Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.33
Liaison Brad Spanbauer
Submission Date Jan. 29, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
AC-1: Academic Courses

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 6.30 / 14.00 Brian Kermath
Sustainability Director
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Figures required to calculate the percentage of courses offered by the institution that are sustainability course offerings:
Undergraduate Graduate
Total number of courses offered by the institution 4,423 728
Number of sustainability courses offered 119 11
Number of courses offered that include sustainability 163 23

Percentage of courses that are sustainability course offerings:
6.13

Total number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer courses (at any level):
52

Number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer at least one sustainability course and/or course that includes sustainability (at any level):
30

Percentage of academic departments with sustainability course offerings:
57.69

A copy of the institution’s inventory of its sustainability course offerings and descriptions:
Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One

A brief description of the methodology used to determine the total number of courses offered and to identify sustainability course offerings, including the definitions used and the process for reviewing and/or validating the course inventory :

The Campus Sustainability Council of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, which includes at least three faculty members who teach courses in different departments, adopted the definition of sustainability in the curriculum to guide sustainability course identification. They also recommended applying a rubric developed by faculty working on General Education Reform. The rubric included a matrix listing goals/competencies for three levels: Knowledge, Analysis, and Action.

The Director of Sustainability, the Chancellor's Fellow on Sustainability, and student interns analyzed the syllabi available for courses taught in the 2015-2016 Academic Year and in the years prior. Some syllabi were not available for analysis because they were not posted online and faculty did not respond to repeated requests. A complete listing of courses/sections offered was obtained from the Registrar. A table was constructed to document the syllabus analysis. The course list was updated to reflect courses that have been taught in recent academic years and have been defined as sustainability courses or courses that include sustainability.

The new general education program features sustainability as one of its main cross disciplinary focuses for every incoming freshman.

Signature Questions
To build intellectual curiosity, USP incorporates three broad Signature Questions that are woven throughout the Quests. As an incoming student, you will begin to question in a discipline-based first-year experience (FYE) course while concurrently enrolled in a second course focused on the skills employers repeatedly name as the most crucial to success in the 21st century. Among these skills is the ability to write and speak effectively and to collaborate successfully with others. By enrolling in these paired courses during your first two semesters on campus, you are placed in small learning communities that begin to examine USP's Signature Questions.

How do people understand and create a more sustainable world?
Knowledge of Sustainability and Its Applications is the ability to understand local and global earth systems; the qualities of ecological integrity and the means to restore and preserve it; and the interconnection of ecological integrity, social justice and economic well-being.


How were courses with multiple offerings or sections counted for the figures reported above?:
Each offering or section of a course was counted as an individual course

A brief description of how courses with multiple offerings or sections were counted (if different from the options outlined above):

The courses with multiple sections were counted for each section offered.


Are the following course types included in the inventory? :
Yes (included) or No (not included)
Internships Yes
Practicums Yes
Independent study Yes
Special topics Yes
Thesis / dissertation Yes
Clinical Yes
Physical education Yes
Performance arts Yes

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.