Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.53
Liaison Rachael Wein
Submission Date March 2, 2020

STARS v2.2

Smith College
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Denise McKahn
Faculty Director of CEEDS
Engineering
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student sustainability research incentives 

Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
Yes

A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
The Center for the Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability (CEEDS) supports students conducting original research in sustainability under the guidance of a faculty advisor by educating students about curricular pathways, sponsoring integrative projects, and student led initiatives.

Many academic departments actively support sustainability research: including the chemistry department investigating green chemistry and polymers that absorb water contamination; Latin American studies investigating migration and climate change; Engineering focusing on all aspects of existing and emerging renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency; and more.

Faculty sustainability research incentives 

Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
Yes

A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
Smith College's Center for the Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability provides faculty with resources to encourage research in sustainability. The Center can provide expertise, infrastructure, supplemental course funds, and summer stipends of up to $1,000 to faculty in support of these efforts. In addition, faculty have access to the MacLeish Field Station, which is available year round for research and course activities. The mission of the field station is to foster field-based education and research that promotes environmental study and experiential learning in a forested and agricultural landscape. The Ada and Archibald MacLeish Field Station offers unique opportunities for faculty and students from several disciplines to pursue environmental research, outdoor education, and low-impact recreation.

Recognition of interdisciplinary, transdisciplnary and multi-disciplinary research 

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?:
Yes

A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
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The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The Committee on Tenure and Promotion considers collaborative and interdisciplinary research and other projects across different departments for tenure positions.

Library support

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:
The library staff provide ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning in the form of research guides, materials selection policies and practices, curriculum development efforts, and sustainability literacy promotion.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research 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.