| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 60.64 |
| Liaison | Eva Rocke |
| Submission Date | June 30, 2021 |
University of Montana
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Eva
Rocke Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
Several universities that are part of the Montana University System, including UM and MSU in Bozeman, are part of the Montana Institute on Ecosystems (IoE). Both campuses have co-directors and contribute teaching, advising, and research to the collaboration. The mission of the IoE is "to promote interdisciplinary discovery, education, and engagement focused on a sustainable future for Montana as well as mountain regions around the world." The IoE coordinates climate neutrality and sustainability education, outreach and research efforts amongst undergraduate and
graduate students and staff/faculty across campus and within the community, providing a framework that increases state and national visibility for Montana University System (MUS) environmental research and educational activities; a statewide community of scholars who share common interests in addressing complex environmental questions; new connections with partners from other universities, tribal colleges, state and federal agencies, NGOs, small businesses, and communities that will foster innovative opportunities for collaboration; and improved engagement with communities and stakeholders to support informed decision-making and development of solutions to environmental challenges.
Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
The Montana Institute on Ecosystems, mentioned above, supports academic staff from multiple disciplines and academic programs to conduct sustainability research.
The IoE coordinates climate neutrality and sustainability education, outreach and research efforts amongst undergraduate and graduate students and staff/faculty across campus and within the community, providing a framework that will increase state and national visibility for Montana University System (MUS) environmental research and educational activities; a statewide community of scholars who share common interests in addressing complex environmental questions; new connections with partners from other universities, tribal colleges, state and federal agencies, NGOs, small businesses, and communities that will foster innovative opportunities for collaboration; and improved engagement with communities and stakeholders to support informed decision-making and development of solutions to environmental challenges.
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?:
A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
https://www.umt.edu/provost/faculty/CBAs/UFA%202017-2021_fall19.pdf
The link above is the Collective Bargaining Agreement for UM faculty. In section 10.210, 2, General Activities for Unit Standards, item h. names "Leadership and participation in interdisciplinary activities" as one of the activities that shall be given consideration in any evaluation for purposes of promotion, award of tenure, determination of salary increment, or recommendation for retention.
Also, in 2020, UM was ranked 8th in the nation for publications with researchers collaborating with authors/researchers from other institutions (multi-university collaborations) (Leiden Ranking 2020).
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
A portion of the indirect funds for the library are directed towards research, including sustainability-focused research. ScholarWorks also retains a sustainability research guide for students.
https://libguides.lib.umt.edu/environmental_studies
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
UM highlights/accolades: https://www.umt.edu/highlights/rankings.php
UM highlights/accolades: https://www.umt.edu/highlights/rankings.php
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