Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.97
Liaison Stephen Ellis
Submission Date Aug. 2, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Boston University
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Stephen Ellis
Director, Data Analytics
BU Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program that is one week or more in length?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s) offered by the institution, including how each program addresses the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability:

Boston University’s Center for Ecology & Conservation Biology offers a studies program in Ecuador for Biology and Environmental Science students interested in fieldwork. This abroad experience is available in both the fall and spring semesters and combines lectures given through the Universidad San Francisco de Quito with onsite studies that last anywhere from several days to several weeks. The program is comprised of four, upper-level 4-credit courses focused specifically on Tropical Ecology. Beyond this, participants live in a homestay program to bolster their acquisition of conversational Spanish skills. This is supplemented with the required enrollment in a 2-credit Spanish and Ecuadorian Culture. While in Ecuador, students engage in surveys of montane, coastal, rainforest, and tropical ecology before ending with a capstone course. Said course is designed to allow students the opportunity to evaluate and perform statistical analysis on the data previously collected in the field, gather extensive library research, and to craft both written and oral reports to convey findings. Fieldwork in Ecuador is enriched by opportunities to experience a scientific excursion to the Galapagos Islands led by a knowledgeable guide, a month-long trip to the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in the Amazon Rainforest and a coastal project conducted at Los Piqueros.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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.