Overall Rating Bronze
Overall Score 34.87
Liaison Courtney Gallaher
Submission Date June 4, 2024

STARS v2.2

Northern Illinois University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Courtney Gallaher
Associate Professor, Sustainability Coordinator
Earth, Atmosphere and Environment
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Majors, degrees and certificate programs

Does the institution offer at least one ​sustainability-focused​ major, degree, or certificate program for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
Environmental Studies (B.A or B.S)

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
The main learning outcomes for this degree program include:
1. Integrate and apply knowledge from multiple disciplinary perspectives to evaluate the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to environmental challenges.
2. Critically evaluate the environmental, historical, and social context of environmental changes from the local to global scale.
3. Identify and analyze research at the cutting-edge of science, technology, social science, and humanities to generate solutions to contemporary environmental challenges.
4. Effectively communicate complex issues and ideas to diverse audiences and successfully work in groups.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program:

Additional degree programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Geology and Environmental Geosciences (B.S.)

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The emphasis in environmental geosciences is designed for students seeking a broad scientific base for pursuit of careers in professions that may utilize environmental knowledge, such as land-use planning, law, political science or economics and therefore includes several courses in or related to a cross-disciplinary department of the student’s choice.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Geography (B.A. or B.S.)

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The major in geography offers the opportunity to develop greater understanding of a specific aspect of geography by choosing electives from one of three areas of study: human geography, geographic information science (GIS), or natural environmental systems. With the proper selection set of electives, the student can meet federal civil service qualification standards as a soil scientist or hydrologist.
The student outcomes for this degree program include:
1. Understand the interconnectedness of places, and of human and environmental systems.
2.Understand spatial organization in the human and physical world and the systematic bases for spatial patterns.
3. Create geospatial information and analyze it through a variety of map, quantitative, qualitative and spatial analytic methods.
4. Apply spatial reasoning and the methods of geospatial science to matters of practical or societal concern.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
None
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
https://www.niu.edu/clas/academics/undergraduate-programs/index.shtml#ese

Minors and concentrations

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

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration:
Minor in Environmental Studies (21-23)

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:
The environmental studies minor is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary program that allows undergraduates in any degree program to study environmental concepts, issues, and problems from the viewpoints and with the approaches of the natural and social sciences. Credit hours applied to a major may not be applied to this minor.

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:

Additional minors and concentrations (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Sustainable Food Systems (13-14)

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
The Certificate of Undergraduate Study in Sustainable Food Systems will provide the student with a solid foundation for work in sustainable food and farming. This interdisciplinary certificate prepares students for the variety of issues they might face working in sustainable agriculture. The certificate consists of two core courses and a choice of electives from three content areas. The courses enable practical application of knowledge and provide engaged learning opportunities.

The certificate will help prepare students in three areas of study that are all meant to provide the student with an understanding of systems: 1) Agriculture and Sustainability–study the physical systems that impact agriculture and sustainable local food options; 2) Food and Health–examine current trends in the food industry, agriculture, and community environment in relation to food sustainability, social and nutritional health and wellness; and 3) Social and Cultural–learn how society could address the social and cultural change needed to achieve more sustainable food systems.

Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
https://www.niu.edu/clas/academics/undergraduate-programs/index.shtml#ese

Optional Fields  

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