Dickinson College
AC-7: Incentives for Developing Courses

Dickinson annually offers an interdisciplinary study group to support faculty in developing new courses or revising existing courses to promote sustainability learning across the curriculum. Valley & Ridge, modeled on the Ponderosa and Piedmont Projects and launched at Dickinson in 2008, brings faculty together from all disciplines to work together on sustainability teaching projects. Participants in the study group attend a 2.5-day in-person workshop in May, a half-day reconvene in August, and other activities throughout the academic year. Dickinson participants receive the incentive of a $1,000 stipend for their participation and reporting.

Since 2017, Dickinson has been a leading AASHE Regional Center for Sustainability across the curriculum and hosts colleagues from other institutions in this professional development workshop. Dickinson has served as a leader in this network and offered assistance to other colleges and universities working to build similar programs.

Over 170 faculty members from 25 different institutions have participated in the Valley & Ridge program since 2008. Detailed project outcome summaries from the last three years are all available online. Dickinson faculty have come from over 38 of our academic departments.

Other incentive-based study groups of various formats have offered faculty the opportunity to gather across disciplines to study, read, share, peer educate, and work on new curricular initiatives together. Faculty study groups have been convened around the topics of water, "Living in a World of Limits," developing a Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate, food studies, Asia and the environment, sustainability and religion, climate resilience, and departmental restructuring to include sustainability within introductory courses.

Positive outcomes include new course development and modification of existing courses to support our sustainability across the curriculum initiative, national-level webinars and presentations, and consultations on our faculty development programs have followed.

Our Sustainability Education Funding for projects and research advances sustainability-related scholarship and creativity. These incentives facilitate a better understanding of how to meet the critical needs for present and future generations while improving and sustaining the environmental, social and economic systems on which they depend. Faculty from any discipline, administrators and staff are eligible for funding, and this funding has furthered our sustainability course development across the curriculum.

Faculty incentives (grants & stipends) for activities that advance sustainability-related learning, scholarship, creativity, and professional development are provided and administered by Dickinson’s Center for Sustainability Education.

As of spring 2023, CSE has awarded more than $640,000 in 299 sub-awards to 165 unique faculty members in all divisions of the college.

81 Curriculum Development Grants
21 Professional Development Grants
57 Student-Faculty Research Grants (supporting 179 students)
10 Research Assistant Grants
121 Valley & Ridge Participant Awards
9 Humanities Workshop Participant Awards

Long-term data can be seen here:
http://marcomm.dickinson.edu/dashboard/faculty_development.html

The Center for Sustainability Education (CSE) works to connect Dickinson faculty and staff with professional development, curriculum development, and student-faculty research opportunities in sustainability. Providing incentivized workshops, study groups, guest speakers, public lectures, and curriculum consulting for individuals and/or academic departments and offices helps spread our sustainability initiative across the campus and curriculum.

http://marcomm.dickinson.edu/dashboard/faculty_development.html