University of Richmond
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

River City Project: Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop 

The River City Project, UR’s Faculty Development Workshop is focused on creating the space for faculty to ideate how to incorporate the practice and principles of sustainability into their curriculum through exploring various sustainability frameworks, networking with others, place-based education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum 

The University of Richmond has been nationally recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as a Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum. As a Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum, UR builds upon the success of the River City Project, UR’s sustainability focused faculty development workshop, through hosting an abridged one-day version of the two-day workshop each winter. The one-day workshop is open to university faculty, staff, and administrators from other colleges and universities in the region. The aim of the River City Project is to support the integration of sustainability across the curriculum by providing participants with a facilitated experience where they develop a shared understanding of sustainability, explore sustainability competencies and pedagogy, and enhance or develop their sustainability worldview.

In addition to Faculty Learning Communities, the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) organizes a Fellows program for faculty members seeking to transform or create a course with an integrated community-based learning (CBL) component. The CCE also provides Course Support Grants for Community Based Learning (CBL) courses to supplement additional costs for students and faculty to engage with local communities.

Participants in the River City Project receive stipends for their workshop participation and commitment to follow-up professional development.

The Office of the Provost sponsors Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), providing stipends to participants for each semester of presentation.

Community-Based Learning and Think Tank participants receive stipends for course development and remuneration for guests and travel, provided by the Center for Civic Engagement.

Faculty Development Grants, while not exclusive to sustainability, are also available.

Faculty Learning Communities: https://provost.richmond.edu/faculty-development/faculty-learning-communities/index.html

Sustainability & Climate Awareness FLC: https://provost.richmond.edu/faculty-development/faculty-learning-communities/2021-2022-communities/Sustainability-and-Climate-Awareness.html

Environmental Humanities FLC: https://provost.richmond.edu/faculty-development/faculty-learning-communities/2019-2020-communities/environmental-humanities.html

UR Sustainable FLC: https://provost.richmond.edu/faculty-development/faculty-learning-communities/2018-2019-communities/ur-sustainable.html

River City Project: https://sustainability.richmond.edu/involved/faculty-staff/project.html

Eco-Corridor Think Tank: https://engage.richmond.edu/programs/faculty-fellowships/eco-corridor-think-tank.html