Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 61.37
Liaison Jay Price
Submission Date April 3, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Preston Jacobsen
Sustainability Manager
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have an ongoing program or programs that offer incentives for faculty in multiple disciplines or departments to develop new sustainability courses and/or incorporate sustainability into existing courses?:
Yes

A brief description of the program(s), including positive outcomes during the previous three years (e.g. descriptions of new courses or course content resulting from the program):
Smart communities are strategic, purposeful, and resourceful. They are driven by long-term commitments to safeguard their natural resources and economic opportunities for future generations, and are characterized by a deep commitment to preserving the beauty, vitality, and equity of the region. The University of Tennessee Smart Communities Initiative encourages faculty to create new courses or embed sustainability projects into existing courses that engage students in solving real sustainability (environmental, social and economic) issues in their local community. During fiscal year 2016, the Smart Communities Initiative paired with the Southeast Tennessee Develop District, which encompasses ten nearby counties in Southeast Tennessee. Seventeen faculty members from seven colleges and twelve departments taught SCI courses to about 400 students. These projects revolved around environmental sustainability, economic viability, and social integrity. 2015-2016 projects included a Southeast Tennessee Regional Greenway Plan, Regional Disaster Readiness & Preparedness Initiative, Water Resource Economic Assessment, Water Quality Improvement Plan, McMinn County Rails-to-Trails & Greenway Master Plan, Pelham Industrial Park Wastewater Management Analysis, a Pikeville Farmer’s Market Development Plan, and many more. For more information, see http://servicelearning.utk.edu/sci-2015-16-projects/ and http://engagement.utk.edu/blog/2015/sci-feature/

A brief description of the incentives that faculty members who participate in the program(s) receive:
Faculty members can receive grant funding for course project expenses as well as departmental or University-wide recognition for their course results.

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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