Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 74.27
Liaison Konrad Schlarbaum
Submission Date Feb. 15, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Colorado Colorado Springs
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 David Havlick
Asst Professor/ Director Sustainable Development Minor
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability? :
Yes

A brief description of the student research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

UCCS offers several scholarships to encourage student research relating to sustainability topics, with a particular emphasis on issues of diversity and inclusiveness, gender, and cultural pluralism. These include financial support and, in some cases, a requirement that research be presented in a public talk. Below are links to three web sites containing information about programs to encourage student research in sustainability:
The Dane Vogel Memorial Scholarship is available to declared Geography and Environmental Studies (GES) majors at the sophomore or higher level. This is a merit-based award; students must have a minimum overall grade point average of 3.3 for all courses taken at UCCS. The Scholarship will be for $1000, and each recipient can receive the award only once. https://www.uccs.edu/geography/undergraduate_students/ges_cholarships/dane-vogel-scholarship.html
Jacquelyn Beyer Fellowship -The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage outstanding undergraduate and graduate women students with declared majors in Geography and Environmental Studies (GES) or in a program emphasizing women's studies or lesbian studies to make the best use of their academic experiences.

Womens and Ethnic Studies Scholarships
Rosa Parks, and Cesar Chavez Scholarships
https://www.uccs.edu/west/scholarships/cesar-chavez/descriptions.html

The Mary and Carrie Dann Scholarship Competition is designed to give undergraduate students the opportunity to submit scholarly and/or creative work centered on the Native and Indigenous worldview that embraces and fosters a way of knowing or consciousness, which emphasizes the dignity of all living things, respect, humility, and gratitude, and the interconnections of all life and all life systems: land, nature and community. https://www.uccs.edu/west/scholarships/carrie_dan/mary_carrie_dann.html

Additionally, the Sustainability Office encourages and works with students on sustainability research and hands-on projects. These are typically independent study courses and have included renewable energy, STARS, website development, zero waste initiatives. Students have presented sustainability posters at an annual Sustainnovate event on campus.
The Undergraduate Research Academy encourages students to expand their education beyond the classroom through participation in research and creative projects mentored by UCCS faculty. The Academy objective is to support collaborative efforts between the student and faculty member, where both members benefit from the experience. Academy students act as research assistants on meaningful projects identified by their faculty mentor. Through this yearlong opportunity, the student gains valuable experience, while being paid, and the faculty member's research program goals are furthered. In addition to their research, students take part in a monthly seminar and professional development opportunities.
Mountain Lion Research Day is an annual event for students to present posters on campus.


Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability topics?:
Yes

A brief description of the faculty research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

The UCCS Office of Diversity and Inclusiveness provides opportunities, including its Research Initiative: Innovation in Scholarship for Inclusive Excellence, that fund research projects relating to an array of sustainability-related concerns.
Research and Creative Work Fund
Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty who are resident at UCCS are eligible to apply for these funds. The objectives of this program include the promotion of research excellence; to assist more junior tenure-track faculty to establish their research program; and to provide seed money to enable faculty to secure external funds. Proposals are typically solicited in December and awards are limited to a maximum of $7,500.
Outcomes: These are funded research initiatives.
1. NASA Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3)
Observations for Testing Environmental Control of Hurricane Formation and Intensification Transition of 32 day and 15 day forecasts of Tropical Cyclone Events to Operations in the Western North Pacific<br.< Extension to Other Basins
2. Mapping our community: Spatial representations of diversity and resources
3. Building Resilience and Success: Holistic Student Veteran Support
4.Nanostructured Metal-Semiconductor Thin Films for Efficient Solar Harvesting
5.Colorado Rural Inclusion Project
6.Bergson, Merleau-Ponty, Deleuze: Three Contemporary Philosopher's Philosophy of Nature
https://www.uccs.edu/research/funding-opportunities/seed-grants

Student and faculty members can also apply for funding from the Undergraduate Research Academy each spring and fall to support their research project.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

UCCS gives positive recognition to interdisciplinary, trans-disciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and tenure decisions.

In 2009, UCCS adopted new guidelines for Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure with the express intent of broadening previous considerations of what counted as scholarship. Faculty can now develop a Faculty Responsibility Statement to highlight their “Scholarship of Integration” (collaborations across disciplines or with non-specialists), Scholarship of Creative Works, Scholarship of Application, and other forms of research that traditionally have been devalued in RPT decisions.
https://www.uccs.edu/Documents/provost/RTP%20Final%20Draft%20Document.pdf


Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

The librarian staff are assigned various colleges and topics of research. The Geography and Environmental Studies/Sustainability library representative purchased 534 titles in support of GES during the past three fiscal years (7/1/2014-7/1/2017) with an annual book purchasing budget of $9,817.00 . The attached document shows how many times each book was checked out along with the exhausted list.
Additionally, the library manages a Lib Guides website to highlight research on sustainability at http://libguides.uccs.edu/sustainability


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