Amherst College
AC-2: Undergraduate Programs

2.1 Institutional sustainability learning outcomes for undergraduate students

An institution earns 4 points when it has established institutional learning outcomes for undergraduate students that include A) at least one sustainability-focused learning outcome and B) at least one sustainability-supportive learning outcome. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the institution’s undergraduate learning outcomes.

To qualify as sustainability-focused, a learning outcome must explicitly address the integrated concept of sustainability or the interdependence of ecological and social/cultural/economic systems.

To qualify as sustainability-supportive, a learning outcome must address one or more specific intellectual skills, practical skills, competencies, or attitudes/values that are critical for addressing sustainability challenges. Examples include systems and holistic thinking, change agent skills, interdisciplinary capacities, and social and ethical responsibility.

2.2 Undergraduate programs with sustainability-focused learning requirements

An institution earns 4 points when it offers at least one sustainability-focused degree, certificate, or major for undergraduate students. Partial points are available. An institution that offers at least one sustainability-focused concentration or minor for undergraduate students AND/OR at least one undergraduate qualification focused on a subject other than sustainability that has a sustainability-focused learning requirement earns 2 points.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the formal education programs offered by the institution to undergraduate students, including training and workforce development programs that award qualifications and transfer programs that provide a direct pathway to four-year sustainability programs.

To qualify as sustainability-focused, the primary focus of a program must be on the integrated concept of sustainability or the interdependence of ecological and social/cultural/economic systems. This focus must be evidenced by the published title and/or description of the program, either explicitly (e.g., “Sustainability Studies”) or implicitly, by addressing a sustainability challenge using a systems approach (e.g., “Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security”).

A qualification focused on a subject other than sustainability qualifies if it:

• Requires the successful completion of a sustainability-focused course,
• Has one or more specified sustainability-focused learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria, AND/OR
• Provides a direct pathway to a sustainability-focused job or career (e.g., a certificate in renewable energy systems).

Qualifications that are subject to sustainability-focused general education or graduation requirements may be included to the extent that the criteria are met, e.g., when all students are required to successfully complete a sustainability-focused general education course.

2.3 Percentage of undergraduate qualifications awarded that have sustainability-focused learning requirements

An institution earns 7 points when 100 percent of its undergraduate qualifications awarded indicate successful completion of an education program with sustainability-focused learning requirements. Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report the most recent annual data available from within the previous three years. An institution may report on the average of the previous three years rather than a single year. 

This credit is applicable to institutions that offer qualifications at the post-secondary, short-cycle tertiary (e.g., Associate), Bachelor’s, or equivalent level (ISCED levels 4-6), however indicator 2.1 is only applicable to institutions that have established institutional learning outcomes for undergraduate students.