Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 55.78
Liaison Jennifer McLaughlin
Submission Date Dec. 9, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

South Dakota State University
AC-1: Academic Courses

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.90 / 14.00 Jennifer McLaughlin
Sustainability Intern
Facilities and Services
"---" 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 5,258 1,179
Number of sustainability courses offered 241 27
Number of courses offered that include sustainability 6 2

Percentage of courses that are sustainability course offerings:
4.29

Total number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer courses (at any level):
36.67

Number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer at least one sustainability course and/or course that includes sustainability (at any level):
23

Percentage of academic departments with sustainability course offerings:
62.72

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?:
Three

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 :

Key words were used to narrow down the list of all courses offered at SDSU over the last three years. A small group of faculty and staff then sorted through the list to decide if a course was a sustainability course, a course that included sustainability, or neither. The list of courses was then sent to the academic departments to review and confirm designations. At this time, departments could also add any courses they felt were missing.


How were courses with multiple offerings or sections counted for the figures reported above?:
Other (please describe below)

A brief description of how courses with multiple offerings or sections were counted (if different from the options outlined above):

Courses were counted on a yearly basis. No matter if the course was offered each semester or just once a year, it was counted only once. If a course was not offered that year it was not counted. Course sections were not separated out.

For further clarification when reviewing the excel list: The excel list included in the report shows each course once. The number of courses offered is a count of how many times each of those courses were offered over the past three years. Some courses were offered once over the course of three years while others were offered every year. The excel list included in the report does not list out how many times each course was offered over the last three years, thus just counting the number of courses listed would not match up with the number of courses counted in the other section of this credit.


Are the following course types included in the inventory? :
Yes (included) or No (not included)
Internships Yes
Practicums Yes
Independent study Yes
Special topics Yes
Thesis / dissertation Yes
Clinical Yes
Physical education Yes
Performance arts Yes

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

We didn't purposely include or exclude internships, practicums, thesis, performing arts, etc., but instead only used courses that had 4 or more students enrolled. Thus some of the categories listed above may be included while others may not based on the nature of those courses.

Our number of academic department changed over the last three years, so the number listed above is the average.


We didn't purposely include or exclude internships, practicums, thesis, performing arts, etc., but instead only used courses that had 4 or more students enrolled. Thus some of the categories listed above may be included while others may not based on the nature of those courses.

Our number of academic department changed over the last three years, so the number listed above is the average.

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.