California State University, Long Beach
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

The Climate Justice & Sustainability Curriculum Workshop, which is supported by the Office of Sustainability and the President's Commission on Sustainability, is an incentive and training program designed to help CSULB faculty increase their awareness about the intersections of sustainability, climate change, and social justice issues and learn strategies for connecting these topics to core concepts in their disciplines. During the full-day, interactive workshop, faculty members explore ways to enhance student understanding of the interconnectedness of environmental, social justice, and economic issues and concepts. From identifying “hidden curriculum,” to integrating new readings and assignments, faculty can transform their courses to increase student learning about sustainability and climate justice. The workshop also features guest speakers and activities using the campus as a living lab. The Climate Justice & Sustainability Curriculum Workshop is an updated version of a legacy program called the Green Thread Workshop, which has been running at CSULB for over a decade. The workshop was modified in 2021 to focus more explicitly on climate and social justice themes. To date, more than 90 faculty representing every college at the university have participated in these workshops, with 22 of those having participated in the updated workshop. These faculty have created or modified more than 50 courses to include sustainability and climate justice concepts and learning outcomes.

Participation in the workshop is free and available to all tenure-track faculty and lecturers. Faculty receive a small stipend that they can utilize for professional development purposes for completing the workshop and submitting a description of the ways that they have modified a course or courses to include sustainability and climate justice content. Additionally, the President's Commission on Sustainability has formed a partnership with the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership, which provides faculty with the opportunity to earn a $3000 stipend for developing a module for their courses on some aspect of ethics. This opportunity is promoted during the Climate Justice & Sustainability Curriculum Workshop along with guidance on how to prepare a successful proposal for the Ukleja stipend on the ethics of climate change, sustainability, or environmental justice.