Indiana University South Bend
AC-10: Support for Research

Since its initiation in 1989, as part of our agenda to enhance undergraduate education, the Undergraduate Research Fund (URF), now known as the SMART Program at IU South Bend has supported more than 150 projects in diverse fields including business/finance, science, liberal arts, fine arts, education, and health sciences. Since 1989, we have distributed over $250,000 to students.IN the 2018-19 year, roughly 10% of the awards granted supported student led research.. the topics included gray treefrogs, the relationship of fungi on native plant establishment, and investigation into floral differences between Hibiscus species. Incentives include support for attending conferences to present findings, summer stipend, and a research expense project. Students all worked on publishable research with their faculty mentors. IU South Bend offers an Independent Study courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels SUST-S 496 Research in Sustainability (1-3 cr.), SUST-S 695 Independent Study in Strategic Sustainability Leadership (1-3 cr.) SUST-S 496 Research in Sustainability (1-3 cr.) P: SUST-S 201 and permission. Independent study involving systematic schedule of readings contracted with and supervised by a faculty member. I, II, S SUST-S 695 Independent Study in Strategic Sustainability Leadership (1-3 cr.) P: SUST-S 501. This course is intended to give students the opportunity to engage in a set of directed readings or conduct research related to strategic sustainability leadership. I, II. May be repeated for up to 4 credits.

Ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning includes research guides, materials selection policies and practices, curriculum development efforts, sustainability literacy promotion, and e-learning objects focused on sustainability. The IU South Bend Schurz Library offers a rich and continuously evolving collection of resources and services supporting sustainability research. There is a dedicated Sustainability Librarian, Rhonda Culbertson, who coordinates the libraries sustainability efforts. IU South Bend Schurz Library also has a Sustainability Studies collection development policy. IU South Bend Schurz Library purchases access to a number of periodical databases that relate specifically to sustainability, including: Agriculture Collection, Environmental Studies, Environmental Studies and Policy, Greenfile, as well as myriad other databases related to science, public policy, sociology and health which touch on aspects of Sustainability and reflect the rich interdisciplinary nature of sustainability. During the past three years, there was a specific monetary allocation (2016/17 $829, 2017/18 $$829, 2018/19 $204) for the library to purchase sustainability monographs, films and other library materials, (excluding journals.) Materials were selected by the Sustainability librarian in consultation with the Director of the Center for a Sustainable Future. During the 2018-19 academic year, the sustainability librarian conducted a comprehensive review of library print holdings in a number of sustainability related call number ranges for currency, condition, and omissions, as part of a larger library collection review. IU South Bend Schurz Library pays the annual membership fees for AASHE. Every effort has been made to accommodate the distance students in the Sustainability studies program by providing electronic access to materials when they are available. In support of the sustainability curriculum, the faculty of sustainability courses provide contact information for the sustainability librarian to answer questions and help with research. The sustainability librarian also offers one-on-one research consultations with students working on a research project. In the past three years, she has conducted 3- 5 annually. The Sustainability librarian maintains an online Sustainability Subject Guide http://libguides.iusb.edu/sustainability. Documentary films on climate, food, agriculture, and socioeconomics are available in the collection and through several of the library's streaming services. Several documentary films have been acquired at the specific request of the Director of the Center for a Sustainable Future and the rights secured so she was able to do public screenings of the films. Sustainability students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels make use of library resources to successfully complete course assignments, and in many cases extend those projects to real-life applications in the community. One example of a positive outcome comes from Angie Huff, a graduate student: "I used the library’s electronic resources to create my annotated bibliography in COAS-Q510, and again in my Intro to Liberal Studies course. The semester goal was to complete an academic research paper and present it to a campus community audience. I then worked with Krista Bailey and Roy Saenz to submit an application to the Center For A Sustainable Future for a sustainability fellowship to earn “Bee Campus USA” designation for our campus. The application is now almost complete and ready for submission. Throughout the process, and in forming a Bee Campus USA committee, I was able to introduce key stakeholders to one another, like members of the Biology faculty and Facilities personnel, who then worked together to create a plan for planting native, pollinator-friendly trees, shrubs, and flowers on campus property . . . (T)he resources I used were instrumental in writing my research paper and presenting it, and led to actions on campus that benefit pollinators and the environment.​"

Data for the Student Sustainability Research Incentives section was retrieved from the Associate Professor of Biological Sciences/Department Chair for Sustainability Studies. Data for the Library Support section was retrieved from the College-Liberal Arts/Sciences department. According to the Political Science, Academic Affairs Office, We do not have support or Recognition of Inter-, Trans- and Multi-Disciplinary Research at this time.