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 role of field exercises in ecological learning and values education: action research on the use of campus wetlands
Providing undergraduate biology students with ecological knowledge and environmental awareness is critical for developing professionalism in sustainable development. In addition to the cognitive and psychomotor development, outdoor ecological exercises combining …
- Posted Sept. 20, 2017
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University Reputations and the Public: A Roadmap for Higher Education Leaders
Edelman, a public relations firm, surveyed academics and the general public to understand how the U.S. public evaluates the reputations of higher education institutions, and how these reputational drivers vary …
- Posted Sept. 18, 2017
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Developing strategies and leaders to succeed in a new era of sustainability: Findings and insights from the United Nations Global Compact‐Accenture CEO Study
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify leading CEOs’ views on sustainability and how they believe it is impacting the business environment, with a particular focus on …
- Posted Sept. 18, 2017
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Getting Started with the SDGs in Universities: A guide for universities, higher education institutions, and the academic sector
The guide from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Australia/Pacific aims to accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the role universities specifically in Australia, New Zealand and …
- Posted Sept. 18, 2017
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Higher Education Paving the Way to Sustainable Development: A Global Perspective
The International Association of Universities (IAU), a membership organization, which brings together about 650 higher education institutions and organizations from some 130 countries, launched its first Global Survey on the …
- Posted Sept. 18, 2017
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AASHE Award Winner Webinar – Generating and Maintaining Hope and Agency through Sustainability Education
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- AASHE (MA)
Indigenous educator Gregory Cajete articulates the motivations and questions that drive the presenter’s research. For Cajete, effective education entails ‘finding heart,’ an active process within and beyond the person evident …
- Posted Sept. 14, 2017
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Solar Training and Hiring Insights 2017
This report aims to increase understanding of U.S. solar training, hiring practices, and market trends to help the industry make better, more informed decisions. It aggregates and analyzes data from …
- Posted Sept. 11, 2017
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Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems and Communities: A Mindfulness-Based Pedagogy
- University of North Carolina, Asheville (NC)
- AASHE (MA)
Human and non-human communities have varying capacities to respond to disturbance while maintaining the same basic functions. That is the main argument behind resilience theory and practice, which seek to …
- Posted Sept. 11, 2017
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Identifying the role of conservation biology for solving the environmental crisis
Humans are altering their living environment to an extent that could cause environmental collapse. Promoting change into environmental sustainability is therefore urgent. Despite a rapid expansion in conservation biology, appreciation …
- Posted Sept. 5, 2017
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Fostering Sustainability in Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study of Transformative Leadership and Change Strategies
- Antioch University, Seattle (WA)
As evidence of the earth's limited capacity to sustain human life mounts, institutions of higher education are being looked to for leadership in the effort to educate students about environmental …
- Posted Sept. 5, 2017
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Embedding sustainability in higher education through interaction with lecturers: Case studies from three European technical universities
- Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
- Technische Universiteit Delft
- Chalmers University of Technology
In this paper, three universities compare their work on the integration of sustainable development into their educational programmes. The purpose is to show examples of how this can be done …
- Posted Sept. 5, 2017
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Evaluating education for sustainable development (ESD): using Ecocentric and Anthropocentric Attitudes toward the Sustainable Development (EAATSD) scale
- The Hague University of Applied Science
With the emergence of education for sustainable development (ESD), robust literature on ethics and ESD has emerged; however, ecocentric perspective developed within environmental ethics is marginalized in current ESDebate. The …
- Posted Sept. 5, 2017
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Education for Sustainable Development: An Empirical Study of the Tensions and Challenges Faced by Geography Student Teachers
- University of Oxford
This is a qualitative study of the challenges identified by geography student teachers in their learning to teach about education for sustainable development in English secondary schools. The student teachers …
- Posted Aug. 31, 2017
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A review of transdisciplinary research in sustainability science
- Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Achieving the goal of sustainability requires understanding and management of unprecedented and interconnected challenges. A transdisciplinary approach is a key component of sustainability science. However, there are considerable barriers to …
- Posted Aug. 31, 2017
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Walking the Eco-Talk Movement: Higher Education Institutions as Sustainability Incubators
- Edgewood College (WI)
Management scholars can have a major impact on advancing environmental sustainability by focusing on their own home institutions. A “four-type” sustainability action model is presented to foster thinking about how …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Globalization and environmental education: looking beyond sustainable development
This study contends that environmental education is being significantly altered by globalizing forces, witnessing the effort to convert environmental education into education for sustainable development. This internationally propagated conversion can …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Fear Appeals and College Students’ Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions Toward Global Warming
This study used Witte's extended parallel process model to examine the relationships between the use of fear appeals and college students’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward global warming. A pretest-posttest …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Sustainability and Higher Education: From arborescent to rhizomatic thinking
- Stellenbosch University (Western Cape)
Currently, global society is delicately poised on a civilisational threshold similar to that of the feudal era. This is a time when outmoded institutions, values, and systems of thought and …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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From Talloires to Turin: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Declarations for Sustainability in Higher Education
Declarations for sustainability in higher education are often seen as a set of guiding principles that aid institutions of higher learning to incorporate the concept of sustainability into their various …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Comparing different measures of affective attributes relating to sustainability
- University of Otago (Otago)
- Otago Polytechnic (Otago)
A survey was developed to benchmark the affective sustainability characteristics of an incoming cohort of students in a Polytechnic in New Zealand, with the intention to monitor changes in these …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Processes, strategies and practices for turning the University of Crete into a sustainable university
In this paper, we look at the University of Crete experience to integrate the concept of sustainable development across all its operations. Through a review of current sustainability practices of …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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The Students’ Survey of Education for Sustainable Development Competencies: A Comparison Among Faculties
- Universita degli Studi di Padova
The paper reports research employing a quantitative approach to investigating the competences of university students about educating for sustainable development (ESD). Participants were 467 bachelor students of the following five …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Assessing sustainability in higher education curricula: A critical reflection on validity issues
While curricular assessments can give insight as to the extent sustainability is integrated into higher education study programs, issues remain regarding how assessments are conducted. Previous research has identified and …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Greening Technical and Vocational Education and Training: A practical guide for institutions
- UNESCO
This Guide is designed to help leaders and practitioners of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in improving their understanding and implementation of education for sustainable development (ESD) using …
- Posted Aug. 28, 2017
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Opportunity and Obligation: A Role for Outdoor Educators in the Sustainability Revolution
A primary educational challenge of the 21st century is to inspire students to become socially and ecologically conscientious citizens who are empowered, responsible members of the larger world. Outdoor educators …
- Posted Aug. 18, 2017
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Sustainability, Green IT and Education Strategies in the Twenty-first Century
- Curtin University
This work presents and discusses the latest approaches and strategies for implementing Sustainability and Green IT into higher education and business environments. Following the global financial crisis in 2007/2008, businesses …
- Posted Aug. 17, 2017
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Sustainability at Work: Finding Purpose and Profit in Your Career
- AASHE (MA)
- Engineers for a Sustainable World (CO)
This webinar provides career guidance for pursuing sustainability in every imaginable career. Using the SURF Framework that the presenter developed, and professional narratives from various sectors (agriculture, health, science & …
- Posted Aug. 17, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainability Practice and Education on University Campuses and Beyond
- University of Toledo (OH)
Campus activities for sustainable development are an effective way of learning and implementing sustainability in surrounding communities and industry. A college campus is an ideal place to practice and test …
- Posted Aug. 14, 2017
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Greening the Heart of Postsecondary Education
- Royal Roads University (BC)
- AASHE (MA)
What does “greening the heart of education” look like at the postsecondary level? What are the big questions we must pose — and answer — if colleges and universities are …
- Posted Aug. 3, 2017
- Videos & Webinars
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Sustainable Business Courseware
- Point B (WA)
AASHE has partnered with Sustainable Business Consulting to provide plug-and-play online sustainable business courseware to help members accelerate the integration of sustainability into their curriculum. The content is consistent with …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2017
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Sustainable Business Certificate
- Point B (WA)
This program has been created to bring students the leading skills and tools for integrating sustainability into any organization - current or future. It is designed to prepare students for …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2017
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Professional Science: Environmental Geographic Information Science
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
Often, environmental scientists can analyze and interpret environmental data while GIS scientists can manage and manipulate data. Unity College’s 100% online GIS degree, the Master’s in Professional Science in Environmental …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2017
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An interdisciplinary approach to environmental and sustainability education: developing geography students’ understandings of sustainable development using poetry
- Anglia Ruskin University
Education for sustainable development (ESD) persists as an important concept within international policy and yet, despite considerable debate, there remains a lack of consensus as to a pedagogy for ESD …
- Posted Aug. 2, 2017
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Employable graduates for responsible employers
- Higher Education Academy (York)
This report explores links between sustainability and employability in the graduate job market in relation to higher education teaching and learning. This was achieved in two ways - firstly, by …
- Posted July 28, 2017
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The World Climate Simulation
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)
The importance of sustainability will only grow during our students’ lifetimes, as will the need for sustainability-literate citizens and professionals of all types. We have developed an interactive and engaging …
- Posted July 21, 2017
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Living Labs Research
- Environmental Association for Universities & Colleges (EAUC) (Gloucestershire)
A university or college living lab is where real-world institutional problems are addressed in new dynamic partnerships between all the institution's stakeholder groups. A living lab facilitates a bridge of …
- Posted July 13, 2017
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Study Guide Questions for Paul Hawken's The Ecology of Commerce Revised Edition
- Oklahoma State University (OK)
This interactive workbook is a study tool to accompany Paul Hawken's book “The Ecology of Commerce: Revised Edition: A Declaration of Sustainability” (published in 2010). It transforms reading about sustainability …
- Posted July 13, 2017
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The climate mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions
Current anthropogenic climate change is the result of greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere, which records the aggregation of billions of individual decisions. Here we consider a broad range of …
- Posted July 13, 2017
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Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World
Think about the last time you tried to talk with someone about political, social, or environmental issues who didn’t already agree with you. How well did it go?
All too …
- Posted July 7, 2017
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Education for sustainability in higher education: a multiple-case study of three courses
Education for sustainability (EfS) in higher education is an emerging specialisation within the general field of EfS. EfS encompasses cognitive, affective and behavioural aspects, and aims at enhancing a variety …
- Posted June 22, 2017
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Educating the Future of Sustainability
- Colorado State University (CO)
- University of New Haven (CT)
The future of global environmental sustainability is contingent upon educating the next generation of environmental stewards. Critical elements of training such an interdisciplinary workforce include mentoring and experiential learning in …
- Posted June 22, 2017
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What are the key elements of a sustainable university?
Nowadays, the principles of sustainable development are becoming increasingly important and universities are acting as agents in promoting these principles within society. In the future, universities will inevitably play crucial …
- Posted June 22, 2017
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Toward sustainable educational travel
- Southwestern University (TX)
- Franklin University Switzerland (Ticino)
In the past decade, sustainability and global citizenship have emerged as two of the most prominent themes in contemporary higher education. Literature that specifically merges the two themes has, however, …
- Posted June 22, 2017
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Setting a Sustainability Standard
- Dickinson College (PA)
Dickinson takes leadership role in helping faculty across a wide-range of disciplines prepare students to tackle tomorrow's sustainability challenges.
- Posted June 22, 2017
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Energy Economics and Policy
- University of Rhode Island (RI)
This certificate program provides intensive training in energy economics, management, and policy. It is designed to address energy management issues at scales ranging from the individual building, to the microgrid, …
- Posted June 22, 2017
- Academic Programs
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Preparing British Design Undergraduates for the Challenge of Sustainable Development
The first part of this paper argues that higher education (HE) institutions have an obligation to nurture sustainable development awareness. This is viewed against the UK Government's recommendation and guidance …
- Posted June 20, 2017
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Metaphors of Nature and Economic Development: Critical Education for Sustainable Business
Neoliberal discourse often conceptualizes nature in relation to its market utility and economic development. This article will address the role of metaphors in shaping neoliberal discourse in business education. The …
- Posted June 20, 2017
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Learning for change: an educational contribution to sustainability science
Transition to sustainability is a search for ways to improve the social capacity to guide interactions between nature and society toward a more sustainable future and, thus, a process of …
- Posted June 20, 2017
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Influences on Student Intention and Behavior Toward Environmental Sustainability
As organizations place greater emphasis on environmental objectives, business educators must produce the next set of leaders who can champion corporate environmental sustainability initiatives. However, environmental sustainability represents a polarizing …
- Posted June 19, 2017
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Explicitly linking pedagogy and facilities to campus sustainability: lessons from Carleton College and the University of Minnesota
- Carleton College (MN)
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
Campus sustainability projects provide an opportunity to explicitly link campus operations and academics. College and university buildings and grounds offer the potential for numerous hands‐on sustainability projects. Few schools explicitly …
- Posted June 19, 2017
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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.