| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.15 |
| Liaison | Laura Young |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2022 |
Michigan State University
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Laura
Young Sustainability Program Coordinator Administration-EVP-Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution have an ongoing program that offers incentives for academic staff in multiple disciplines or departments to develop new sustainability courses and/or incorporate sustainability into existing courses? :
Yes
A brief description of the incentive program(s):
MSU has several efforts related to incentivizing curricular change from broad incentives to specific efforts.
First, MSU has an established set of Undergraduate Learning Goals (ULGs) that include concepts related to cultural understanding and citizenship, which are key to educating our students in helping foster a sustainable global future. MSU units must show connection to these goals (listed below) as part of new course and academic proposals; academic and curricular reviews; and accreditation.
Cultural Understanding -- The MSU graduate comprehends global and cultural diversity within historical, artistic, and societal contexts.
• Reflects on experiences with diversity to demonstrate knowledge and sensitivity (SDG 5, SDG10).
• Demonstrates awareness of how diversity emerges within and across cultures (SDG 5, SDG 10).
Effective Citizenship -- The MSU graduate participates as a member of local, national, and global communities and has the capacity to lead in an increasingly interdependent world.
• Understands the structures of local, national, and global governance systems and acts effectively within those structures in both individual and collaborative ways (SDG 11, SDG16, SDG 17).
• Applies knowledge and abilities to solve societal problems in ethical ways (SDG 16, SDG 17).
In addition, further embedding sustainability and sustainability challenges into the curriculum is laid out in the university's strategic plan. For example, expanding sustainability teaching and learning opportunities through formal courses and co-curricular activities is a strategic action within the university's strategic plan. The strategic plan also integrates the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion as a key area for academic units to include in the curricula, and we are working on systems to track the integration of these topics for better reporting. Diversity, equity and inclusion are rooted in SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reducing Inequalities. As of 2022, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion is now required as part of yearly academic planning and budgeting letters, as well as annual evaluations, and promotion and tenure documents.
Third, MSU continues to focus on sustainability and social justice as a focus for Integrated Studies, which serves as the major component of MSU’s general education requirements. Sustainability and solving 'wicked' problems have been an integral part of Integrated Studies [Jim Lucas - Assistant Dean Global Education & Curriculum]. We have continued to build faculty development efforts related to these courses, as well as our first-year seminar programs, but providing a series of “teaching the day after” workshops for instructors about how to incorporate global and social justice topics into the classroom dialogue. We also continue to offer (on pause due to COVID) a second incentive program to bring diverse instructors together on field experiences to enhance their understanding and integration of global issues and diversity in an applied way. Each of the field trips has included sustainability, or aspects of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the framework. The following outcomes have resulted from these efforts:
Example new course created: Big Ideas in Social Science, which is an interdisciplinary course that serves as an introduction to the inquiry and research of complex issues in social, behavioral, and economic sciences. The course addresses special topics to engage new students’ interests, analyze complex ideas, and consider empirical evidence and explores global challenges through the lens of social science disciplines.
Example new course content: Integrative studies in biological sciences (ISB) instructors have integrated the UN Sustainable Development Goals into the curriculum for its courses and is helping to organize a teach-in on this topic for other integrative studies faculty. ISB courses are part of the required integrated studies curriculum for undergraduate students, and this change in course content significantly increases the number of students exposed to sustainability and the SDGs at MSU.
Beyond these two programs, Integrative Studies, first-year seminars, and MSU’s education abroad programs have all launched efforts to build sustainability, social justice, and culturally-relevant pedagogy into the curriculum as a result of the faculty development programs."
First, MSU has an established set of Undergraduate Learning Goals (ULGs) that include concepts related to cultural understanding and citizenship, which are key to educating our students in helping foster a sustainable global future. MSU units must show connection to these goals (listed below) as part of new course and academic proposals; academic and curricular reviews; and accreditation.
Cultural Understanding -- The MSU graduate comprehends global and cultural diversity within historical, artistic, and societal contexts.
• Reflects on experiences with diversity to demonstrate knowledge and sensitivity (SDG 5, SDG10).
• Demonstrates awareness of how diversity emerges within and across cultures (SDG 5, SDG 10).
Effective Citizenship -- The MSU graduate participates as a member of local, national, and global communities and has the capacity to lead in an increasingly interdependent world.
• Understands the structures of local, national, and global governance systems and acts effectively within those structures in both individual and collaborative ways (SDG 11, SDG16, SDG 17).
• Applies knowledge and abilities to solve societal problems in ethical ways (SDG 16, SDG 17).
In addition, further embedding sustainability and sustainability challenges into the curriculum is laid out in the university's strategic plan. For example, expanding sustainability teaching and learning opportunities through formal courses and co-curricular activities is a strategic action within the university's strategic plan. The strategic plan also integrates the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion as a key area for academic units to include in the curricula, and we are working on systems to track the integration of these topics for better reporting. Diversity, equity and inclusion are rooted in SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 10: Reducing Inequalities. As of 2022, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion is now required as part of yearly academic planning and budgeting letters, as well as annual evaluations, and promotion and tenure documents.
Third, MSU continues to focus on sustainability and social justice as a focus for Integrated Studies, which serves as the major component of MSU’s general education requirements. Sustainability and solving 'wicked' problems have been an integral part of Integrated Studies [Jim Lucas - Assistant Dean Global Education & Curriculum]. We have continued to build faculty development efforts related to these courses, as well as our first-year seminar programs, but providing a series of “teaching the day after” workshops for instructors about how to incorporate global and social justice topics into the classroom dialogue. We also continue to offer (on pause due to COVID) a second incentive program to bring diverse instructors together on field experiences to enhance their understanding and integration of global issues and diversity in an applied way. Each of the field trips has included sustainability, or aspects of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the framework. The following outcomes have resulted from these efforts:
Example new course created: Big Ideas in Social Science, which is an interdisciplinary course that serves as an introduction to the inquiry and research of complex issues in social, behavioral, and economic sciences. The course addresses special topics to engage new students’ interests, analyze complex ideas, and consider empirical evidence and explores global challenges through the lens of social science disciplines.
Example new course content: Integrative studies in biological sciences (ISB) instructors have integrated the UN Sustainable Development Goals into the curriculum for its courses and is helping to organize a teach-in on this topic for other integrative studies faculty. ISB courses are part of the required integrated studies curriculum for undergraduate students, and this change in course content significantly increases the number of students exposed to sustainability and the SDGs at MSU.
Beyond these two programs, Integrative Studies, first-year seminars, and MSU’s education abroad programs have all launched efforts to build sustainability, social justice, and culturally-relevant pedagogy into the curriculum as a result of the faculty development programs."
A brief description of the incentives that academic staff who participate in the program(s) receive:
For the strategic planning and budget letters, MSU is undergoing a revision in budgeting. To obtain new funding now, one must prove connection to a strategic goal. Existing programs that do not support strategic priorities are being reviewed for cuts.
For the “teaching the day after” and field trip programs faculty were provided food, transit, and access to field experiences, as well as a small stipend (about $500) to support curriculum revision. Faculty reported that the experience and ability to connect with peers were more valuable than the stipend.
For the “teaching the day after” and field trip programs faculty were provided food, transit, and access to field experiences, as well as a small stipend (about $500) to support curriculum revision. Faculty reported that the experience and ability to connect with peers were more valuable than the stipend.
Optional Fields
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Undergraduate Learning Goals: https://undergrad.msu.edu/programs/learninggoals
MSU Strategic Plan: https://strategicplan.msu.edu/strategic-plan/executive-summary
Stewardship and Sustainability pillar: https://strategicplan.msu.edu/strategic-plan/stewardship-sustainability
MSU DEI Strategic Plan: https://president.msu.edu/initiatives/dei-plan/
MSU Strategic Plan: https://strategicplan.msu.edu/strategic-plan/executive-summary
Stewardship and Sustainability pillar: https://strategicplan.msu.edu/strategic-plan/stewardship-sustainability
MSU DEI Strategic Plan: https://president.msu.edu/initiatives/dei-plan/
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