Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.85
Liaison Karen Eckert, Ph.D.
Submission Date Nov. 30, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Principia College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Karen Eckert, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Center for Sustainability
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Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for undergraduate students?:
Yes

The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (1st program):
Global Perspectives

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (1st program):

Global perspectives students look at complex issues such as poverty, ecosystem degradation, child labor, and the mistreatment of women and minorities—issues that know no geographic bounds. Drawing on environmental studies, religion, the arts, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, and history, students learn how to understand, respond to, and participate in solving complex global problems


The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Environmental Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):

The BA in environmental studies provides a science-based, interdisciplinary focus on human-environment interaction. The major is grounded in biology with classes in natural resources, economics, sociology, education, earth science, chemistry, and math. A geology specialization is available


The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
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Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates for undergraduate students?:
Yes

The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):
Sustainability minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):

Sustainability is one of the 21st century’s most theoretically and practically complex fields of study. The purpose of the interdisciplinary minor in sustainability is to provide an opportunity for students to focus their intellectual inquiry on issues and problems related to local and global sustainability. Students consider problems and explore solutions from the perspective of a "triple bottom line," recognizing that truly sustainable decisions often must reconcile divergent priorities associated with ecological, social, and corporate points of view. The program is designed to complement any Principia College major.

As part of the minor, students complete an introductory course, a sustainability project of their own design, and four electives drawn from five academic spheres:

Social sphere: Courses explore how human behavior, ethical and theological values, and societal organization relate to increasing sustainability.
Business and economics sphere: Courses examine business practices and governance systems that lead to sustainable economies.
Ecology and natural resources sphere: Courses focus on sustainable natural resource use and management, environmental issues, solutions to resource needs, and conservation.
Built environment sphere: Courses focus on how human and mechanical systems of everyday life can be designed to reduce resource consumption and environmental damage, promote regenerative processes, encourage innovation, build community, and enhance quality of life.
Leadership and communication sphere: Courses prepare students to become successful "change agents" by examining strategies for motivating sustainable behavior, communicating effectively, resolving conflict, and developing effective and ethical leadership skills.


The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
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The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
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The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
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The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
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The name, brief description and URL of all other undergraduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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