Founded in the fall of 2016, the Sustainability Faculty Learning Community strives to foster a community of academic and professional faculty across ranks and disciplines committed to infusing sustainability into their teaching, research, and programs. Through a year-long professional development program, academic and professional faculty of SUNY New Paltz can become Sustainability Faculty Fellows. Throughout the year, these Fellows work to integrate sustainability into one existing course OR develop one new sustainability-infused course OR integrate sustainability into an existing or new program.
Sustainability Faculty Fellows participate in sustainability professional development through the following events:
- Attend three fall events for Sustainability Faculty Fellows
- Attend the two-day January Institute in mid-January
- Attend spring events for Sustainability Faculty Fellows (optional)
Fellows may optionally participate in Sustainability Faculty Learning Community social events throughout the year.
Sustainability Faculty Fellows earn an extra service stipend of $250 once completing all program requirements.
The Sustainability Faculty Learning Community was co-founded in 2016 by Will Hong of Digital Media & Journalism, Ro Millham of the School of Education, Michael Sheridan of the School of Business, and Lisa Mitten of the Office of Campus Sustainability with the support of Interim Provost Stella Deen.
The Sustainability Faculty Learning Community is supported by funds from the Office of the Provost, the Office of Campus Sustainability, the Sustainability Committee, and the Faculty Development Center.
Our approach to sustainability includes social, economic, and environmental dimensions. During one of the first fall gatherings of Sustainability Faculty Fellows, we introduce multiple definitions and frameworks for sustainability.
In addition to sustainability, other themes that we explore include the sustainability competencies, change agent skills, systems thinking, and campus and regional partnerships to develop applied, experiential learning opportunities for students and advance a more sustainable region and New York State.
The Sustainability Faculty Learning Community (SFLC) is currently stewarded by:
- Anthony Dandridge, Black Studies
- Andrea Frank, Art ~ Photography
- Dan Lipson, Political Science
- Lisa Mitten, Office of Campus Sustainability
- Sarah Wyman, English & the Faculty Development Center
We are grateful for the service and contributions of SFLC Co-Coordinators who have served in past years:
- Michael Asbill, Art (Sculpture)
- Kate Bellody, Library
- Mike Boms, Biology
- Lizabeth Cain, Education
- Jessica Crowell, Digital Media & Journalism
- Christiana Fortune-Reader, Music
- Will Hong, Digital Media & Journalism
- Katie Hunt, Communication
- Joshua Korenblat, Art ~ Graphic Design
- Rosemary Millham, Education
- Michael Sheridan, Business
- Andrea Varga, Theater Arts & Honors
To receive the $250 extra service stipend during the summer following the completion of the year-long program, fellows are expected to:
- Integrate sustainability into one existing course OR develop one new sustainability-infused course OR integrate sustainability into an existing or new program
- Attend three fall events for Sustainability Faculty Fellows
- Attend the two-day January Institute in mid-January
- Attend spring events for Sustainability Faculty Fellows (optional)
- Submit your revised syllabus or program description by June 1
- Present your sustainability integration efforts in September of the following academic year
- In teaching, you can share your learning about innovative teaching strategies
- In teaching, you can share your efforts to revise existing curriculum (or develop a new course) to feature aspects of environmental, social, and economic sustainability and to connect your content and discipline to urgent global challenges
- For professional development, you can highlight that you completed the Sustainability Faculty Fellows program, a professional development program, and that you fostered new professional connections with colleagues across the disciplines and divisions with whom you could potentially collaborate in the future
- For research & creative activity, you can share new concepts and ideas that you've learned and potentially cite new creative ideas or approaches that you evolved during this program, if applicable
- In your narrative about continuing growth, you can contextualize the meaning and relevance of sustainability for you within your teaching, creative activity and/or programs
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A one or two-sentence summary of the changes you made to your syllabus or program to communicate the outcomes of this program to the campus community.
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A minimum one-paragraph narrative summarizing the changes you made to your syllabus or program that addresses:
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Integration of sustainability content including at least one definition or framework of sustainability
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Description of how you have integrated one or more sustainability framework(s)
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Integration of change agency in the course or program (recommended)
- A minimum one-paragraph reflection on the Fellows program and your thoughts on how this experience could evolve and impact your future teaching, research, and/or service (both on-campus and off-campus)
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A revised syllabus OR a syllabus for a new sustainability course OR a revised or new program description including:
- At least one sustainability learning outcome
- At least one change agency learning outcome (recommended)
- Your syllabus or program description with highlighted sections that have been modified or added to include sustainability content
- Permission to publish your materials on the Sustainability Faculty Learning Community website - Please indicate whether you give permission to the Co-Coordinators of the Sustainability Faculty Learning Community to publish your revised syllabus and/or program materials and narrative of revisions and/or program description to the SFLC website for other Sustainability Faculty Fellows to learn from.
Please send these documents by June 1 in an email to Lisa Mitten at mittenl@newpaltz.edu with "Final Fellows Submission" in the subject line.
Final Presentation
In September following the year-long Sustainability Faculty Fellows experience, each Fellow will make a presentation of all sustainability integrations before the campus community and the new cohort of Fellows. In this 5-minute long presentation, explain how you've chosen to integrate sustainability into your course or program. This brief report will be followed by 2 minutes of questions and discussion. A PowerPoint is optional.
For full-time academic and professional faculty: UP-8 Extra Service Form, signed by your Chair/supervisor (please note that the SUNY ID number is NOT your N-number - it's a 4-digit, 5-digit, or 6-digit number. You can access this number in my.newpaltz.edu in the SUNY Self Service (the page right before you click on your time & attendance sheet) at the top right-hand corner of the screen)
For adjunct faculty: Part-Time Academic Appointment Request, signed by your chair/supervisor (please note that the SUNY ID number is NOT your N-number - it's a 4-digit, 5-digit, or 6-digit number. You can access this number in SUNY Self Service (the page right before you click on your time & attendance sheet) at the top right-hand corner of the screen)
