Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 79.54
Liaison Kelli O'Day
Submission Date June 20, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of California, Davis
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Kelli O'Day
Assessment Program Manager
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program that is one week or more in length?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s) offered by the institution:

Global Affairs hosts the Global Campus Theme, which engages the entire UC Davis community in discussions, learning, discovery, and action on topics linked to one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The 2022 theme was "Transformative Energies: Repowering and Empowering the Planet".
Global Affairs Global Campus Theme: https://globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/campus-global-theme

GEL 136: Ecogeomorphology: Each year, the Ecogeomorphology course examines an issue that impacts the management of river and stream ecosystems. The class includes a two-week field study of a selected watershed in remote wilderness settings, during which students collect original information on aquatic and riparian ecology, hydrology and fluvial geomorphology.
GEL 136 - Ecogeomorphology: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/courses-subject-code/gel/

In addition, the Global Learning Hub offers a wide variety of sustainability-focused immersive programs. These include:

- The Global Engagement Opportunity (GEO), a one-year residential living-learning community that provides students an opportunity for cross cultural exchange. Participants collaboratively learn about and address global issues in an equitable and sustainable way. Students are introduced to the UN SDGs through methods such as SDG-focused field trips. Global Engagement Opportunity: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/experience/global-leadership/geo

- Partnerships with each of the four campus colleges to provide experiential learning grants for internships and community engagement programs. Recipients often engage in impactful work associated with the UN SDGs.

- A wide range of for-credit Summer Abroad programs: Microbiology Lab in the Kingdom of Smiles (Thailand), examining international health issues and the changing environment in the context of microbiologic diversity; Thermodynamics in Land of Fire and Ice (Iceland), consisting of field work around geothermal and hydroelectric resources through the lens of renewable power policy; Housing and Urbanism in Barcelona (Spain), addressing architecture and urban landscaping with a focus on community identity and activism; Sustainable Cities of Northern Europe, featuring a project-oriented approach to learning about urban development with a sustainability focus; Environmental Justice in Indigenous Ecuador, providing extensive field work with rural indigenous communities of the Andes and Amazon of Ecuador with special focus on environmental justice and human rights; Climate Resilience in Thailand, exploring the impact of policy and city planning decisions on future climate resilience; and One Health Uganda, which educates students on One Health issues connected to human, livestock, and wildlife interaction in communities within and surrounding national wildlife conservation parks in Western Uganda.
Microbiology in the Kingdom of Smiles (Thailand): https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/thailand
Thermodynamics in the Land of Fire and Ice (Iceland): https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/iceland
Housing and Urbanism in Barcelona (Spain): https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/spain_housing
Sustainable Cities of Northern Europe: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/mc_sustainable
Environmental Justice in Indigenous Ecuador: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/ecuador
Climate Resilience in Thailand: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/thailand_climate
One Health Uganda: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/sa/uganda

- Two quarter abroad programs: Latinx Health Internship in Oaxaca, providing students with in-depth clinical experience in public health; and Community, Technology, and Sustainability in Nepal, where UC Davis students work in interdisciplinary groups with Nepalese peers on projects such as local and regional development, sustainable agriculture, water resources, food and nutrition, education, public health, democratic governance, and more.
Latinx Health Internship in Oaxaca: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/qa/mexico
Community, Technology, and Sustainability in Nepal: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/qa/nepal

- A number of Global Health internships that explore health issues: Pediatric Health in Bolivia; Primary Care and Rural Medicine in Bolivia; Pediatric Care and Reproductive Health in Ghana; Public Health and Rural/Urban Medicine in India; Remote Island Medicine in Philippines; Hospital Medicine and Health Disparities in South Africa; and Hospital Medicine and Infectious Disease in South Africa.
Pediatric Health in Bolivia: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-bolivia_la-paz
Primary Care and Rural Medicine in Bolivia: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-bolivia_tarija
Pediatric Care and Reproductive Health in Ghana: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-ghana
Public Health and Rural/Urban Medicine in India: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-india
Remote Island Medicine in Philippines: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-philippines
Hospital Medicine and Health Disparities in Cape Town, South Africa: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-south-africa_cape-town
Hospital Medicine and Infectious Disease in Durban, South Africa: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/global-health-south-africa_durban

- Two Environment, Green Tech, and Sustainability internships in New Zealand and Spain, providing students with professional experience in sustainable business, environmental science, green technology, sustainable engineering, urban planning, research, or policy.
New Zealand: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/sustainability-new-zealand
Spain: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/si/sustainability-spain

- Two virtual summer internships: Social Impact and Public Health; and Environment, Green Tech, and Sustainability. Students work remotely at a vetted company located in one of many locations around the globe—examples include Argentina, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Nepal, South Africa, and more. Students also participate in an online course facilitated by UC Davis faculty to reflect on their experience.
Social Impact and Public Health: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/vi/social-impact-mc
Environment, Green Tech, and Sustainability: https://globallearning.ucdavis.edu/pathways/academics/studyabroad/vi/sustainability-mc


Website URL where information about the institution’s immersive education programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Cora Ballek, a student employee in the UC Davis Sustainability office, assisted in compiling this credit response.


Cora Ballek, a student employee in the UC Davis Sustainability office, assisted in compiling this credit response.

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