| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.26 |
| Liaison | Matt Wolsfeld |
| Submission Date | March 21, 2023 |
University of Saskatchewan
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Matt
Wolsfeld Community Engagement Co-ordinator 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:
Undergraduate applied research may be supported through the Sustainability Living Lab which uses the campus and the community as a laboratory for teaching and research to explore all aspects of sustainability to develop actionable solutions to make the campus more sustainable.
In addition, three colleges at the University of Saskatchewan offer undergraduate environmental degree programs. In The College of Agriculture and Bioresources, students can pursue environmental degrees focused on protecting renewable resources and the environment through responsible management and conservation of the world's soil, water and ecosystems. From the College of Arts and Science, environmental degrees are available focusing in areas such as the earth sciences, biodiversity, ecology, conservation, toxicology, and environmental studies and policy. Finally, in the College of Engineering students may pursue an environmental degree focused on the application of science and engineering principles for the protection and improvement of public health and the environment. There are eight undergraduate environmental degree options, a number of which include undergraduate research project options. These degree options can be explored more at: https://admissions.usask.ca/environmental-programs.php
Funding from Fisher Scientific is available to help cover expenses associated with undergraduate projects and research. The Sustainability Revolving Fund (SRF) may also fund some projects that bring forward actionable solutions that meet the SRF criteria.
At the graduate level, the School of Environment and Sustainability has a strong program of student research that is interdisciplinary, problem-oriented and experience-based. SENS also offers an undergraduate certificate in sustainability to attach to any undergraduate degree program. One of the requirements of this certificate is participation in ENVS 401 - Sustainability in Action, a project-based course that has students engage in sustainability research over the course of a semester designed to transform an aspect of campus to be more sustainable.
https://sens.usask.ca/programs/undergraduate/certificate-in-sustainability.php
The One Health Initiative also fosters and facilitates student and faculty research across disciplines addresses complex problems in human, animal and/or ecosystem health and is undertaken by integrated teams of medical, animal (including veterinary), social and environmental scientists. http://onehealth.usask.ca/about/uofs-one%20health%20initiative.php
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 University of Saskatchewan's "signature areas" of research all touch upon dimensions of sustainability and are relevant across disciplines. They are:
1) Agriculture
2) Energy and Mineral Resources for a Sustainable Future
3) Indigenous Peoples
4) Synchrotron Sciences
5) One Health
6)Water Security
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:
The following statement is from the Principles Section of the University's Standards for Promotion and Tenure (2011): "The University of Saskatchewan's Mission Statement indicates that we value interdisciplinary research and teaching and we should foster it within our institution. The Mission Statement highlights the four scholarships of teaching, discovery, integration, and application. This inclusive approach to scholarship is intended, among other things, to ensure that faculty who have interdisciplinary interests will be encouraged to pursue them and they will be taken into account and valued in the context of tenure and promotion considerations."
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
We have library resources on sustainability and support research in this area. Primary support is via librarians and library resources across relevant disciplines.
Full collection of USask Library's research support pages: https://libguides.usask.ca/?b=s
One Health Research Guide: http://libguides.usask.ca/onehealth
Environment & Sustainability Research Guide: http://libguides.usask.ca/SENS
Community Health & Epidemiology Research Guide: http://libguides.usask.ca/communityhealth
Public Health Research Guide: http://libguides.usask.ca/publichealth
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:
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.