Thompson Rivers University
AC-1: Academic Courses

The methodology used to compile the course inventory is different compared to previous STARS reports. Instead of primarily using the academic calendar to determine if courses and departments counted in the inventory, as was done in previous reports, a database pulled directly from the TRU Registrar's Office was used (and this database excluded courses that had 4 or fewer students). Using this much more accurate Excel database review process resulted in a smaller total count for this report, since many classes and departments that were not eligible for this section were removed.
Once all eligible courses were identified, then course were flagged for review as either sustainable or not using certain key words (e.g.: environment, environmental, society, inequality, poverty, sustainability, social justice, health and climate). This short list was then reviewed to determine if courses should be on either the 'sustainability-focused' or ‘sustainability-inclusive’ list. Certain courses were excluded based on specifics outlined in the Technical Manual (e.g.: they exclusively offered practice-oriented courses, or they were special-topic courses).
Regarding departments, likewise, some were excluded based on specifics outlined in the Technical Manual (e.g. those that exclusively offered practice-oriented courses).
Further details on course and department exclusions are provided in the PRE 5 section in the Notes field.