University of Idaho
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Institution level learning outcomes address social responsibility but fall short of addressing environmental or economic responsibility. They are as follows:

Learn and integrate - Through independent learning and collaborative study, attain, use, and develop knowledge in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, with disciplinary specialization and the ability to integrate information across disciplines.

Think and create - Use multiple thinking strategies to examine real-world issues, explore creative avenues of expression, solve problems, and make consequential decisions.

Communicate - Acquire, articulate, create and convey intended meaning using verbal and non-verbal methods of communication that demonstrate respect and understanding in a complex society.

Clarify purpose and perspective - Explore one’s life purpose and meaning through transformational experiences that foster an understanding of self, relationships, and diverse global perspectives.

Practice citizenship - Apply principles of ethical leadership, collaborative engagement, socially responsible behavior, respect for diversity in an interdependent world, and a service-oriented commitment to advance and sustain local and global communities.

https://www.uidaho.edu/provost/learning-outcomes

The above figure was calculated after an audit of the Degrees Awarded excel sheet provided by Institutional Research.

Sustainability-focused degree paths were identified based on their posted description and course work. The figure above is the sum of the graduates from the identified programs, outlined in the following section, from the 2020-2021 academic year.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES:

Sustainable Food Systems - B.S.Ag.L.S.
Ability to apply scientific principles to the development and management of sustainable agricultural systems; develop an approach to solving complex food systems related issues. Ability to assess the sustainability of agricultural systems using a systems-based approach applying economic, social and natural-resource related criteria.

M.S. and Ph.D. Water Resources: In this unique distinctive program, you will learn to collaborate effectively with peers in other fields and with key stakeholders and professionals to define, research, and achieve creative and sustainable solutions to contemporary water problems. Earn an interdisciplinary master's or doctoral degree in any of three emphasis areas: engineering and science; science and management; or law, management and policy.

COLLEGE OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE:

Bioregional Planning and Community Design - M.S.
Ethics and civic leadership: the program emphasizes community outreach and applied planning with Idaho communities facing rapid changes in the character of economies and land use. Sustainability is the cornerstone of that effort. Studio work translates this approach into practice and allows the student to make the program’s intent available as a community service.

Integrated Architecture and Design - M.S.
Address significant social , environmental, cultural and economic challenges posed by built and natural environments creatively and collaboratively.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING:

Biological Engineering - B.S.
Graduates studying biological processes and integrating them with engineering principles will be effective engineers to develop solutions for a wide variety of technical problems in today's challenging interdisciplinary world. This program outcome aligns with the university's Learning Outcome 2: Think and Create. This program outcome aligns also with the ABET Student Outcomes of (b) an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data, (c) an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability, and (k) an ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.

Electrical Engineering - B.S.E.E.
An understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context. A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning.

COLLEGE OF NATURAL RESOURCES:

Environmental Science - B.S.Env.S.
Integrate technical expertise with a sound understanding of the cultural, social, political, and economic ramifications of environmental problem-solving.

Environmental Science - M.S.
Demonstrate a high level of skills in carrying out interdisciplinary work integrating technical expertise with a sound understanding of the cultural, social, political, and economic ramifications of environmental problem-solving.

Environmental Science - Ph.D.
Demonstrate high level skills in carrying out interdisciplinary work integrating technical expertise with a sound understanding of the cultural, social, political, and economic ramifications of environmental problem-solving.

Demonstrate a sound foundation in the principles of science; a breadth of knowledge across biological, physical and social science with a more highly focused foundation in one of these areas; a depth of knowledge in an area of specialization and the ability to apply the knowledge to the understanding and mitigation of environmental problems.

Fishery Resources-B.S: Professionals in this field work to support healthy fish resources for the benefit of the food supply, environment, recreation and more. Learn about the conservation and sustainable management of fish in fisheries, hatcheries and other aquatic ecosystems and gain the tools you need to address important environmental and political issues affecting fish populations.

Wildlife Resources-B.S: This degree focuses on the ecology, conservation, and management of wildlife species and their natural habitats. A science-based program, this degree offered through the Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences examines the relationships wildlife populations have with each other, the threats the growing human population poses, and the areas where this field intersects with other natural resources management disciplines.

Fire Ecology and Management-B.S: This program will provide students with an understanding of fire’s holistic role in the environment and help develop the understanding and skills to solve complex problems involved in the management of natural resources. Select courses in this degree path include Fire Ecology and Management, Meteorology, and Global Climate Change.

Rangeland Conservation- B.S: This program prepares students to manage, conserve, and restore these diverse environments, which include grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, and deserts. Our graduates are leaders in the field, and our program prepares students for a career with government agencies, conservation groups and private land owners. Additionally, our program provides a solid understanding of ecological restoration and the many issues facing natural resource management.

Forest and Sustainable Products- B.S: This degree trains students to create and design new products from bio-based materials, from wood to recycled materials.
Through hands-on courses, our students apply what they learn in the classroom in our state-of-the-art laboratories in a variety of areas such as biofuel creation from wood waste, development of plastic-enhanced wood for construction, and innovative use of small-diameter trees. Courses Forest and Sustainable Products students can plan on taking include Introduction to Forest and Sustainable Products, Properties of Forest and Sustainable Products Physiology, and Biocomposites.

Natural Resources- M.S, Ph.D: Work alongside internationally recognized faculty leading natural resources research in pursuit of your degree and make an impact on the problems facing our natural world. Our research encompasses a wide range of natural resource disciplines, and this degree focuses primarily on students interested in pursuing research opportunities under the guidance of a major professor and a graduate advisory committee. Students have ready access to thousands of acres of working forests, rangelands and waterways, will conduct research on 2.3 million pristine acres at the Taylor Wilderness Research Station, and create professional networks across multiple disciplines, faculty, and agency scientists.

Natural Resources-B.S: Examine the human dimensions of natural resource management and conservation and apply this knowledge while working with diverse stakeholders across disciplines and private and public sectors. Explore social-ecological systems and shape the relationship with the landscape that sustains us all. This nationally recognized program offers two options, Conservation Planning and Management and Conservation Science.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE:

Geography - B.S.
Ability to write clearly and verbally explain problems and issues in geographic science and related human and environmental topics in an effective manner and with supportive visual and statistical materials. Graduates of this program are prepared to apply their geographic knowledge and technical skills to address problems related to global climate change, regional planning and development, natural resources and much more.

Climate Change Certificate
The U.S. Global Change Research Program has outlined specific educational goals for training the next generation of scientists and decision makers in climate literacy across a disciplines. The curriculum required for the climate change certificate builds in the flexibility for students across colleges while adhering to the following "climate literacy" goals:

--to understand the essential principles of Earth’s climate system,
--to know how to assess scientifically credible information about climate,
--to communicate about climate and climate change in a meaningful way, and
can make informed and responsible decisions with regard to actions that may affect climate.
Thus, the certificate is intended to prepare students in many fields to understand the scientific drivers and impacts of climate change, as well as the necessary knowledge base to become active participants in planning mitigation strategies and necessary community/societal adaptations.

Part 1: Sarah Mahuron, Accreditation & Assessment Analyst, Institutional Effectiveness and Accreditation.

Part 2: https://www.uidaho.edu/provost/ir/institutional-data/degrees-awarded