| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.76 |
| Liaison | Richard Johnson |
| Submission Date | Oct. 13, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Rice University
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution have an ongoing program or programs that offer incentives for faculty in multiple disciplines or departments to develop new sustainability courses and/or incorporate sustainability into existing courses?:
Yes
A brief description of the program(s), including positive outcomes during the previous three years (e.g. descriptions of new courses or course content resulting from the program):
The Shell Center for Sustainability provides two formal processes to incentivize the development of sustainability courses. The broad definition of sustainable development allows for a multi-disciplinary focus that encompasses combined social, economic, and environmental perspectives.
1. Through the formal RFP process for education initiatives. This bi-annual process allows for funding of a new education initiative for one year. This could include a new course. The course is seeded through these funds and is expected to demonstrate success to be considered for adoption by a School. Courses can also be cross-listed and split between more than one School.
2. The formal research RFP allows for the inclusion of course development as part of the funded research. This annual process allows for the creation of synergy between research, teaching, and the inclusion of students on the research team.
3. Courses have also been used to launch new minors in areas of sustainability.
Additionally, the Rice Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL) offers grants for up to $2000 to encourage new courses or the update of existing courses that promote and advance creative models and practices of leadership benefiting new generations of leaders. The grant proposals must include the anticipated community engagement of the students and how this will be integrated into the course (e.g., through potential assignments); and one or more civic learning goals and method to assess their attainment. Some previous grant recipients include Carly Thomsen for her course "The Future of Food: Feminist, Queer + Critical Approaches" and Gokce Gunel for his course "From Physics Labs to Oil Futures: Social Studies of Energy."
A brief description of the incentives that faculty members who participate in the program(s) receive:
Faculty receive funding and the opportunity to support new and creative initiatives through ‘internal’ seed funds. They develop students that are committed to support the research the project entails in their area of study. Faculty can find sustainability within their area of research to qualify for the funds.
Through the CERCL Course Development Grant, faculty may apply on a bi-annual basis to receive funding to develop new courses or update existing courses.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://www.cercl.rice.edu/course-development-grant-application
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