University of Connecticut
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

From the University's current Academic Plan: "...Problems of environmental sustainability cannot be addressed solely by grasping the scientific principles that lead to technical solutions. Successful resolution also requires understanding their ethical, social, legal, economic, and cultural implications from a global perspective." From the University Climate Action Plan Undergraduate Education Section: "The University’s Academic Plan notes that, ‘problems of environmental sustainability cannot be addressed solely by grasping the scientific principles that lead to technical solutions. Successful resolution also requires understanding their ethical, social, legal, and cultural implications from a global perspective.’ Similarly, climate change is a complex issue and the ramifications of inaction will spread beyond direct environmental consequences. Educating how social factors influence climate change drivers and solutions, as well as teaching how to understand climate change impacts on societal patterns are important aspects of interdisciplinary environmental education. The Academic Plan calls for the University to leverage our emerging excellence in environmental studies to offer focused programs that will enhance the ability of our students to understand and solve critical environmental and ecological issues. Similarly, the Plan recognizes that learning cannot be a static process, isolated from ‘real world’ experiences. Based upon the guidance provided by the Academic Plan, several programs designed to improve campus environmental awareness are currently in development. From the Climate Action Plan section for Graduate Education: " The University’s academic plan identifies environmental research and education as core areas for investment and growth in the coming decade. Numerous department, college, school, and interdisciplinary efforts are underway that will either directly or indirectly address graduate education in energy, sustainability, environmental science, social and health impacts, and other matters relevant to the University Climate Action Plan. As an example, UConn’s Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering makes 15-25 annual awards to graduate students engaged in multidisciplinary environmental research. Graduate students from across the University formed an environmental club in the past few years called Green Grads, whose initiatives focus on sustainability and environmental justice. To help advance UConn’s Academic and Climate Action Plans, it is recommended that the University: • Support and nurture the development of interdisciplinary research and teaching initiatives tied to climate change, sustainability, and related environmental issues that foster linkages across the biophysical sciences, social and health sciences, engineering, humanities, and fine arts. • Work with the administration and UConn Foundation to secure dedicated support for graduate research and teaching assistantships at the interface of biophysical sciences and social sciences, with a focus on climate change, energy, and sustainability. • Identify funds to support the efforts of faculty to garner new external funding (e.g. training grants) for graduate research and education. For example, the administration could support such efforts by providing teaching relief, strategic matching dollars, or committing other types of matches likely to increase the competitiveness of promising new proposals. • Initiate an annual graduate (and undergraduate) symposium on climate research."

Given that the University strives to recognize the importance of scientific, economic, cultural, sociological, and political contributions to sustainability, the list of classes that are sustainability directed or focused is a continually evolving assessment that is repeated annually if possible. It is recognized that many of the courses offered at UConn provide some essential component of understanding the sustainability issues that the world must face and deal with. Thus, courses as diverse as gender equity (a crucial but under-recognized component of sustainability initiatives in the developing world), valuation of natural resources, impact analysis of climate change on ecological systems, emerging energy technologies, advanced agricultural production techniques, and environmental policy and law were all considered in the evaluation. The evaluation was performed by the sustainability coordinators in the UConn Office of Environmental Policy, a department not affiliated with any single academic program. The EcoHusky student group also maintains a partial list of course offerings as a guide for fellow students on their web page. This is not the complete list of courses identified for this year's submission.