experiential education and workforce development program for young leaders in sustainable development. Created for students, by students, TGP has introduced a new model for …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Building on the NAE Grand Challenges Scholars Model to Incorporate the UN SDGs in Higher Education
- Bucknell University (PA)
As sustainability becomes a more and more popular addition in the higher education system, attempts to incorporate it into existing curricula and campus life diversify and too often lose their …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Pulling the Paradox of the SDGs down to Uneven Ground: A Transdisciplinary Learning Journey
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Vermont (VT)
Advocates of the Sustainable Development Goals see them as an important improvement over the Millennium Development Goals, that expired in 2015, that represent an inspiring and inclusive framework for international …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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A New Resource To Engage Your Chemistry Department In Sustainability
- Beyond Benign (MA)
Despite the underlying fundamental reliance on chemistry innovations for a more sustainable future, undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratories still use traditional experiments that are resource-intensive and employ hazardous reagents. It is …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Escaping the Silos and Generating Collaborations: A Sustainable Faculty Development Program
- Furman University (SC)
The Faculty Affiliates Program gives faculty from all departments on our campus opportunities to meet monthly during the academic year to share ideas, generate resources and foster interdisciplinary connections throughout …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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How to Create an Innovative and Interdisciplinary Sustainability Major
- University of Virginia (VA)
This case study examines several innovative degree programs that create unusual disciplinary alliances with sustainability. Integrating sustainability across the curriculum is an important goal for AASHE members. While many universities …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Sustainability Exchange at Washington University - Interdisciplinary Focus on Real World Issues
- Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects (MO)
The Sustainability Exchange, founded in 2014 by Bill Lowry and Liz Kramer, brings together students from across the academic spectrum to focus on and seek solutions to real world issues …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Green Chemistry: Meeting the Challenge of Equity and Environmental Justice for a Sustainable Future
- Bridgewater State University (MA)
- American Chemical Society (DC)
Chemistry is an inherently creative yet reductionist approach to understanding how the world works at the most fundamental levels. Chemists are trained to create molecules to fill a given need …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Pursuing the SDGs in Education Abroad: Tools, Techniques, and Assessment Strategies
- U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
- The Education Abroad Network (IL)
Well-designed education abroad programs expose students to the many ways other cultures prioritize and pursue the UN SDG's. Foreign approaches to sustainability, biodiversity, and social justice reveal to students abroad …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Sustainability in American Topics: US History, Conservation, and Sustainable Development Goals
- Dallas College (TX)
Feasted Landscapes: Sustainability in American Topics' is the title of a two-volume reader that contains a collection of primary sources and original short essays that focus on sustainability issues throughout …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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From the 3Es to the SDGs: Updating Sustainability Frameworks Used as Educational Tools
- Ramapo College of New Jersey (NJ)
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
With the 2015 announcement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the multitude of research projects, policies, and frameworks of Sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Uniting Human Rights and Sustainability Across the University
- University of Dayton (OH)
The United Nations Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a powerful framework for alleviating human suffering and achieving social and environmental justice. However, making progress on the the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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From Theory to Practice: Applied Community Projects in Environmental Capstone Courses
- Earlham College (IN)
Over the past five years, Environmental Studies and Environmental Sustainability seniors at Earlham College have completed an 'integrated research project (IRP)' in collaboration with a community partner. The IRP is …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Service and Community Engaged Learning for Social and Environmental Justice
- Champlain College (VT)
- Southern Oregon University (OR)
- University of Hawaii Kapiolani Community College (HI)
- Villanova University (PA)
Service-Learning / Community Engaged Learning is a common practice in higher education and is increasingly found being paired with sustainability. This networking session will allow practitioners to share best practices, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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AIM2Flourish: Transforming Management Education Through Positive Business Innovation Stories
- Case Western Reserve University (OH)
The UN Global Goals are the 'World's Must-Do List' to end poverty, combat climate change, protect life on land, and ensure a livable future for all people. Many business leaders …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Demonstrating Impact Through SDG Cases - Creating Common Language and Shared Purpose Across Campus
- Harvard University (MA)
- Danish Energy Management
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) exist as a Global platform for taking action to achieve sustainable development. The SDGs recognize that staying within our planetary boundaries and achieving sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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STARS Reporting as an Undergraduate Educational Opportunity
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (IL)
The University of Illinois, a STARS Gold Campus, has a strong focus on expanding its campus sustainability efforts. Since our 2017 report, administrators have made an increased effort to align …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Scenario Planning and Applied Learning in Sustainability Practica
- Middlebury College (VT)
Scenario planning is a versatile and widely applicable tool for developing robust strategies for dealing with uncertainty. It is used across numerous domains including national visioning and transition efforts, military …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Re-Design Certificate: Regenerative Ecological Design
- Ecosa Institute (AZ)
United Nations Environmental Program has claimed that our planet is amid its sixth major extinction of biological diversity. U.N. scientists estimate that 150-200 species become extinct every 24 hours. The …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Mindful Unbuilding: A Zero Waste Campus-Community Adventure
- DePauw University (IN)
What does a university do with a vacant old house that cannot be restored? Ordinarily: bulldoze it and haul it away to a landfill. But what if you were to …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Teach Environmental Sustainability via Children's Literature
- University of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI)
We propose to share methods of integration into curriculum and resources for teacher-educators to reach their students, starting with elementary students and continuing on up the grades, K-12. Because children's …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals: An Insiders' Account of change in a UK University
- De Montfort University
Higher Education institutions have a crucial role to play in catalysing action to address the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The call to action that the Goals represent can …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Integrating Participatory Action Research Into Internships and Outreach - Univ of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is Chicago's only public research university with 30,000 students, 15 colleges, a hospital and a health sciences system. This session introduces Participatory Action …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Recapturing the Learning Opportunities of University Sustainability Indicators
- Tulane University (LA)
In the 1990s students conducted campus environmental audits and assessments, which were often the first step towards improving university environmental practices and creating sustainability programs. These audits, often conducted as …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Northern Arizona University Sustainable Citizens Program
- Northern Arizona University (AZ)
We have been quite concerned about the general lack of climate science and sustainability knowledge that students have when they graduate from higher education institutions. We know that climate change …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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The Campus-Community Urban Sustainability Program at LIU Brooklyn
- Long Island University Brooklyn Campus (NY)
The Brooklyn campus of Long Island University (LIU) has recently established a Campus-Community Urban Sustainability Program (CUSP) with the support of a Humanities Connections grant from the National Endowment for …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Placed-based Education in Co-Curricular Programs: Bringing Global Goals to Local Places
- Dickinson College (PA)
Placed-based education has been a core component of the sustainability across the curriculum movement for more than 10 years. However, applying sense of place to co-curricular learning has made less …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Fast-tracking a Comprehensive Responsible Leadership Initiative Highlighting the UN 2030 SDGs
- Kent State University (OH)
The College of Business Administration at Kent State University became an advanced signatory to PRME and an associate member of GRLI in Spring 2017. We introduced our Responsible Leadership Initiative …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Using the Campus as a Living Laboratory: The Think 80:20 Recycling Program at Deerfield Academy
- Deerfield Academy (MA)
Many institutions struggle to integrate recycling and organics collections broadly across their campuses. In 2013, Deerfield Academy re-booted its traditional recycling program and began to implement composting out into the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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Co-Curricular Learning and Sustainable Development Competencies: Towards Research Collaboration
- De Montfort University
This session will enable participants to compare and contrast practice and identify opportunities and challenges to developing students' competencies to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via co-curricular …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
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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.