Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.63
Liaison Mike Evans
Submission Date March 3, 2022

STARS v2.2

Williams College
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Tanja Srebotnjak
Director
Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

A brief description of the incentive program(s):

The College adopted its Strategic Plan in June 2021. Part of the plan's cross-cutting sustainability theme is advancing faculty opportunities and support to develop and offer sustainability courses, research and other forms for student learning. In particular, the following three Strategic Plan goals are being pursued:
- Actively considering sustainability and environmental studies in hiring decisions;
- Supporting curricular development in areas such as climate science, environmental justice, agriculture and food systems, and sustainability in the arts and architecture;
- Creating sustainability pathways through various majors and concentrations;
- Expanding opportunities for students to engage with climate change and the environment through internships, on-campus research and community projects

Examples for the support and incentives offered to academic staff are:
(i) financial and other support for faculty to include experiential learning into courses, including sustainability experiential learning (https://learning-in-action.williams.edu/courses-teaching/creating-a-course/)
(ii) the new Teaching Innovation Fellows program supports new course development (including sustainability courses) through, inter alia, a $4,000 stipend
(iii) a recent academic hire for a faculty position in sustainable design and architecture and
(iv) the launch of a new internship program with Ecologic Institute, a leading Berlin-based environmental and sustainability think tank.


A brief description of the incentives that academic staff who participate in the program(s) receive:

Faculty can tap into a variety of resources and support for developing courses, including sustainability courses:
- Teaching and course design resources: https://faculty.williams.edu/faculty-support-and-resources/teaching-resources/
- The new Teaching Innovation Fellows program: https://faculty.williams.edu/faculty-support-and-resources/grants-funding/teaching-innovation-fellows/
- The NetWorks program for creating and sustaining vibrant intellectual communities, effective undergraduate teaching and career-long professional development: https://faculty-networks.williams.edu/
- A LibGuide on faculty course development: https://libguides.williams.edu/faculty-information/instruction
- A resource for internal and external funding opportunities: https://faculty.williams.edu/faculty-support-and-resources/grants-funding/


Website URL where information about the incentives for developing sustainability course content is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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