Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 46.29
Liaison Thomas Frazer
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of South Florida
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Thomas Frazer
Dean
College of Marine Science
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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:
B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
School of Geosciences: The Environmental Science and Policy program (B.S. and Minor) encourages student success in an engaged, and interdisciplinary, learner centered environment, by providing a rigorous education and a stimulating environment. The program strives to be a leader in high-quality teaching and research specifically related to the natural environment. Through a multidisciplinary approach to both research and teaching, the program provides unique insights into the challenges facing the environment and society. This uniqueness comes from the incorporation of both science and policy investigation into these challenges. The program strives to continually develop its strengths and to build bridges with faculty from USF, as well as those at national and international institutions. Program strengths include: water resources, wildlife ecology, karst and wetland environments, meteorology and climatology, environmental sustainability, and environmental policy.

The curriculum has two sub concentrations, one in environmental science and one in environmental policy. Students in both concentrations take supporting courses in physical and natural science, statistics, policy, and ethics. In addition, students select electives to strengthen their knowledge within their concentration. Seniors complete a research project or perform an internship in one of a variety of government agencies or private companies.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program:

Additional degree programs (optional) 

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

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida administers an undergraduate degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree (BSCE), which is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET). Students following the Civil Engineering curriculum have the opportunity during their senior year to specialize with elective courses in the concentrations of: Geotechnical/Transportation, Structures/Materials, or Water/Environmental.

These are fields of study that have special significance for the state of Florida and the Tampa Bay area. Both private industry and public agencies offer many career opportunities for graduates in these fields

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
B. S. in Chemical Engineering

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The mission of the Department of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering is to prepare graduates with fundamental knowledge and contemporary skills for the development, economic design, and safe operation of chemical and biological systems, processes, products, and methods in a manner compatible with societal values.

The overall objective of the bachelor's degree program in chemical engineering at the University of South Florida is to prepare graduates for successful careers in the chemical engineering and related professions. Accordingly, graduates of this program who have chosen to pursue a career in engineering shall achieve the following within a few years after graduation:

Demonstrate professional engineering competence by holding positions of increasing responsibility in industry, business, government and/or educational institutions, Publish papers, reports, patents and/or technical presentations at local, national, international meetings or within the professional organization/company that they are affiliated with. Continue to improve their technical skills, knowledge and understanding through continuing education, pursuit of advanced degrees, and/or pursuit of professional license in their chosen profession.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
None
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
The Sustainability Studies Bachelor of Arts degree at University of South Florida will prepare graduates for careers in industrial settings, commercial outlets, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies. A degree in Sustainability Studies allows the individual to become the point of contact for managers, owners, and politicians when implementing new technologies and policies. Sustainability Studies provides the tools to safeguard the well-being of future generations, increase profits today, and understand the role science plays in developing new technologies to address societal challenges.
GLOBAL CITIZENS PROJECT
The Global Citizen Award is a flexible program designed to reward students for achieving global competencies. Participation in the week of OGA counts as one of two required global activities for this award. Students who complete the award may receive recognition at graduation and on their official transcript, as well as a Global Citizen medallion.

Operation: Global Action originated from GCP's partnership and collaboration efforts with the University of Exeter's Grand Challenges program. Using Exeter as a model, GCP developed Challenges that are relevant to USF, its students, employees, and community.

GLOBAL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
The Global Citizens Project addresses six objectives: Self-awareness, Willingness, Practice, Knowledge, Analysis, and Synthesis. Global Citizens courses are undergraduate courses that have been certified as aligning with at least two of these objectives.

https://www.usf.edu/gcp/about-us/qep.aspx
https://www.usf.edu/gcp/faculty-staff/global-outcomes.aspx

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:
Environmental Science and Policy Minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:
The USF Environmental Science and Policy minor is open to students of any major and focuses on critical topics in environmental policy, regulation and conservation.
https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/students/undergraduate/minors.aspx

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:

Additional minors and concentrations (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Geographic Information Systems and Technology Minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Minor Core Credit Hours: 12
GIS 3006 - Mapping and Geovisualization Credit(s): 3
GEO 3164C - Research Methods in Geography Credit(s): 3
GIS 4035C - Remote Sensing of the Environment Credit(s): 3
GIS 4043C - Geographic Information Systems Credit(s): 3
Minor Elective Hours: 3-4
Students choose one of the following courses:

EVR 3218 - Wildlife Research Techniques Credit(s): 3
EVR 4051 - Environmental Field Methods Credit(s): 3
GEO 4114C - Geographic Techniques and Methodology Credit(s): 3
GEO 4450 - Medical Geography Credit(s): 3
GEO 4700 - Transportation Geography Credit(s): 3
GIS 4300 - Environmental Modeling with GIS Credit(s): 3
GIS 4302C - GIS for Sustainability Credit(s): 4

Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
Biology Minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The Biology Minor provides students with an introduction into a variety of biological topics. With a focus on the living world, this minor can expose students to careers in healthcare, education, environmental conservation, and more.
Biology Minor: For Non-Biology majors, the Biology Minor affords an opportunity to augment the academic experience with a deeper understanding of the biological sciences.

A minor in the subject complements many interests and helps prepare students for professional fields adjacent to the life sciences, including environmental and patent law, health and nutrition, science education, environmental consulting, and scientific writing.

Students may enroll in courses from the broad biology curriculum available at USF, including classes in the four concentrations for majors: ecology and evolution, animal biology, plant biology, and medical biology.

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/students/undergraduate/minors.aspx

Optional Fields  

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.