So, You Think Thats a Sustainability Course ?!?

WHO We Are Julian Dautremont-Smith Chad Frederick Elizabeth Lloyd-Pool Katherine Nelson

WHY We Are Here STARS 1.2 Sustainability-focused courses concentrate on the concept of sustainability, including its social, economic, and environmental dimensions, or examine an issue or topic using sustainability as the lens. Sustainability-related courses incorporate sustainability as a distinct course component or module or concentrate on a single principle or issue STARS 2.0 A sustainability course is a course in which the primary and explicit focus is on sustainability and/or on understanding or solving one or more major sustainability challenge (e.g. the course contributes toward achieving principles outlined in the Earth Charter). A course that includes sustainability is primarily focused on a topic other than sustainability, but incorporates a unit or module on sustainability or a sustainability challenge, includes one or more sustainability-focused activities, or integrates sustainability issues throughout the course.

Should this count as sustainability focused? Meteorology Swine Production Principles of Accounting American Economic History Petroleum Geology Family Resource Management Fundamentals of Marketing Contemporary China Beginning Tai Chi Chi Kung Introduction to Public Administration Issues in Humanitarian Studies Physics Theory I Introduction to Business Intermediate Spanish 1 Introduction to Engineering Papermaking Post-Spinosist Theory and Modernism Science Fiction Web Mapping/Publishing Pavement Design Travel Demand Forecasting Principles of Turfgrass Irrigation

WHAT We Are Talking About 1. Definitions & Methodologies Presenters Information Audience Questions 2. Pitfalls & Pressures Presenters Information Audience Questions 3. Balance & Benefits Presenters Information Audience Questions

Definitions Methodologies &

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Definition Agreed upon by 5 faculty & Office of Sustainability Melding of STARS, University of New Hampshire, UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh, & Oberlin College Methodologies Survey to faculty AND students, for by-in more than capturing full scope Full course analyses by Overview Conservative Transparency- All course descriptions are listed All 14 Schools & Colleges had at least a minimum contribution

Portland State University Sustainability is a campus-wide learning outcome Sustainability is not a major or academic department There is no Sustainability 101 course Students are not going gain a complete understanding of sustainability through one course

Interconnection: The most basic concept of sustainability that must be present in a single course Sustainability Focused Course Equity Economy Environment Course Topic Equity Economy Environment Course Topic Equity Economy Environment Course Topic Sustainability Related Course Not a Sustainability Course

Criteria Not a Sustainability Course Sustainability RelatedSustainability Focused Equity ENG 301: Shakespearean Tragedy WS 306: Women, Environment, and Activism (equity + environment) SOC 465: Environmental Sociology Economy EC 445: Comparative Economic Systems PHL 309: Business Ethics (economy + equity) USP 317: Introduction to International Community Development Environment BI 357: General Ecology ESM 222: Applied Environmental Studies: Policy Considerations (environment + economy) GEOG 363: Geography of Africa

Questions for You What are the pros and cons of how your institution identifies sustainability courses? Should there be a standardized methodology / required identification form?

Pitfalls Pressures &

Geography of Africa A survey course on the physical and human geography of the continent of Africa, focusing on the variability of the physical landscape, including geomorphology, vegetation, and climate and on the patterns and implications of cultural diversity. Examines links between natural resources, economic development, and environmental management on location, national and regional scales. Dont Judge a Course By Its Title

Points Pressure

Questions for You What lessons have you learned from course identification? What kinds of pressures have you experienced at your institution?

Balance Benefits &

Balance Faculty are busy! It is helpful to have staff who can work on this Make it simple and repeatable, i.e. different people would categorize a course the same way Current best thinking vs perfect

Basis for moving the discussion forward Reducing confusion about how your institution incorporates sustainability in the curriculum Answering the student question, What sustainability courses do you offer? Helping students get a more robust sustainability education through informed choices Benefits

Questions for You How do you balance trade offs in course identification? What kinds of benefits have you experienced at your institution? Any other remaining questions ?!?

Thank You!