Franklin University Switzerland
AC-6: Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
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Reporter |
6.1 Percentage of academic departments engaged in sustainability research
Number of academic departments engaged in sustainability research:
Annotated list or inventory of the institution’s sustainability research by department:
Description of the process used to identify the institution’s sustainability research:
In Fall 2024, we distributed a survey to all faculty members regarding their involvement in sustainability-inclusive or sustainability-focused research. Faculty were given four weeks to complete the survey before we collected the data. It is important to note that we believe this survey does not fully represent the total number of faculty engaged in sustainability research. Participation in the survey was voluntary, so not every faculty member completed it, even if they had conducted relevant research.
Considering the limitations of our survey results, we also reviewed individual faculty profiles on the FUS website to access additional information on sustainability research. We searched for keywords related to sustainability, such as "sustainable consumption," "ecological economics," and "climate change."
By using these two methods, we have compiled a diverse list of sustainability-focused research conducted by Franklin's faculty and the Green Office, both past and present. research previously and currently being conducted by Franklin's faculty and the Green Office.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following two figures:
Points earned for indicator AC 6.1:
6.2 Incentives for sustainability research
Description of the sustainability research incentives for academic staff:
The Green Office sustainability programs actively encourage staff from multiple disciplines and academic programs to conduct sustainability research. For example, the Green Office hosts an Earth Day Summit, which is an opportunity to showcase interdisciplinary faculty research in sustainability. In addition, the Green Office has launched a faculty grant program to support faculty looking to expand their teaching to include a sustainability focus.
The Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Futures (CJSF) at FUS promotes research, education, and community initiatives that explore the relationship between cultural practices and the environment. The CJSF also hosts a postdoctoral researcher.
Does the institution provide incentives for students to conduct sustainability research?:
Description of the sustainability research incentives for students:
FUS offers Life Long Learning Scholarships, some of which are structured to have students assist faculty with their research on sustainability. In addition, the Green Office Scholars in the Green Office Sustainability Programs are funded through the LLLS Scholarship program. The Green Office hosts a repository of student sustainability research.
Separately, the Ann Gardiner Award in Sustainability further funds student sustainability research.
Both the LLLS Scholarship program and the Ann Gardiner Award in Sustainability are monetary incentives for supporting student engagement in sustainability research.
The Reporting Tool will automatically calculate the following figure:
Optional documentation
Additional documentation for this credit:
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.