| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 30.46 |
| Liaison | Jesse Carswell |
| Submission Date | Oct. 11, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Southern New Hampshire University
AC-10: Support for Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 4.00 |
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability? :
A brief description of the student research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
SNHU incentivizes research into sustainability through a partnership between Undergraduate Research (UGR) Day and several academic departments which provides scholarships for winning students. While open to all students, specific partnerships with the Environmental Science, English, and Honors departments encourage students from SNHU and other local universities present original research in either presentation or poster form. These courses introduce the research methodology and allow students to identify areas of interest for further investigation. The top projects are recognized through a cash prize and publication in our SNHU Undergraduate Research Journal. Students who collect data from primary sources are required to gain approval from the Institutional Research Board. Undergraduate Research Day has been a regular event each April since 2012 and includes over 100 students presenting each year. The rewards for participating vary upon the students' research quality and scoring from the judges. Quality and thorough research projects may win a scholarship cash prize or a chance to be published in the Undergraduate Research Journal.
Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability topics?:
A brief description of the faculty research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
SNHU encourages faculty research through a research grant process, teaching partnerships, and allocation of funds for conference participation. The research grant process is a competitive application open to all faculty to receive a cash payment in the equivalent of a one-course release. Among the factors considered in the grant process, includes a contribution to campus, community, and students as well as a defined plan to share results with a larger audience. Examples of sustainability-related projects include an examination of materials used in fashion design amongst other topics. Teaching partnerships are given an additional stipend to collaborate with faculty from another department. As a result, several sustainability-themed classes were built including a culinary course on sustainable food sourcing and the implementation of sustainability projects within organizations. Finally, the university awards funds for two different categories of conference travel, based on student or professional development. Through a competitive proposal process, money has been awarded to travel to AASHE, Post Landfill Annual Conference, Second Nature Leadership Conference, and other local sustainability events (NHBSR, Harvard Sustainability, etc.). Most winners of the funds are those that are presenting research at the conference such as professors at the AASHE conference in the Fall of 2018. Criteria for winning the funds include a written proposal and a need based assesment on the ROI of the conference.
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?:
A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
SNHU has a dedicated library assistant, Josh Becker
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.