Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 56.09
Liaison Ciara Tennis
Submission Date Nov. 10, 2021

STARS v2.2

Eastern Connecticut State University
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.63 / 8.00 Stephen Nathan
Environmental Earth Science Professor
Environmental Earth Science
"---" 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?:
Yes

Which of the following best describes the sustainability learning outcomes?:
Sustainability-supportive

A list of the institution level sustainability learning outcomes:

To graduate, all students at the university must complete courses in the "Liberal Arts Core" (LAC). The LAC in turn, incorporates five liberal arts learning outcomes: 1) Critical Thinking; 2) Ethical Reasoning; 3) Communication; 4) Creativity; and 5) Quantitative Literacy. Learning Outcome #2 is particularly appropriate with respect to sustainability as viewed from the vantage point of social justice and equity. According to the spring 2020 Senate Bill that proposes adoption of these learning outcomes: ‘These five learning outcomes focus on a range of skills that are central to the ways that thoughtful, liberally educated people approach the world. They cut across disciplines—creativity is not only for artists, but for scientists and social workers as well; quantitative literacy is for poets as well as statisticians. Developing these skills prepares all Eastern students, regardless of major, to face complexity and ambiguity in the many domains they will confront after graduation.’ Refer to page 10 of the following linked PDF: https://www.easternct.edu/career/_documents/employability-council-report-and-plan-11-23-20.pdf


Total number of graduates from degree programs:
1,185

Number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
94

A brief description of how the figure above was determined:

Matt Hancock, Assistant Director of Planning and Institutional Research, provided the total number of graduates from degree programs (which includes both graduate and undergraduate students) and the number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability, which include Environmental Earth Science majors, Sustainable Energy Science concentration within the EES major, Sustainable Energy Studies minor, Biology majors, and Biology minors.


A list of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:

The Environmental Earth Science Department offers students a Sustainable Energy Science concentration within the EES major and a separate Sustainable Energy Studies minor.

The Sustainable Energy Science concentration and related minor prepares students for careers in the new clean energy economy as climate change, sustainability and clean energy initiatives return to the public forefront. EES students are thus trained to be leaders in energy policy, energy science and the energy economy.

The EES major (including Sustainable Energy) provides a broad earth science education, with a firm grounding in geology. The curriculum emphasizes a thorough understanding of earth materials, processes, and features, and the means by which environmental earth scientists address environmental problems. EES students are also required to take a year of chemistry, physics, and a semester of advanced mathematics.

EES students are thus provided the diverse academic training necessary for analyzing and resolving environmental challenges such as geologic hazards and groundwater contamination.

The EES Dept. also offers independent studies, practicums and internships to students. These opportunities can integrate field, laboratory, technical writing, and/or computer skills in the investigation of environmental issues.

The Biology program also incorporates sustainability into its learning outcomes. Biology students will - Complete comprehensive course curriculum in ecology/population biology. Develop competence in techniques used in field and laboratory work. Demonstrate ability to use scientific instruments and equipment via relevant hands-on lab and field experiences. Become engaged in a meaningful liberal arts experience. a. Students can explain how biology and its method of study are integrated into a multidisciplinary context. b. Students attend and present at professional conferences and workshops. c. Students act in an informed and ethical manner within the University and society at-large.


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:
7.93

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:

Information for this credit was provided by Steve Nathan, Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Environmental Earth Science Department. Data on the number of graduates from degree programs provided by Matt Hancock, Assistant Director of Planning and Institutional Research.


Information for this credit was provided by Steve Nathan, Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Environmental Earth Science Department. Data on the number of graduates from degree programs provided by Matt Hancock, Assistant Director of Planning and Institutional Research.

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.