Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 50.71
Liaison Lisa Kawai
Submission Date June 22, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Soka University of America
AC-1: Academic Courses

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 14.00 / 14.00 M. Robert Hamersley
PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology
Environmental Studies
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures required to calculate the percentage of courses offered by the institution that are sustainability course offerings:
Undergraduate Graduate
Total number of courses offered by the institution 603 0
Number of sustainability courses offered 44 0
Number of courses offered that include sustainability 82 0

Percentage of courses that are sustainability course offerings:
20.90

Total number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer courses (at any level):
4

Number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer at least one sustainability course and/or course that includes sustainability (at any level):
4

Percentage of academic departments with sustainability course offerings:
100

A copy of the institution’s inventory of its sustainability course offerings and descriptions:
Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
Two

A brief description of the methodology used to determine the total number of courses offered and to identify sustainability course offerings, including the definitions used and the process for reviewing and/or validating the course inventory :

All courses listed in the inventory are at the undergraduate level.

Three faculty members and a student from the Student Sustainability Committee created the course inventory in 2017. Registrar's class schedule and syllabi from Fall 2015 to Spring 2017 were used to create the inventory. The definition of sustainability used for course identification was based on STARS manual and The Earth Charter. Courses were evaluated based on their descriptions in the Course Catalog, with reference to course syllabuses, and faculty when necessary.


How were courses with multiple offerings or sections counted for the figures reported above?:
Each offering or section of a course was counted as an individual course

A brief description of how courses with multiple offerings or sections were counted (if different from the options outlined above):
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Are the following course types included in the inventory? :
Yes (included) or No (not included)
Internships No
Practicums No
Independent study No
Special topics No
Thesis / dissertation No
Clinical No
Physical education No
Performance arts No

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The courses identified in the inventory as sustainability related have been identified by their focus on Earth Charter principles. Because of the special focus of our University on human rights, peace, and environment, we offer many courses related to sustainability in subjects not always associated with sustainability offerings. Documentation of our work can be found in the Course Inventory and the Undergraduate Catalog.


The courses identified in the inventory as sustainability related have been identified by their focus on Earth Charter principles. Because of the special focus of our University on human rights, peace, and environment, we offer many courses related to sustainability in subjects not always associated with sustainability offerings. Documentation of our work can be found in the Course Inventory and the Undergraduate Catalog.

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.