Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 70.01
Liaison Rebecca Walker
Submission Date April 13, 2022

STARS v2.2

Southern Oregon University
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.78 / 8.00 Rebecca Walker
Sustainability Manager
Facilities, Management, Sustainability and Planning
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1. Institutional sustainability learning outcomes

Has the institution adopted one or more sustainability learning outcomes that apply to the entire student body or, at minimum, to the institution's predominant student body?:
No

Which of the following best describes the sustainability learning outcomes?:
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A list of the institution level sustainability learning outcomes:
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Part 2. Program-level sustainability learning outcomes

Total number of graduates from degree programs:
995

Number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
221

A brief description of how the figure above was determined:
These are majors, minors, and certificates that through the Academic courses assessment were identified as sustainability-focused majors due to the focus of the courses within them, and their departments. It is possible that sustainability inclusive courses also require sustainability learning outcomes but for the purpose of this assessment, it is sustainability-focused departments and the associated courses focused on sustainability that have been included in the assessment.

For example:
Certificate in Sustainability Leadership The Certificate in Sustainability Leadership (CSL) is an undergraduate interdisciplinary program designed to prepare individuals for leadership roles in organizations committed to sustainable practices. The program is designed to give students a strong foundational understanding of the three E’s of sustainability: economy, environment, and equity (also known as the Triple Bottom Line). The certificate provides students with a broad understanding of all of the major applied areas of sustainable organizational leadership, including alternative transportation, waste reduction, renewable energy, green building, corporate social responsibility, fair trade, shared value, localization, community finance, and other emerging sustainable business practices. Students who complete the certificate will have a strong grasp of what sustainability means, how it is achieved, and the forces that discourage sustainable practices. This understanding will enhance their ability to serve as effective leaders in both small and large corporations, nonprofit organizations, and the public sector throughout the region, state, and country. Students will have opportunities to work on real-world projects in the many fields of sustainability and explore how their personal values and future goals relate to their practice of sustainable organizational leadership.

New learning outcomes are in development and being launched in 2023. One of these learning outcomes is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and will apply to all related courses.

Currently, there are requirements and outcomes here
https://catalog.sou.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=14&poid=3671

A list of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
Several academic programs (majors, minors, certificates, and graduate) at Southern Oregon University have learning outcomes that encompass sustainability or feature a required course that focuses on sustainability, such as Environmental Health or Science, Sustainability & Nature. The degree programs that include published program level sustainability learning outcomes are:

Biology
Chemistry
Environmental Education
Ethnic and Racial Studies
Environmental Science and policy
Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies
Native American Studies
Political Science
Outdoor Adventure Leadership
Sociology and Anthropology
Sustainability Leadership
Hospitality and Tourism
Sustainable Tourism
Social Justice

In the 2021/2022 Academic year, a Sustainability major and minor have been added to the course offerings and further sustainable agriculture and sustainable tourism programs are in the pipeline increasing the requirements around learning outcomes for sustainability.

Documentation supporting the figure reported above (upload):
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Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One

Percentage of students who graduate from programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
22.21

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the sustainability learning outcomes is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://sou.edu/academics/environmental-science/programs/environmental-science-policy-bs/

https://sou.edu/academics/

https://catalog.sou.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=14&poid=3671

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.