Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.33
Liaison Scott Doyle
Submission Date Nov. 25, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Ithaca College
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 8.00 Rebecca Evans
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Energy Management and Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total number of graduates from degree programs (i.e. majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, and other academic designations):
1,455

Number of students that graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome:
727

Percentage of students who graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome:
49.97

Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One

Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the institution level (e.g. covering all students)?:
No

Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the division level (e.g. covering particular schools or colleges within the institution)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the institution level or division level sustainability learning outcomes:

The Integrative Core Curriculum (ICC) is Ithaca College’s liberal arts education program, which contributes to achieving the College’s expectation that IC graduates should become integrative thinkers, critical and analytical problem solvers, and reflective learners. To fulfill the requirements of the ICC and to graduate from Ithaca College, all students must complete the “Themes and Perspectives sequence”, which requires 12 credit hours in four broad disciplines: creative arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. All students are required to complete 3 credit hours in each of the disciplines. Within each perspective, students are provided a list of courses that fulfill the ICC Perspective requirements.

In order to quantify the number of graduates that have received a sustainability-inclusive education, we examined the course offerings within the Natural Science Perspective and compared them to the “sustainability course” qualifications in AC-1. Based on the parameters outlined in AC-1, we identified the following course selections within each theme:
- Inquiry, Imagination, and Innovation -
o ANTH 10300: Biological Anthropology
o BIOL 10900: History of Life on Earth
- Identities
o BIOL 10900: History of Life on Earth
- World of Systems
o BIOL 11010: History of Life on Earth
o ENVS 11000: The Environmental Crisis
o MATH 16500: Quantifying Sustainability
- Power and Justice
o ANTH 2500: Human Variation
o BIOL 10900: Life in the Ocean
o ENVS 11200: Sustainability Principles and Practice
o HLTH 21400: Sustainable Living
- Mind, Body, and Spirit
- Quest for a Sustainable Future
o ENVS 11000: The Environmental Crisis
o ENVS 11200: Sustainability Principles and Practice
o ENVS 20900: London, People, and the Planet
o HLTH 21400: Sustainable Living
o MATH 16500: Quantifying Sustainability

Once we identified the sustainability courses within the ICC that are available to students, we then accessed registration information for each course during the 2018-2019 academic (reporting) year. Because ICC Perspectives courses may not count towards credits for a student’s major, there should not be double-counting of students. Additionally, we did not count sustainability courses in any of the other Perspectives to avoid double-counting. The attached spreadsheet includes registration for each section of each sustainability-inclusive course within the Natural Science Perspective of the ICC.

Additional information on the ICC and the Perspectives sequence can be found here:
https://www.ithaca.edu/icc/themes/


Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the program level (i.e. majors, minors, concentrations, degrees, diplomas, certificates, and other academic designations)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the program level sustainability learning outcomes (or a list of sustainability-focused programs):

The Environmental Studies program and Environmental Sciences program are both identified as sustainability-focused programs per AC-3 and the STARS technical manual.

Environmental Studies: "majors develop the broad knowledge, analytical tools, teamwork, practical experience, and leadership skills necessary to become effective professionals in this burgeoning field. Students learn to assess environmental concerns critically and to explore the interplay among economic, political, social, and scientific factors in environmental issues through a variety of hands-on courses."

Environmental Sciences: "program pairs the social and policy strengths of our environmental studies major with a rigorous science curriculum to give you the broad knowledge and the scientific and technical skills necessary to address global environmental problems successfully."


Do course level sustainability learning outcomes contribute to the figure reported above (i.e. in the absence of program, division, or institution level learning outcomes)?:
No

A list or brief description of the course level sustainability learning outcomes and the programs for which the courses are required:
---

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.