Northland College
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
Northland College supports student research through individual grants obtained by faculty members, through the "Parsonage Fund" (providing between $40,000-$50,000 each year), and through its research centers. Student outcomes include research into sustainable community development, transportation, food systems, social capital, diversity and inclusion, renewable energy, water pollution, and others (see URL below for current projects). During the past three years, the Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation provided 25 student research positions into sustainability, the Center for Rural Communities provided 40 student sustainability research positions, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute provided 2 positions, and the other centers also included 16 student research opportunities focusing specifically on sustainability. Many of the projects led to students publishing academic papers as first authors. Please see the attached "Centers Research Outcomes".
Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
The College has a vibrant research program and also collaborates with local agencies, including: the Department of Natural Resources, the Northern Great Lakes Visitors Center, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Apostle Island National Park, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, University of Wisconsin Extension, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Cable Natural History Museum, local farmers, and other community members.
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?:
A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The College supports interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary research through the diverse relationships forged by the College with various agencies and individuals. Initiatives in sustainable agriculture, sustainable economic development, diversity and inclusion, social justice, gun violence, renewable energy, and so forth are active research programs that reach across multiple facets of sustainability.
Faculty seeking tenure are expected to serve the College and their respective disciplines through their teaching in addition to scholarship including research. Because of the sustainability focus of our institution the majority of faculty research also is sustainability driven.
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
The library regularly solicits recommendations from the faculty for research-supportive materials and dedicates many of its resources to topics dealing with sustainability. The library's collection-development policy articulates support for the curricular offerings of the College and--because roughly a quarter of Northland's curriculum focuses on sustainability--the library plays an active role in facilitating and strengthening faculty research in sustainability.
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research 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.