Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 74.09
Liaison Merry Rankin
Submission Date Aug. 30, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Iowa State University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Merry Rankin
ISU Director of Sustainability
Facilities Planning & Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Majors and Degree Programs

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for undergraduate students (I.e. an interdisciplinary academic program that concentrates on sustainability as an integrated concept)?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
Environmental Science

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
Environmental Science provides an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental systems. The magnitude and complexity of environmental problems are creating a growing need for scientists with rigorous, interdisciplinary training in environmental science. The Environmental Science curriculum is designed to prepare students for positions of leadership in this rapidly changing discipline. Environmental Science graduates have a solid foundation in biological and physical natural sciences and the specialized training necessary for integrated analysis of environmental systems.

The website URL for the undergraduate degree program:
http://www.ensci.iastate.edu/

Additional Degree Programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Environmental Studies

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The Environmental Studies Program deals with the relationship between humans and nature, or between humans and natural systems. The curriculum is designed to give students an understanding of regional and global environmental issues and an appreciation of different perspectives regarding these issues. Courses are provided for students pursuing careers related to the environment and for others who simply want to know more about environmental issues. In addition, students in any college may elect to take a secondary major or minor in Environmental Studies.

None
The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
http://www.envs.iastate.edu/

Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Horticulture

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Graduates possess the technical knowledge and skills to become professional horticulturists. They understand principles of life science, plant growth and development, and are familiar with cultural and management practices for a wide assortment of horticultural crops. They are able to work and communicate effectively with fellow horticultural professionals and other citizens who share an interest in horticulture. Graduates also understand the ethical and environmental dimensions of problems and issues facing horticultural professionals.

None
The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofagricultureandlifesciences/horticulture/

None
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
Community and Regional Planning - http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofdesign/communityandregionalplanning/#curriculumincommunityandregionalplanning Forestry - http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofagricultureandlifesciences/forestry/ Global Resource Systems - http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofagricultureandlifesciences/globalresourcesystems/ Landscape Architecture - http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofdesign/landscapearchitecture/#curriculuminlandscapearchitecture

Minors, Concentrations and Certificates

Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Sustainability Minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
The interdisciplinary minor in sustainability exposes students to ideas and issues related to a sustainable, balanced and ethical future for the planet and its inhabitants. The minor is at the interplay between environmental, social and economic factors in improving the quality of human life within the capacity of supporting ecosystems. The minor helps students understand the dynamics of biological population growth and decline in the natural world, predator-prey models, over-exploitation of natural resources, energy balances, and much more. Students also learn how human behavior affects the natural world and the ability of earth to sustain life.

The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
http://www.las.iastate.edu/students/academics/sustainability-minor/

Additional Minors, Concentrations and Certificates (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Environmental Studies

None
A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Environmental Studies deals with the relationship and interactions between humans and the environment. Students in any college at ISU may elect to take a secondary major or minor in Environmental Studies. The curriculum is designed to give students an understanding of current and emerging environmental issues and an appreciation of different perspectives regarding these issues. Courses are provided for students pursuing careers related to the environment and for others who simply want to know more about environmental issues.

None
The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofliberalartsandsciences/environmentalstudies/environmentalstudies.pdf

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Energy Systems

None
A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
The goal of the minor in energy systems is to provide ISU engineering students with focused educational opportunities in the broad area of energy systems. Successful energy systems minor students will understand broad energy perspectives, the language of energy systems, and the economic, environmental, and policy issues related to energy in the two required courses. Energy systems are also a significant focus of the grand challenges of engineering, and this minor will help our students address these issues in their engineering careers.

None
The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
http://www.me.iastate.edu/energy-systems-minor/

The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors, concentrations and certificates:
Wind Energy http://catalog.iastate.edu/interdisciplinaryprograms/minor/windenergy/ International Agriculture http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofagricultureandlifesciences/internationalagriculture/#curriculumtext

Optional Fields  

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.