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Understanding the Nuances of Sustainability Course Design and Identification

This presentation explores the complexities of defining sustainability courses within academic institutions. We examine three types of courses: sustainability-focused, sustainability-related, and those that incorporate sustainability elements. Through discussions and methodologies developed by faculty across various universities, we aim to clarify how institutions identify and categorize sustainability courses. Key questions and pitfalls in course designation will be addressed, along with the benefits of standardized methodologies to enhance student understanding and engagement with sustainability education.

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Understanding the Nuances of Sustainability Course Design and Identification

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Presentation Transcript

  1. So, You Think That’s a Sustainability Course?!?

  2. WHO We Are • Julian Dautremont-Smith • Chad Frederick • Elizabeth Lloyd-Pool • Katherine Nelson

  3. WHY We Are Here STARS 1.2 STARS 2.0 A sustainability course is a course in which the primary and explicit focus is on sustainability and/or on understanding or solving one or more major sustainability challenge (e.g. the course contributes toward achieving principles outlined in the Earth Charter). A course that includes sustainability is primarily focused on a topic other than sustainability, but incorporates a unit or module on sustainability or a sustainability challenge, includes one or more sustainability-focused activities, or integrates sustainability issues throughout the course. • Sustainability-focused courses concentrate on the concept of sustainability, including its social, economic, and environmental dimensions, or examine an issue or topic using sustainability as the lens. • Sustainability-related courses incorporate sustainability as a distinct course component or module or concentrate on a single principle or issue

  4. Should this count as sustainability focused? Physics Theory I Introduction to Business Intermediate Spanish 1 Introduction to Engineering Papermaking Post-Spinosist Theory and Modernism Science Fiction Web Mapping/Publishing  Pavement Design Travel Demand Forecasting Principles of Turfgrass Irrigation Meteorology Swine Production Principles of Accounting American Economic History Petroleum Geology Family Resource Management Fundamentals of Marketing Contemporary China Beginning Tai Chi ChiKung Introduction to Public Administration Issues in Humanitarian Studies

  5. WHAT We Are Talking About • Definitions & Methodologies • Presenters Information • Audience Questions • Pitfalls & Pressures • Presenters Information • Audience Questions • Balance & Benefits • Presenters Information • Audience Questions

  6. Definitions & Methodologies

  7. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee • Definition • Agreed upon by 5 faculty & Office of Sustainability • Melding of STARS, University of New Hampshire, UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh, & Oberlin College • Methodologies • Survey to faculty AND students, for by-in more than capturing full scope • Full course analyses by • Overview • Conservative • Transparency- All course descriptions are listed • All 14 Schools & Colleges had at least a minimum contribution

  8. Portland State University Sustainability is a campus-wide learning outcome Sustainability is not a major or academic department There is no Sustainability 101 course Students are not going gain a complete understanding of sustainability through one course

  9. Interconnection: The most basic concept of sustainability that must be present in a single course Equity Course Topic Economy Environment Equity Course Topic Course Topic Economy Equity Environment Course Topic Course Topic Economy Environment Course Topic Course Topic • Sustainability Related Course • Not a Sustainability Course Sustainability Focused Course

  10. Questions for You • What are the pros and cons of how your institution identifies sustainability courses? • Should there be a standardized methodology / required identification form?

  11. Pitfalls & Pressures

  12. Don’t Judge a Course By It’s Title • Geography of Africa • A survey course on the physical and human geography of the continent of Africa, focusing on the variability of the physical landscape, including geomorphology, vegetation, and climate and on the patterns and implications of cultural diversity. Examines links between natural resources, economic development, and environmental management on location, national and regional scales.

  13. Points Pressure

  14. Questions for You • What lessons have you learned from course identification? • What kinds of pressures have you experienced at your institution?

  15. Balance & Benefits

  16. Balance • Faculty are busy! • It is helpful to have staff who can work on this • Make it simple and repeatable, i.e. different people would categorize a course the same way • “Current best thinking” vs “perfect”

  17. Benefits • Basis for moving the discussion forward • Reducing confusion about how your institution incorporates sustainability in the curriculum • Answering the student question, “What sustainability courses do you offer?” • Helping students get a more robust sustainability education through informed choices

  18. Questions for You • How do you balance trade offs in course identification? • What kinds of benefits have you experienced at your institution? • Any other remaining questions?!?

  19. Thank You!

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