Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 40.97
Liaison Sherri Mason
Submission Date June 30, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 4.00 Ivor Knight
Associate Dean
Chancellor's Office
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Student Sustainability Research Incentives 

Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability? :
No

A brief description of the student research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
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Faculty Sustainability Research Incentives 

Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability topics?:
No

A brief description of the faculty research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
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Recognition of Inter-, Trans- and Multi-Disciplinary Research 

Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is centrally responsible for facilitating the $800-million-per-year research enterprise at Penn State, and its mission is to support a rigorous program of faculty and student research and creative accomplishment by enhancing the environment for scholarly and artistic endeavors, encouraging the highest standards of quality, and fostering ethical conduct in research. A primary responsibility of the OVPR in enhancing this environment is the facilitation of strong programs for interdisciplinary research, operationalized via nine university-level research institutes and centers. The interdisciplinary institutes promote collaboration across departmental and college boundaries in order to focus research strengths on important scientific questions and societal needs, through a combination of funded and co-funded faculty positions (with clear P&T expectations for interdisciplinary research), seed funding, and support services. Penn State's Administrative Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure state, under the heading of Assessing The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments, that "It is expected that units encourage and support collaborative and interdisciplinary research and that units will develop methods to assess these activities." http://vpfa.psu.edu/files/2016/09/p_and_t_-guidelines-2i76gdt.pdf

Library Support

Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:
The Penn State University Libraries provide access to a plethora of materials and searchable databases that support sustainability research including GreenFILE, GreenR, GreenWire, BNA Environment Law Reporter, Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, Ecology Abstracts, and many others. Examples of library resources can be found here: http://psu.libguides.com/sustainableengineering http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/energysustainpolicy

Optional Fields 

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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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.