Montana State University
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Kieran
Wilder Data Coordinator Office of Sustainability |
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:
Montana Institute on Ecosystems (IoE): The IoE mission, to promote interdisciplinary
discovery, education, and engagement focused on a sustainable future for Montana as well as mountain regions around the world, is a strategic alignment of ongoing and future efforts at MSU-Bozeman. The IoE will coordinate climate neutrality and sustainability education, outreach and research efforts amongst undergraduate and graduate students and staff/faculty across campus and within the community, providing: a new framework that will increase state and national visibility for Montana University System (MUS) environmental research and educational activities; a statewide community of scholars who share common interests in addressing complex environmental questions; new connections with partners from other universities, tribal colleges, state and federal agencies, NGOs, small businesses, and communities that will foster innovative opportunities for collaboration; and improved engagement with communities and stakeholders to support informed decision-making and development of solutions to environmental challenges.
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:
Montana Institute on Ecosystems: The IoE mission, to promote interdisciplinary
discovery, education, and engagement focused on a sustainable future for Montana as well as mountain regions around the world, is a strategic alignment of ongoing and future efforts at MSU-Bozeman. The IoE will coordinate climate neutrality and sustainability education, outreach and research efforts amongst undergraduate and graduate students and staff/faculty across campus and within the community, providing: a new framework that will increase state and national visibility for Montana University System (MUS) environmental research and educational activities; a statewide community of scholars who share common interests in addressing complex environmental questions; new connections with partners from other universities, tribal colleges, state and federal agencies, NGOs, small businesses, and communities that will foster innovative opportunities for collaboration; and improved engagement with communities and stakeholders to support informed decision-making and development of solutions to environmental challenges.
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:
MSU Strategic Plan:
GOAL 2.2: Expand interdisciplinary scholarship
Montana State University’s interdisciplinary expertise as the University of the Yellowstone™ carries unique possibilities for inference, translation, and impact. Our research and creative activity throughout the university increasingly spans traditional disciplinary boundaries to solve the world’s pressing challenges.
METRICS and ACTIONS
1. Montana State University will secure at least one new interdisciplinary training grant or center grant for each Grand Challenge area by 2024.
2. Montana State University will increase the grant expenditures associated with investigators in multiple academic units by 25% by 2022.
3. Montana State University will increase the number of scholarly products that are authored or created by faculty from two or more academic units by 10% each year.
4. Montana State University will review current policies, resources, and facilities that affect interdisciplinary scholarship and develop sustainable models for shared interdisciplinary resources by 2022.
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 MSU Library provides around 30 sustainability research guides to aid students and faculty in research and learning focused on sustainability. The MSU Library supports sustainability literacy through a literacy promotion course (LSCI 121 Digital Information Literacy: Library Research Skills) which provides students with the knowledge and skills to effectively collect and communicate sustainability topics through digital Library research. MSU Librarians can further assist students and faculty in sustainability research in person and online through the Library’s online chat tool.
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.