| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.63 |
| Liaison | Konrad Schlarbaum |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
AC-5: Immersive Experience
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Konrad
Schlarbaum Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Does the institution offer at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program that is one week or more in length?:
Yes
A brief description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s) offered by the institution:
1) Sustainability Seminar:
This course is a required capstone to the minor in Sustainability at UCCS. It is intended to create a unifying conclusion to the minor in Sustainability and to ensure that every Sustainability minor graduate is knowledgeable of the basic principles of sustainability. The course is structured around three main elements:
a) an individual project that asks students to make some change in their daily lives for a three-week period to try to live more deliberately (paraphrasing Thoreau);
b) a set of readings and discussions that cover a breadth of issues pertaining to sustainability, including environmental ethics, ecological economics, environmental justice, and climate change; and
c) a campus- or community-oriented group project that students will present publicly on campus at the end of the semester.
The Capstone course for the Sustainable Development Minor is designed for seniors in the minor to focus on an inquiry-based project. Independent and small group work is emphasized to contribute to sustainable development efforts on campus and in the community. The student will work under the direction of a full-time member of the department and have a second member as an additional reader. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Summit.
2) Green Action Fund Committee:
The Green Action Fund is a student-funded, student-led organization that grants research seed and project grants to students, faculty, and staff to increase sustainability on UCCS’s campus. The Green Action Fee receives approximately $120,000 annually in funding through a small per semester per student fee. Established in 2011, GAF has invested $1.5 million into sustainability at UCCS over ten years. The Green Action Fund Committee is a student-led board that evaluates and votes on grant applications that further the goals of the UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan. The 2030 Sustainability Strategic Plan specifically names the Green Action Fund as evidence of UCCS's commitment to advancing sustainability, as the GAF has generated over $1.5 Million in sustainable projects and programming that have significantly decreased the ecological footprint of our campus.
All students can join the committee as voting members each semester and serve for one or more academic years. Students evaluate sustainability projects that align with the UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan and provide the campus with long-term social, environmental, and economic benefits. Leadership opportunities for students provide further immersive experiences connecting with campus leadership, faculty, staff, and other students to guide the committee's direction and promote a culture of sustainability on campus. Both the students on the committee and the students proposing projects are involved in an immersive experience.
3) UCCS Faculty Assembly Sustainability Committee:
Includes student members in decision and policy directions on campus. Through this committee, students have the opportunity to interface with faculty, staff, and campus leadership to promote sustainability in higher education and have an opportunity to influence immersive experiences. Membership is open to all students interested in influencing sustainability in higher education.
This course is a required capstone to the minor in Sustainability at UCCS. It is intended to create a unifying conclusion to the minor in Sustainability and to ensure that every Sustainability minor graduate is knowledgeable of the basic principles of sustainability. The course is structured around three main elements:
a) an individual project that asks students to make some change in their daily lives for a three-week period to try to live more deliberately (paraphrasing Thoreau);
b) a set of readings and discussions that cover a breadth of issues pertaining to sustainability, including environmental ethics, ecological economics, environmental justice, and climate change; and
c) a campus- or community-oriented group project that students will present publicly on campus at the end of the semester.
The Capstone course for the Sustainable Development Minor is designed for seniors in the minor to focus on an inquiry-based project. Independent and small group work is emphasized to contribute to sustainable development efforts on campus and in the community. The student will work under the direction of a full-time member of the department and have a second member as an additional reader. Approved for Compass Curriculum requirement: Summit.
2) Green Action Fund Committee:
The Green Action Fund is a student-funded, student-led organization that grants research seed and project grants to students, faculty, and staff to increase sustainability on UCCS’s campus. The Green Action Fee receives approximately $120,000 annually in funding through a small per semester per student fee. Established in 2011, GAF has invested $1.5 million into sustainability at UCCS over ten years. The Green Action Fund Committee is a student-led board that evaluates and votes on grant applications that further the goals of the UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan. The 2030 Sustainability Strategic Plan specifically names the Green Action Fund as evidence of UCCS's commitment to advancing sustainability, as the GAF has generated over $1.5 Million in sustainable projects and programming that have significantly decreased the ecological footprint of our campus.
All students can join the committee as voting members each semester and serve for one or more academic years. Students evaluate sustainability projects that align with the UCCS Sustainability Strategic Plan and provide the campus with long-term social, environmental, and economic benefits. Leadership opportunities for students provide further immersive experiences connecting with campus leadership, faculty, staff, and other students to guide the committee's direction and promote a culture of sustainability on campus. Both the students on the committee and the students proposing projects are involved in an immersive experience.
3) UCCS Faculty Assembly Sustainability Committee:
Includes student members in decision and policy directions on campus. Through this committee, students have the opportunity to interface with faculty, staff, and campus leadership to promote sustainability in higher education and have an opportunity to influence immersive experiences. Membership is open to all students interested in influencing sustainability in higher education.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Green Action Fund: https://gaf.uccs.edu/
Sustainability Committee: https://sustain.uccs.edu/get-involved/sustainability-committee
Sustainability Committee: https://sustain.uccs.edu/get-involved/sustainability-committee
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.