| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.00 |
| Liaison | Katie Maynard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 29, 2024 |
University of California, Santa Barbara
AC-2: Learning Outcomes
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.87 / 8.00 |
Katie
Maynard Sustainability Coordinator Geography & Sustainability |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Has the institution adopted one or more sustainability learning outcomes that apply to the entire student body or, at minimum, to the institution's predominant student body?:
No
Which of the following best describes the sustainability learning outcomes?:
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A list of the institution level sustainability learning outcomes:
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Total number of graduates from degree programs:
7,880
Number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
1,838
A brief description of how the figure above was determined:
We used two mechanisms for identifying sustainable learning outcomes. Both methods focused on assessments of learning outcomes by degree program.
The first method was that we looked at the learning outcomes developed for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Accrediting Commission for Schools accreditation process by UCSB. Option 2 above. You can find these full learning outcomes here: https://www.assessment.ucsb.edu/learning-outcomes Within this we used the “program-level outcomes”. We reported programs whose learning outcomes touched on the environment and either economic or social sustainability. We used the outcomes measures in the broad definition of the Sustainability Course document to make our conclusions by comparing it with that of the measures included in the document (see AC1). We wanted to focus on the programs that heavily addressed sustainability. We also included programs whose learning outcome asserted impacts to society and/or; causes and implications of patterns in both the environmental and human domains. These learning outcomes can be thought of as being in the society and environmental aspects of sustainability (interdependence of social/economic systems).
The second method we did was to also include programs where the learning outcomes were not clearly focused on sustainability and so did not make the cut in the first method, but where students in the program were required to take a sustainability course identified in AC1. option 3 above. If students could take an alternate course that was not sustainability related, we did not include that in our list.
The first method was that we looked at the learning outcomes developed for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Accrediting Commission for Schools accreditation process by UCSB. Option 2 above. You can find these full learning outcomes here: https://www.assessment.ucsb.edu/learning-outcomes Within this we used the “program-level outcomes”. We reported programs whose learning outcomes touched on the environment and either economic or social sustainability. We used the outcomes measures in the broad definition of the Sustainability Course document to make our conclusions by comparing it with that of the measures included in the document (see AC1). We wanted to focus on the programs that heavily addressed sustainability. We also included programs whose learning outcome asserted impacts to society and/or; causes and implications of patterns in both the environmental and human domains. These learning outcomes can be thought of as being in the society and environmental aspects of sustainability (interdependence of social/economic systems).
The second method we did was to also include programs where the learning outcomes were not clearly focused on sustainability and so did not make the cut in the first method, but where students in the program were required to take a sustainability course identified in AC1. option 3 above. If students could take an alternate course that was not sustainability related, we did not include that in our list.
A list of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
Programs identified through use of the learning outcomes:
Chemical Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Computer Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Earth Science B.A/B.S:
“Describe the broad attributes and interactions of the Earth System, as well as its geological history, how and why it is changing today, and how those changes impact society”
Electrical Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Environmental Science B.A/B.S:
“Identify the societal (social, political, economic, cultural and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change”
“Analyze efforts to solve environmental problems from multiple perspectives, including sustainability, equity, and social justice”
“Propose and justify actions to address environmental issues.”
Geography B.A:
“Explain how geography, the study of Earth as the home of humanity, integrates biophysical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities”
“Describe the interrelationships of physical, biological, socio-cultural, and economic components of the Earth system”
“Explain the causes and implications of patterns of spatio-temporal interaction and movement in both the biophysical and human domains”
Global Studies B.A:
“Explain the basic contours of contemporary global social, cultural, economic, environmental and political issues”
Hydrological Sciences and Policy B.S:
“Identify the societal (social, political, economic, cultural and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change”
“Analyze efforts to solve environmental problems from multiple perspectives, including sustainability, equity, and social justice”
“Propose and justify actions to address environmental issues.”
Mechanical Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Physical Geography B.S:
“Explain the causes and implications of patterns of spatio‐temporal interaction and movement, in both the biophysical and human domains”
Programs identified based on the required courses:
Aquatic Biology B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
“Describe the diversity of aquatic organisms, their evolutionary history, biogeography, interactions with other organisms, and adaptations to their environments”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Biological Sciences B.A/B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Ecology and Evolution B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
“Be able to explain how changes in the environment can alter species interactions and lead to
ecosystem change”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Physiology B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
“Demonstrate understanding of the basic principles underlying how organisms adapt mechanistically to environmental change over short and long (i.e., evolutionary) time-scales”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Zoology B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Chemical Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Computer Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Earth Science B.A/B.S:
“Describe the broad attributes and interactions of the Earth System, as well as its geological history, how and why it is changing today, and how those changes impact society”
Electrical Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Environmental Science B.A/B.S:
“Identify the societal (social, political, economic, cultural and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change”
“Analyze efforts to solve environmental problems from multiple perspectives, including sustainability, equity, and social justice”
“Propose and justify actions to address environmental issues.”
Geography B.A:
“Explain how geography, the study of Earth as the home of humanity, integrates biophysical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities”
“Describe the interrelationships of physical, biological, socio-cultural, and economic components of the Earth system”
“Explain the causes and implications of patterns of spatio-temporal interaction and movement in both the biophysical and human domains”
Global Studies B.A:
“Explain the basic contours of contemporary global social, cultural, economic, environmental and political issues”
Hydrological Sciences and Policy B.S:
“Identify the societal (social, political, economic, cultural and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change”
“Analyze efforts to solve environmental problems from multiple perspectives, including sustainability, equity, and social justice”
“Propose and justify actions to address environmental issues.”
Mechanical Engineering B.S:
“an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors”
“an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts”
Physical Geography B.S:
“Explain the causes and implications of patterns of spatio‐temporal interaction and movement, in both the biophysical and human domains”
Programs identified based on the required courses:
Aquatic Biology B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
“Describe the diversity of aquatic organisms, their evolutionary history, biogeography, interactions with other organisms, and adaptations to their environments”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Biological Sciences B.A/B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Ecology and Evolution B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
“Be able to explain how changes in the environment can alter species interactions and lead to
ecosystem change”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Physiology B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
“Demonstrate understanding of the basic principles underlying how organisms adapt mechanistically to environmental change over short and long (i.e., evolutionary) time-scales”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Zoology B.S:
“Discuss the interactions between organisms and their environments, and the consequences of
these interactions in natural populations, communities, and ecosystems”
REQUIRED SUSTAINABILITY-FOCUSED/RELATED COURSE: EEMB 3
Documentation supporting the figure reported above (upload):
Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One
Percentage of students who graduate from programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
23.32
Website URL where information about the sustainability learning outcomes is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
We reported programs whose learning outcomes touched on the environment and either economic or social sustainability. We used the outcome measures in the broad definition of the Sustainability Course document to make our conclusions by comparing them with those of the measures included in the document. We wanted to focus on the programs that heavily addressed sustainability. We also included programs whose learning outcome asserted impacts to society and/or; causes and implications of patterns in both the environmental and human domains. These learning outcomes can be thought of as being in the society and environmental aspects of sustainability (interdependence of social/economic systems). While there may be programs whose learning outcomes don’t heavily address sustainability, we found that one of the courses required to complete the major was sustainability-focused/related. We determined the course was sustainability-focused/related by using the Sustainability Course document to compare the Goal and Learning measures of the course with the measures included in the document. We decided to include the learning outcomes that partially addressed sustainability and include the course required for the program that was sustainability-focused/related.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.