University of Louisville
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Justin
Mog Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives Office of the Provost |
Does the institution have an ongoing program that offers incentives for academic staff in multiple disciplines or departments to develop new sustainability courses and/or incorporate sustainability into existing courses? :
A brief description of the incentive program(s):
Green Threads: Sustainability across the Curriculum is an annual faculty development workshop, sponsored by Office of the Provost and organized by UofL’s Sustainability Council, which has been run since 2009. Originally inspired by Northern Arizona University's Ponderosa Project and Emory University's Piedmont Project, the intention is to infuse themes of sustainability across the curriculum in all disciplines. The workshop is open to all full- & part-time faculty as well as Graduate Teaching Assistant Academy participants from all disciplines.
A total of 83 people have participated in this workshop since inception, with 16 participating in the last three years.
Incentives include a stipend of $500, a catered workshop and annual reunion, as well as tours, resource materials on sustainability, inspiration, resources, mutual support, and a network of colleagues from across the university with an interest in sustainability.
In return, Green Threads participants are required to revise an existing course or create a new course with sustainability content and must agree to: (1) Participate in the day-long workshop; (2) Read materials prior to the workshop; (3) Submit a syllabus for the revised or new course(s); and (4) Report back to the group on progress during a winter gathering of all Green Threads alumni.
A 2015 survey of Green Threads faculty alumni documented the following positive outcomes:
Total number of Green Threads program participants: 47
Departmental Breakdown of Participants:
Communication 2
Economics and Business 2
Psychological & Brain Sciences 2
Anthropology 3
Education 2
Social Work 1
Health & Sports Sciences 3
Law 3
Other Social Sciences 3
Biology 4
Geography & Geosciences 4
Math and Engineering 5
Humanities 6
Political Science / Urban & Public Affairs 7
Number of survey participants: 18
Number of Sustainability-Focused or Related courses taught prior to GT participation: 21
Number of Sustainability-Focused or Related courses taught after to GT participation: 36
A brief description of the incentives that academic staff who participate in the program(s) receive:
Participants receive a stipend of $500, a catered workshop and annual reunion, as well as tours, resource materials on sustainability, inspiration, resources, mutual support, and a network of colleagues from across the university with an interest in sustainability.
Website URL where information about the incentives for developing sustainability course content is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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