Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.47
Liaison Ken Foster
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

Vassar College
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 4.00 Cora Kenfield
Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
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Student sustainability research incentives 

Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
Yes

A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
Each summer there are a number of college sponsored Fellowships through the URSI (Undergraduate Research Summer Institute) and Ford Scholars program that enables students to conduct original research with Professors. Research topics regularly involve sustainability concerns.
The Sustainability Office has hosted both Ford and URSI students to study carbon taxes, green building, and renewable energy systems in the past 3 years.

Faculty sustainability research incentives 

Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
Yes

A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
There are incentives for faculty to participate in the annual Ford and URSI programs. Faculty Mellon Grant conversations allow for professors to collaborate on issues of interest.
The Environmental Research Institute provides funding to Faculty to explore sustainability related topics. In Spring 2018, Professor Mary Ann Cunningham and Professor Jenny Magnes have partnered to study renewable energy systems in Germany from the perspectives of Geography and Physics.

Recognition of interdisciplinary, transdisciplnary and multi-disciplinary research 

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?:
No

A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
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The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
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Library support

Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
The Vassar Library has a team of librarians who are familiar with and work work with specific departments on campus. Students may stop by drop-in hours, call, text, or make an appointment with a librarian to discuss their research interests. In turn the librarian team consults with professors about courses and create class-specific and discipline-specific research guides, many of which do incorporate and focus on sustainability because of the nature of the courses being offered and the integral nature of sustainability in some departments (Environmental Studies, Urban Studies, Geography, Earth Science, Science, Technology & Society).

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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