During the 2020-21 academic year, the Sustainability Committee developed a framework for designating sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses in the Schedule of Classes so that students can more easily identify courses with sustainability content.
The Sustainability Committee is accepting online applications for sustainability course designations on a rolling basis.
Two Available Sustainability Course Designations:
Sustainability-Related Courses
A Sustainability-Related course must:
- Introduce students to one or more definitions of sustainability as related to the content of the course;
- Present sustainability as having environmental, social, and economic dimensions; and
- Include student learning outcomes on the course syllabus that indicate that students will be able to think critically about sustainability and articulate connections between the course's discipline and sustainability.
Sustainability-Focused Courses
A Sustainability-Focused course must fulfill the above sustainability-related requirements AND
- Include a student learning outcome indicating that students will be able to apply disciplinary or interdisciplinary methods to analyze and address a sustainability problem;
- Devote a substantial portion of the course material to sustainability content; and
- Give significant weight to sustainability content in evaluating student performance in the course.
Timeline
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, however, please apply by the following dates if you wish to have a sustainability course designation at the time that the schedule of classes is released to students.
For fall and summer session designations: apply by February 15
For spring and winter session designations: apply by September 30
Online Application
Please use this online application to apply for a sustainability course designation. Please be prepared to upload your syllabus in Word or PDF format with the sustainability dimensions of your syllabus highlighted.
The Review Process
Academic faculty members of the Sustainability Committee will review your application and syllabus and contact you when a decision has been made. For the most recent listing of Sustainability Committee members, consult the governance committee excel sheet on the Faculty Governance Blackboard site or email sustainability@newpaltz.edu.
Questions?
Contact the Academic Co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee, Will Hong of Digital Media & Journalism at hongw@newpaltz.edu.
Special thanks to Dickinson College's Center for Sustainable Education for their guidance and support with the creation of this sustainability course designation.
