| Overall Rating | Bronze - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 36.91 |
| Liaison | Bradley Flamm |
| Submission Date | March 30, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
AC-1: Academic Courses
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.89 / 14.00 |
Bradley
Flamm Director of Sustainability Office of the President |
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 | 1,768 | 762 |
| Number of sustainability courses offered | 41 | 15 |
| Number of courses offered that include sustainability | 99 | 33 |
Percentage of courses that are sustainability course offerings:
Total number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer courses (at any level):
Number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that offer at least one sustainability course and/or course that includes sustainability (at any level):
Percentage of academic departments with sustainability course offerings:
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?:
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 :
In the Spring 2018 semester, to develop its inventory of sustainability-focused and -related courses, WCU's Office of Sustainability developed a Qualtrics-based survey to ask faculty to document whether they taught courses which were sustainability-focused or sustainability-related during the Academic Years 2017 and 2018 (from the Summer Semesters of 2016 to the Spring Semester of 2018). The definition used to assist faculty members in determining whether any of their courses fit into these categories:
"A Sustainability-Focused course is one in which the main goals and objectives include any of the topics below:
A Sustainability-Related course is one in which any of the topics below are addressed, but were not part of the main goals or objectives:
· The impact of human activities (e.g., energy, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, development, recreation) on natural systems (e.g., biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, soil erosion, etc.)
· The relationship of population, consumption, culture, social equity, and the environment
· Technical, design, and scientific strategies that foster sustainable development, e.g., promote energy efficiency, conserve natural resources, prevent and control the generation of pollution and waste, remediate environmental problems, and preserve biological diversity
· Social, cultural, legal, and governmental frameworks for guiding environmental management and sustainable development
· The causes, consequences, and severity of climate change
· How to apply principles of sustainable development in the context of professional and personal activities."
Faculty members completed the survey, and the results were used to produce an inventory of such courses sustainability. The Office of Sustainability's Graduate Assistant for Data Monitoring and Analysis, Will Hendel, compiled and confirmed responses. Each course was counted as a single course regardless of the number of offerings or sections.
How were courses with multiple offerings or sections counted for the figures reported above?:
A brief description of how courses with multiple offerings or sections were counted (if different from the options outlined above):
Are the following course types included in the inventory? :
| Yes (included) or No (not included) | |
| Internships | Yes |
| Practicums | Yes |
| Independent study | No |
| Special topics | Yes |
| Thesis / dissertation | No |
| Clinical | Yes |
| Physical education | Yes |
| Performance arts | No |
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.