Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 48.97
Liaison Rachael Rost-Allen
Submission Date July 28, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Johnson County Community College
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 4.00 Kristy Wittman Howell
Sustainability Education and Engagement Coordinator
Center for Sustainability
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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:

Students have the opportunity to work with staff in the Center for Sustainability on research projects related to campus sustainability initiatives.

In 2014 and 2016, student groups conducted multi-modal community based participatory research (evaluations and interviews of faculty, staff, and students) to produce a map and narrative detailing sustainability work across campus.

Students in the Spring 2017 honors forum conducted similar research on a sustainability-related problem on campus. Some projects proposed from that assignment, including heart-healthy designations for campus dining options; distributed and expanded e-waste collection drives to educate more students about wasteful electronics purchasing; and development of a sustainability-focused student ambassador position within the student engagement office are under consideration for implementation on campus.

In the course of their research, students were required to complete training on ethical conduct of research, to work with a research supervisor who is CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) certified and to submit their research proposals to JCCC's IRB.

Students within the Student Sustainability Committee also participate in the AASHE Annual Conference, presenting posters at the student poster session and papers in the regular conference sessions.


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:

JCCC offers in-kind and funding support to faculty with sustainability-related research interests and a plan to include students in their work. The faculty involved present their proposals to the Student Sustainability Committee for consideration.

Of their supported projects, one in 2015 - on food deserts in DeSoto, Kansas - has been presented at a professional conference for nutritionists.


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?:
No

A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
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Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

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

JCCC's Billington Library offers a sustainability-focused topic guide for students, faculty, and staff. http://jccc.libguides.com/c.php?g=511437&p=3494232

As a JSTOR subscriber, JCCC also provides institutional access to that database's new Sustainability subject area for the campus community, including some 100 sustainability-related journals and 300 sustainability-related monographs. https://www.jstor.org/sustainability/


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