Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 36.72
Liaison Lindsey Abernathy
Submission Date July 17, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Mississippi
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Lindsey Abernathy
Associate Director
Office of Sustainability
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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, including how each program addresses the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability:

In order to engage students in the discussion of how to assess and manage Mississippi’s water, the University of Mississippi’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College designed and organized the Mississippi Water Security Institute (WSI), a residential, two-week workshop for honors students of all majors from across the state. Using a case-based design, the WSI confronts students with the problem of ensuring water quality and quantity to meet the needs of attracting industry while supporting public health, community development and environmental stewardship.

The WSI took place annually for two weeks in May of 2016, 2017 and 2018. Each cohort focused on a different geographical region in Mississippi. In 2016, 15 students from four honors colleges in Mississippi focused on water security issues in the Mississippi Delta. In 2017, 17 students focused on urban water issues in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2018, 17 students studied water security issues in the Gulf Coast region. All three cohorts experienced field trips, including a week on the Gulf Coast in 2018, and participated in tours ranging from wastewater treatment plant facilities to kayaking the Mississippi River. At the end of each two-week session, students produced a white paper that was shared with the program’s collaborators and state leadership, including the Governor’s Office.


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