| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.51 |
| Liaison | Aurora Sharrard |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2021 |
University of Pittsburgh
AC-2: Learning Outcomes
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.02 / 8.00 |
David
Sanchez Asst. Prof/Assist. Director Civil and Environmental Engineering |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Institutional sustainability learning outcomes
Yes
Which of the following best describes the sustainability learning outcomes?:
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A list of the institution level sustainability learning outcomes:
Pitt's University-wide Undergraduate Sustainability learning outcomes are as follows:
• Students will develop the basic competencies needed by science, engineering, and humanities graduates to contribute quickly and effectively to the development and ultimate use of sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad.
• Students will develop analytical skills and learn to think critically about sustainability.
• Students will be able to seamlessly incorporate sustainability into knowledge from their core course of study.
Courses across the University that have the Sustainability course attribute connect to some, if not all, of the following outcomes:
• Students will be able to explain sustainability as an integrated concept within the discipline or course, highlighting the interaction and tradeoffs between ecological, social and economic systems used to support human society.
• Students will articulate current issues and relate them to the Sustainable Development Goal(s).
• Students will propose/build solutions to sustainability challenges and articulate why they are more sustainable to a broad audience.
• Students will consider the ethical dimensions of decisions meant to improve sustainability, working together with other students in converging fields to foster conversation and collaboration between disciplines.
• Students will be able to consider sustainability at multiple scales in accordance with the problem.
Pitt's sustainability course attributes are fully documented under Credit IN-38, but basic online information is here: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/course-attribute-sustainability/
• Students will develop the basic competencies needed by science, engineering, and humanities graduates to contribute quickly and effectively to the development and ultimate use of sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad.
• Students will develop analytical skills and learn to think critically about sustainability.
• Students will be able to seamlessly incorporate sustainability into knowledge from their core course of study.
Courses across the University that have the Sustainability course attribute connect to some, if not all, of the following outcomes:
• Students will be able to explain sustainability as an integrated concept within the discipline or course, highlighting the interaction and tradeoffs between ecological, social and economic systems used to support human society.
• Students will articulate current issues and relate them to the Sustainable Development Goal(s).
• Students will propose/build solutions to sustainability challenges and articulate why they are more sustainable to a broad audience.
• Students will consider the ethical dimensions of decisions meant to improve sustainability, working together with other students in converging fields to foster conversation and collaboration between disciplines.
• Students will be able to consider sustainability at multiple scales in accordance with the problem.
Pitt's sustainability course attributes are fully documented under Credit IN-38, but basic online information is here: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/course-attribute-sustainability/
Part 2. Program-level sustainability learning outcomes
9,204
Number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
1,168
A brief description of how the figure above was determined:
Total number of graduates from degree programs was secured through the University Factbook from the Office of Institutional Research, https://ir.pitt.edu/facts-publications/factbook/
The # of graduates was cross-referenced with the inventory of courses to identify required courses graduates have taken.
The # of graduates was cross-referenced with the inventory of courses to identify required courses graduates have taken.
A list of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
The University of Pittsburgh offers various sustainability-focused and related undergraduate and graduate degrees, majors, minors, certificates, and transcript distinctions, as summarized below.
Learn more: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/what-pitt-is-doing/education-research/
1) UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATES in Sustainability (more below); Business, Leadership & Ethics; Engineering for Humanity (more below); Global Studies, Sustainable Development & Ecology (more below); Global Studies, Health & Wellbeing; and Global Studies, Peace, Conflict, & Security
2) MAJORS AND MINORS in: Architectural Studies (BA, Preservation Track or Preservation Minor); Architecture (BS); Environmental Science (BS, more below); Environmental Studies (BA, more below); Environmental Engineering; Literature (Concentration in Environment, Science, and Culture); Sociology (Thematic Clusters in Social Movements / Inequality; The Helping Professions; or Health, Environment, & Technology); and Urban Studies (with Concentrations for Community Organization or Urban Policy)
3) UNDERGRADUATE TRANSCRIPT DISTINCTIONS in Sustainability (more below), Global Studies, and Honors. Learn more: https://www.personaled.pitt.edu/student-toolbox/distinctions
4) GRADUATE CERTIFICATES in Ecology & Sustainability (Global Studies); Global Health (Public Health) and Sustainability (Business, MBA)
5) MASTERS DEGREES in International Development: Energy & Environment; Public Administration: Energy & Environment; Public Administration: Urban Affairs; Public Health; and Sustainable Engineering.
UNIVERSITY-WIDE UNDERGRADUATE SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATE
Established in 2016, the University of Pittsburgh’s university-wide Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability aims to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to enhance their education by including sustainability in their course of study. This Sustainability Certificate program transcends Schools and Departments at the University of Pittsburgh, capitalizes on ongoing sustainability-growth opportunities in teaching and research, and utilizes the framework of the university-wide Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (MCSI) to execute the certificate.
The objectives of the Undergraduate Sustainability Certificate are:
• To develop the basic competencies needed by science, engineering, and humanities graduates to contribute quickly and effectively to the development and ultimate use of sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad,
• To create opportunities for undergraduates to develop analytical skills and to learn to think critically about sustainability,
• To provide undergraduates the opportunity to seamlessly incorporate sustainability into their course of study, and
• To create a benchmark education program that can serve as a model throughout academia.
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Certificate/
ENGINEERING FOR HUMANITY CERTIFICATE (SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING)
The Engineering for Humanity certificate is open to all undergraduate students, both guiding and formalizing student participation in engineering projects in which social and/or environmental sustainability is a core thrust. Moreover, the certificate program addresses the significance of cultural, political, and business forces in rapid and effective penetration of new technologies. This certificate allows students to earn credit for service-learning projects. Students have the option of pursuing either a U.S. or international track. The certificate embodies significant flexibility, with only 2 of 5 courses being explicitly defined, so participating students may tailor course work to their region and topic of interest. It is expected that with appropriate planning at least two of the courses will align with departmental BS graduation requirements.
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/EfHCertificate/
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT & ECOLOGY CERTIFICATE (University Center for International Studies)
Explores challenges and solutions to improving quality of life without increasing the use of natural resources beyond environmental capacity or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The certificate is open to students of all majors.
Learn more: https://cba.pitt.edu/academics/certificates/area-studies-certificates/sustainable-development-certificate-in-global-studies/
MASTER'S OF SCIENCE IN SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING
Pitt’s MS in Sustainable Engineering provides advanced education to graduate students to identify and solve sustainability issues using systems approaches in the context of the triple bottom line of environmental, societal, and economic problems. The rigorous program has breadth and depth to propel graduate students to foster sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad. Student cohorts are able to create regional and nationally scalable sustainability solutions through service-learning projects. Students also gain experiences that enable them to communicate sustainability issues and solutions to multiple audiences.
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MSSE/
MASTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT or MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION(Graduate School of Public and International Affairs [GSPIA])
Pitt offers 2 graduate policy degrees (International Development + Public Administration), both of which provide for foci in 1 of 2 sustainability-related categories: 1) Energy & Environment explores the economics, politics, and policies of pressing environmental and energy issues; and 2) Urban Affairs imagines and create sustainable communities on an international scale.
Learn more: https://www.gspia.pitt.edu/academics
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Founded in 1996, Pitt’s Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies has become one of the most successful interdisciplinary majors at the University of Pittsburgh. Students may take classes in six different schools and myriad departments within the University. The BA in Environmental Studies equips students with an understanding of earth systems and the environment, including the effect of geologic processes on human activity, and the impact of humans on the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and global climate. Courses in the natural and social sciences supplement a traditional liberal arts curriculum to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary background in the scientific, economic, political, and social aspects of human interaction with the environment. The Environmental Studies degree provides a strong, balanced background for students who seek careers in fields such as sustainability, resource development and management, environmental policy and regulation, risk assessment, land use planning, public policy, and education.
Learn more: https://www.geology.pitt.edu/environmental-studies-ba
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Pitt’s BS in Environmental Science is a multidisciplinary degree that focuses on documenting the impacts that people have on our environment, on reducing the harmful effects of these impacts, and on restoring aspects of the environment to benefit both nature and people. This program focuses on air, water, and the Earth’s solid surface, and it includes an emphasis on their interactions with life.
https://www.geology.pitt.edu/environmental-science-bs
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION MAJOR (Biological Sciences)
Examines fundamental questions of how species live and interact in nature and the evolutionary origins of species. You can study morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of animals, plants, and microorganisms; genetic mechanisms of evolution; and ecological relationships of organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and global levels.
Learn more: https://www.biology.pitt.edu/undergraduate/academic-programs/ecology-and-evol-0
ARCHITECTURE
All Architectural Studies majors must take ARC 0110: Approaches to the Built Environment, which is a sustainability-inclusive course.
https://www.arch.pitt.edu/current-incoming-students/ba-architectural-studies
SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
As part of each program's ABET Accreditation, sustainability is a key learning outcome of all Swanson School of Engineering Students. The programs are:
-Bioengineering
-Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
-Civil and Environmental Engineering
-Electrical and Computer Engineering
-Industrial Engineering
-Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/
URBAN STUDIES
All Urban Studies majors must complete the course, URBNST 0010: Introduction to Urban Studies. The course, like the major, explores the problems and potential of cities by combining various disciplinary perspectives: economics, geography, Africana studies, political science, history, sociology, and anthropology. In so doing, the course takes full advantage of the resources of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Learn more: https://www.urbanstudies.pitt.edu/program/courses
SUSTAINABILITY TRANSCRIPT DISTINCTION
The primary goals of the Sustainability Distinction are to provide students with a mechanism to gain recognition and “credit” for their outside-the-classroom endeavors and broaden the number of undergraduate students participating in sustainability activities throughout campus. Students must complete 6 to 9 credits of sustainability-focused courses to obtain this distinction, among several other requirements outside of the curriculum.
Learn more: https://www.personaled.pitt.edu/sustainability-distinction
Learn more: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/what-pitt-is-doing/education-research/
1) UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATES in Sustainability (more below); Business, Leadership & Ethics; Engineering for Humanity (more below); Global Studies, Sustainable Development & Ecology (more below); Global Studies, Health & Wellbeing; and Global Studies, Peace, Conflict, & Security
2) MAJORS AND MINORS in: Architectural Studies (BA, Preservation Track or Preservation Minor); Architecture (BS); Environmental Science (BS, more below); Environmental Studies (BA, more below); Environmental Engineering; Literature (Concentration in Environment, Science, and Culture); Sociology (Thematic Clusters in Social Movements / Inequality; The Helping Professions; or Health, Environment, & Technology); and Urban Studies (with Concentrations for Community Organization or Urban Policy)
3) UNDERGRADUATE TRANSCRIPT DISTINCTIONS in Sustainability (more below), Global Studies, and Honors. Learn more: https://www.personaled.pitt.edu/student-toolbox/distinctions
4) GRADUATE CERTIFICATES in Ecology & Sustainability (Global Studies); Global Health (Public Health) and Sustainability (Business, MBA)
5) MASTERS DEGREES in International Development: Energy & Environment; Public Administration: Energy & Environment; Public Administration: Urban Affairs; Public Health; and Sustainable Engineering.
UNIVERSITY-WIDE UNDERGRADUATE SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATE
Established in 2016, the University of Pittsburgh’s university-wide Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability aims to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to enhance their education by including sustainability in their course of study. This Sustainability Certificate program transcends Schools and Departments at the University of Pittsburgh, capitalizes on ongoing sustainability-growth opportunities in teaching and research, and utilizes the framework of the university-wide Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (MCSI) to execute the certificate.
The objectives of the Undergraduate Sustainability Certificate are:
• To develop the basic competencies needed by science, engineering, and humanities graduates to contribute quickly and effectively to the development and ultimate use of sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad,
• To create opportunities for undergraduates to develop analytical skills and to learn to think critically about sustainability,
• To provide undergraduates the opportunity to seamlessly incorporate sustainability into their course of study, and
• To create a benchmark education program that can serve as a model throughout academia.
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Certificate/
ENGINEERING FOR HUMANITY CERTIFICATE (SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING)
The Engineering for Humanity certificate is open to all undergraduate students, both guiding and formalizing student participation in engineering projects in which social and/or environmental sustainability is a core thrust. Moreover, the certificate program addresses the significance of cultural, political, and business forces in rapid and effective penetration of new technologies. This certificate allows students to earn credit for service-learning projects. Students have the option of pursuing either a U.S. or international track. The certificate embodies significant flexibility, with only 2 of 5 courses being explicitly defined, so participating students may tailor course work to their region and topic of interest. It is expected that with appropriate planning at least two of the courses will align with departmental BS graduation requirements.
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/EfHCertificate/
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT & ECOLOGY CERTIFICATE (University Center for International Studies)
Explores challenges and solutions to improving quality of life without increasing the use of natural resources beyond environmental capacity or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The certificate is open to students of all majors.
Learn more: https://cba.pitt.edu/academics/certificates/area-studies-certificates/sustainable-development-certificate-in-global-studies/
MASTER'S OF SCIENCE IN SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING
Pitt’s MS in Sustainable Engineering provides advanced education to graduate students to identify and solve sustainability issues using systems approaches in the context of the triple bottom line of environmental, societal, and economic problems. The rigorous program has breadth and depth to propel graduate students to foster sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad. Student cohorts are able to create regional and nationally scalable sustainability solutions through service-learning projects. Students also gain experiences that enable them to communicate sustainability issues and solutions to multiple audiences.
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MSSE/
MASTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT or MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION(Graduate School of Public and International Affairs [GSPIA])
Pitt offers 2 graduate policy degrees (International Development + Public Administration), both of which provide for foci in 1 of 2 sustainability-related categories: 1) Energy & Environment explores the economics, politics, and policies of pressing environmental and energy issues; and 2) Urban Affairs imagines and create sustainable communities on an international scale.
Learn more: https://www.gspia.pitt.edu/academics
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Founded in 1996, Pitt’s Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies has become one of the most successful interdisciplinary majors at the University of Pittsburgh. Students may take classes in six different schools and myriad departments within the University. The BA in Environmental Studies equips students with an understanding of earth systems and the environment, including the effect of geologic processes on human activity, and the impact of humans on the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and global climate. Courses in the natural and social sciences supplement a traditional liberal arts curriculum to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary background in the scientific, economic, political, and social aspects of human interaction with the environment. The Environmental Studies degree provides a strong, balanced background for students who seek careers in fields such as sustainability, resource development and management, environmental policy and regulation, risk assessment, land use planning, public policy, and education.
Learn more: https://www.geology.pitt.edu/environmental-studies-ba
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Pitt’s BS in Environmental Science is a multidisciplinary degree that focuses on documenting the impacts that people have on our environment, on reducing the harmful effects of these impacts, and on restoring aspects of the environment to benefit both nature and people. This program focuses on air, water, and the Earth’s solid surface, and it includes an emphasis on their interactions with life.
https://www.geology.pitt.edu/environmental-science-bs
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION MAJOR (Biological Sciences)
Examines fundamental questions of how species live and interact in nature and the evolutionary origins of species. You can study morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations of animals, plants, and microorganisms; genetic mechanisms of evolution; and ecological relationships of organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and global levels.
Learn more: https://www.biology.pitt.edu/undergraduate/academic-programs/ecology-and-evol-0
ARCHITECTURE
All Architectural Studies majors must take ARC 0110: Approaches to the Built Environment, which is a sustainability-inclusive course.
https://www.arch.pitt.edu/current-incoming-students/ba-architectural-studies
SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
As part of each program's ABET Accreditation, sustainability is a key learning outcome of all Swanson School of Engineering Students. The programs are:
-Bioengineering
-Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
-Civil and Environmental Engineering
-Electrical and Computer Engineering
-Industrial Engineering
-Mechanical and Materials Engineering
Learn more: https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/
URBAN STUDIES
All Urban Studies majors must complete the course, URBNST 0010: Introduction to Urban Studies. The course, like the major, explores the problems and potential of cities by combining various disciplinary perspectives: economics, geography, Africana studies, political science, history, sociology, and anthropology. In so doing, the course takes full advantage of the resources of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Learn more: https://www.urbanstudies.pitt.edu/program/courses
SUSTAINABILITY TRANSCRIPT DISTINCTION
The primary goals of the Sustainability Distinction are to provide students with a mechanism to gain recognition and “credit” for their outside-the-classroom endeavors and broaden the number of undergraduate students participating in sustainability activities throughout campus. Students must complete 6 to 9 credits of sustainability-focused courses to obtain this distinction, among several other requirements outside of the curriculum.
Learn more: https://www.personaled.pitt.edu/sustainability-distinction
Documentation supporting the figure reported above (upload):
---
Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One
Percentage of students who graduate from programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
12.69
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Pitt Sustainability Academic Offerings: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/what-pitt-is-doing/education-research/
Additional URLs where publicly available sustainability course inventory that includes a list of degree programs that have specified learning outcomes are available:
+ Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability: http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Certificate/
+ Sustainability-Focused and -Related Course Attributes: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/course-attribute-sustainability/
+ Sustainability-Focused and -Related Courses:
1) http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Courses/
2) http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/sites/default/files/2174%20courselistBklt.docx.pdf
Additional URLs where publicly available sustainability course inventory that includes a list of degree programs that have specified learning outcomes are available:
+ Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability: http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Certificate/
+ Sustainability-Focused and -Related Course Attributes: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/course-attribute-sustainability/
+ Sustainability-Focused and -Related Courses:
1) http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Courses/
2) http://www.ucis.pitt.edu/global/sites/default/files/2174%20courselistBklt.docx.pdf
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.