| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.22 |
| Liaison | Leslie Raucher |
| Submission Date | Dec. 11, 2023 |
Barnard College
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 4.00 |
Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
-The Summer Research Institute (SRI) provides summer funding, subsidized campus housing, and supportive programming for students conducting STEM research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. SRI is open to students across STEM departments, but a large variety of them focus on sustainability-related topics. In 2022, while only 8% of students were working directly with the Environmental Science department, who focus on topics ranging from climate, carbon capture, groundwater contamination, or local ecology, 13% of students conducted research on topics of sustainability. https://barnard.edu/summer-research-institute/lida-orzeck-68-poster-session
-E(SP)2 Environmental Science Pathways Scholars Program
E(SP)2 is a new NSF funded program to prepare the next generation of diverse leaders in Environmental Science. The program is designed for students who intend on pursuing one of the majors in the Department of Environmental Science (Environmental Science or Environment and Sustainability) with an interest in Environmental Science, Sustainability or Environmental Justice. The goal is to increase and diversify the Environmental Science major and workforce.
This program includes a summer bridge before the first year, a journal club, a spring break field trip, a service-learning community outreach course, and up to three summers of funded research. Over one of the summers, students can substitute a funded internship focusing on environmental justice in New York City for lab research. The program will focus on helping students learn key environmental science skills.
https://envsci.barnard.edu/envsci%20opportunities_and_affiliations
- The Senior Thesis in Environmental Science provides students with an opportunity for guided, independent, in-depth research culminating in the senior thesis in the spring. It includes discussion about scientific presentations and posters, data analysis, library research methods and scientific writing. Students review work in progress and share results through oral reports.
Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The chair's letter to the candidate constitutes the "Third Year Review." While it should contain a summary of past professional development and achievements, it should focus on a thorough evaluation of the quality of research, teaching, and service and should provide specific advice on future efforts the individual should make in each of these areas. The Third Year Review should also:
a. Make explicit reference to the standards for tenure articulated by Barnard and Columbia, and provide appropriate context to such standards from within the particular discipline of the candidate.
b. Address issues of productivity and impact in interdisciplinary fields in which the candidate is working.
c. Contain information as to how the department has been evaluating, and will continue to evaluate, the individual's teaching.
Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
The Center for Engaged Pedagogy (an academic center and not the library) has created the "Teaching Towards Sustainability" guide. This guide is the CEP’s first effort in defining sustainability for pedagogical intervention, and offers strategies for integrating sustainability concepts and competencies within a course. While this first iteration focuses predominantly on sustainability as an urgent area of interdisciplinary teaching and learning, it also address invitationally topics such as environmental justice and ecocriticism.
https://cep.barnard.edu/teaching-toward-sustainability
Barnard offers personal librarians for each department, including Environmental Science. The role of the personal librarian is to aid students in finding literature that supports sustainability-related research and projects.
Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research is available:
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.