Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 48.10
Liaison Jen Jones
Submission Date March 3, 2023

STARS v2.2

College of Charleston
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Jen Jones
Director
Center for Sustainable Development
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Does the institution offer at least one ​sustainability-focused​ major, degree, or certificate program for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
Cultural Sustainability Certificate

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:

The Cultural Sustainability Certificate provides undergraduate students and non-degree-seeking students an opportunity to gain a deep understanding of how culture intersects with conceptualizations of sustainability. Cultural sustainability encompasses three overlapping threads: 1.) Sustaining cultural sites, artifacts, practices, and knowledge; 2.) Highlighting the role of culture in social and economic justice; and 3.) Highlighting the role of culture in environmental action.

In addition to learning about cultural sustainability, students also have opportunities to engage in real sustainability issues through internships and through research practices associated with understanding the past (e.g., archaeological research) and the present (e.g., ethnography). Students complete 18 credit hours to earn the Cultural Sustainability Certificate, comprising both required and elective courses.


Website URL for the undergraduate degree program:
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Urban Studies Program

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):

Situated in the historic Charleston urban landscape, the Urban Studies Program is a multidisciplinary major designed to provide students with the academic foundation necessary to understand and be sensitive to the benefits, management, and growth challenges of the city, its suburbs, and its coastal and outlying rural environments. Students become acquainted with approaches to the study of urbanization through one of three concentrations: Urban Planning and Administration, Sustainable Urbanism, and Urban Policy and Social Policy, with courses offered in several departments, including Political Science, History, Sociology, Historic Preservation and Community Planning, and Economics. This Bachelor of Arts degree mandates students to complete a minimum of 41 hours of coursework.


Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Sustainability and 21st-Century Business Solutions

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):

The College's Center for Continuing and Professional Education features a certificate program in Sustainability and 21st-Century Business Solutions. The program provides students with skills to lead their business or organization through the transition to value-driven economic decisions that generate revenue while making society and the environment more equitable and sustainable.

The program is a 15-credit hour interdisciplinary experience, and includes coursework on microeconomics, project management, thinking in systems, understanding emerging economic, social, and environmental trend lines and how these will impact business practices.


Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
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Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors or concentrations for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration:
Environmental and Sustainability Studies minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:

The mission of the interdisciplinary minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies is to provide students with opportunities to learn more about the natural environment, the ecology of the planet and sustainability, while understanding the impact of political, social, cultural and economic activities on the environment. Students must complete 19 hours in the minor (at least nine hours at the 200 level) at the College of Charleston.


Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Leadership for Sustainability Concentration

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):

The curricular and co-curricular experiences in this program help students to develop awareness of their leadership potential and enhance their skills in directing organizations and people in a socially responsible manner. Students participate in extracurricular events and activities specifically designed to help extend their leadership experiences as well as future opportunities.

This program allows students to gain experiences they can draw upon in job interviews, exercise their leadership skills in a low-risk environment, and network with professors, students and outside mentors. Students can choose from an array of elective courses, including Social Entrepreneurship, Ethical Communication, and Green Supply Chain Management.


Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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