Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.30
Liaison Scott Morgan
Submission Date Aug. 30, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Evergreen State College, The
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 4.00 Sam Alfieri
Sustainability Analyst
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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:

The Clean Energy Committee supports the success of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resource conservation at Evergreen. Students, staff, and faculty can apply for funding for sustainability projects through the Clean Energy Committee. The committee awards approximately $80,000 each school year. Projects funded include a solar array on the Evergreen Tacoma campus building, an energy-efficient walk-in cooler unit for the Organic Farm, and a public lecture series with Dr. Sanjay Mangala Gopal.


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:

The Clean Energy Committee supports the success of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resource conservation at Evergreen. Students, staff, and faculty can apply for funding for sustainability projects through the Clean Energy Committee. The committee awards approximately $80,000 each school year. Projects funded include a solar array on the Evergreen Tacoma campus building, an energy-efficient walk-in cooler unit for the Organic Farm, and a public lecture series with Dr. Sanjay Mangala Gopal.


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:

Research is not a criterion for either tenure or promotion at Evergreen, however, interdisciplinary teaching is a criterion. Research is, however, considered within the scope of faculty work and interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research are encouraged. See Article 8: SCOPE OF FACULTY WORK of the Faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement.

http://evergreen.edu/sites/default/files/provost/docs/UFE-TESC_2015-17.pdf


Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
---

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:

Evergreen students have the freedom to create their own learning experiences through Individual Learning Contracts, which allows them to define a set of specific activities and learning goals. Evergreen’s Office of Sustainability commonly supports several student-originated ILC’s on sustainability projects each year.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) include Faculty-defined sustainability projects. SURF started in 2013 and according to the website, "Fellows receive a stipend to engage as junior research partners on faculty-led projects across the disciplinary spectrum. Fellows gain valuable research experiences, and faculty get help to advance their research agendas. Students and faculty together present their research in a fall symposium. Faculty design summer projects and students compete for available fellowships.” While there is no specific sustainability mandate, sustainability has been a focus in at several projects since the inception of the program. These projects have included “Human Rights, Resettlement, and Belonging: Southeast Asian Arrivals to the Pacific Northwest”, “Stream Ecology Research”, “Solar Evergreen”, “Biogeochemical Cycling in Pacific Northwest Forest Ecosystems”, as well as “Anthropology, Sustainability Studies”.


Evergreen students have the freedom to create their own learning experiences through Individual Learning Contracts, which allows them to define a set of specific activities and learning goals. Evergreen’s Office of Sustainability commonly supports several student-originated ILC’s on sustainability projects each year.

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) include Faculty-defined sustainability projects. SURF started in 2013 and according to the website, "Fellows receive a stipend to engage as junior research partners on faculty-led projects across the disciplinary spectrum. Fellows gain valuable research experiences, and faculty get help to advance their research agendas. Students and faculty together present their research in a fall symposium. Faculty design summer projects and students compete for available fellowships.” While there is no specific sustainability mandate, sustainability has been a focus in at several projects since the inception of the program. These projects have included “Human Rights, Resettlement, and Belonging: Southeast Asian Arrivals to the Pacific Northwest”, “Stream Ecology Research”, “Solar Evergreen”, “Biogeochemical Cycling in Pacific Northwest Forest Ecosystems”, as well as “Anthropology, Sustainability Studies”.

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.