State University of New York at Morrisville
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

The Applied Learning Student Showcase and the Undergraduate Research Conference are both sustainability-focused and encourage students to present their undergraduate research.

i. Yes. Scholarly and Professional Ability is one of the five criteria in which faculty must demonstrate effectiveness for continuing appointment (tenure) and promotion. This is modeled after the SUNY Board of Trustees Policies under Title A. Evaluation of Academic Employees Criteria, listing Scholarly ability as a criteria to consider in evaluating academic employees. In Section IV of the SUNY Morrisville Faculty Staff Handbook, there are sections that lay out how a faculty member must demonstrate their effectiveness in scholarly ability. Formal academic publications and research projects are areas where faculty may produce evidence to show their effectiveness. For faculty seeking continuing appointment, they must give one example in one area of scholarly and professional ability.
ii. For faculty seeking promotion to full, they must give two examples since achieving continuing appointment. Relevant sections from the handbook are as follows:
1. IV.A.6.d – Scholarly and Professional Ability (under Continuing Appointment Criteria – Faculty (Non-Librarian)
2. IV.B.6.d – Scholarly and Professional Ability (under Continuing Appointment Criteria – Faculty (Librarian)
3. IV.C.5 – Criteria for Promotion to Professor (Librarian Faculty is the same criteria)
iii. The SUNY BOT Policies (also attached) relevant section is as follows:
1. Title A. §4. (c) Evaluation of Academic Employees – Criteria – Scholarly Ability

Yes. According to our collection development policies, Section III. Selection Policies “the primary criteria for selection are the extent to which the material is relevant to the curriculum, improves the overall library collection, and enhances access to information.” While not explicitly called sustainability, our Renewable Resources Technology and Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation programs are directly supported through allocated grant funding (Central NY Library Resources Council CCDA Grant, SUNY Morrisville uses these funds to support Natural Resources and Renewable Energy) to their library program liaison. In the last two academic years, we have purchased about $700 worth of physical materials per year on natural resources and renewable energy.
We also subscribe to some online research resources (databases housing articles, ebooks, and media) dedicated to natural resources and renewable energy, and those are accessible from our Discovery Layer (OneSearch) as well as individually from our Databases A-Z guide. Our Proquest Ebook Central Demand Driven Access (DDA) program provides access to over 30,000 books in the subjects of Sustainability, Sustainable Development, and Green & Sustainable Science & Technology.
In order to help patrons find valuable resources in those categories, we have a LibGuide dedicated specifically for Renewable Energy. Otherwise, searching in our OneSearch is the best way to find all resources that we offer in one place.