Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.45
Liaison Sean MacInnes
Submission Date Feb. 20, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

University of North Carolina, Greensboro
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Trey McDonald
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution developed a definition of sustainability in the curriculum?:
Yes

A copy of the institution's definition of sustainability in the curriculum?:

The Academic Subcommittee of the Climate Action Plan team was tasked with establishing a definition of sustainability in academics (curriculum and research). The CAP is currently in draft form and not published, but the team's definition is as follows:

The UNCG Strategic Plan, UNCG Tomorrow, defines sustainability as “the enduring interconnectedness of social equity, the environment, economy, and aesthetics. This interconnectedness provides a foundation from which to discover, implement, and enrich sustainable principles and practice. The intent of sustainability is to instill values that promote justice, invent innovative approaches and solutions to environmental and economic challenges, and invest civility and grace into our communities."
Ensuring that students acquire a basic understanding of the individual elements of sustainability identified above serves as the beginning of sustainability in academics at UNCG. The centrality of the natural environment is essential to the entire idea of sustainability; how the environment shapes, and is shaped by, economic and social factors, is the core of the concept. Because of this distinction, imparting a robust understanding of the natural environment to students is vital to any attempt to infuse sustainability into our academic programs.
Infusing sustainability into academics at UNCG will produce graduating students who:
• Communicate the basics of sustainability;
• Employ and promote sustainable practices during their time at UNCG;
• Apply relevant sustainable practices in their career paths.

Other important aspects of this initiative include conveying current insights and best practices (instruction) and generating new knowledge (research) that explain and enhance the links between the various elements of sustainability. Emphasizing the intentionality of these connections and broadening the scopes in which students think and act are significant outcomes for sustainability in academics. UNCG will provide training and resources to faculty to build the programs needed to achieve these goals.


Has the institution identified its sustainability-focused and sustainability-related course offerings?:
Yes

A brief description of the methodology the institution followed to complete the inventory:

In 2011, a survey was created by interior architecture professor Dr. Anna Marshall-Baker for UNCG faculty to identify their courses pertaining to or utilizing concepts of sustainability. For the survey, the university's definition of sustainability in its strategic plan was used to guide respondents. The definition is "Sustainability is the enduring interconnectedness of social equity, the environment, economy, and aesthetics. This interconnectedness provides a foundation from which to discover, implement, and enrich sustainable principles and practice. The intent of sustainability is to instill values that promote justice, invent innovative approaches and solutions to environmental and economic challenges, and invest civility and grace into our communities."

Course descriptions, student learning outcomes, and sustainability content (by percentage) were all requested. The results were reviewed by two faculty members and the sustainability coordinator, and supplemented with an
inventory of the class descriptions in the course catalog.


Does the institution make its sustainability course inventory publicly available online?:
Yes

The website URL where the sustainability course inventory is posted:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Note that the course inventory data are from 2011. Once the definition of sustainability in academics (Pt. 1) has been officially adopted via the CAP approval process, the inventory will be updated.


Note that the course inventory data are from 2011. Once the definition of sustainability in academics (Pt. 1) has been officially adopted via the CAP approval process, the inventory will be updated.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.