Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 83.20
Liaison Maddie LoDico
Submission Date Nov. 5, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Colby College
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Philip Nyhus
Environmental Studies Program Director
Environmental Studies
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Student Sustainability Research Incentives 

Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability? :
Yes

A brief description of the student research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
Several academic departments including Environmental Studies, and administrative offices including the Office of Sustainability encourage and pay students to conduct research through coursework and extracurricular activities. One example includes the EcoRep program, run by the Office of Sustainability, which includes sustainability research relating the College's greenhouse gas inventory, purchasing habits, waste diversion rates, and energy consumption. Additionally, the Sustainability Office hires a student intern every summer to conduct larger research projects relating to campus sustainability, including submitting LEED credits, analysis of sustainability measures, and planning for the coming school year in regards to student sustainability projects.

Faculty Sustainability Research Incentives 

Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability topics?:
Yes

A brief description of the faculty research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
Although the institution does not explicitly encourage faculty to research sustainability, the College encourages research in each professor's fields of expertise, which includes sustainability topics related especially to environmental studies.

Recognition of Inter-, Trans- and Multi-Disciplinary Research 

Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
A core value of the College, shared by all of our faculty, is for interdisciplinary learning and research, exemplified in our annual undergraduate research symposium, Colby Liberal Arts Symposium (CLAS), and our curriculum, which requires students to explore all areas of learning, and is reflected in the values of the faculty who teach at the institution.

Library Support

Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
We have a librarian in our science library who is dedicated to helping students with sustainability research, among other things, and has created several guides on our website. This library contains resources for students conducting research in the science disciplines, both online and in the library itself.

Optional Fields 

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:
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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.