Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.50
Liaison Chris Bond
Submission Date Nov. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Unity Environmental University
AC-10: Support for Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Jonathan Gibbons
Sustainability Engagement and Data Coordinator
Sustainability
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Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability? :
Yes

A brief description of the student research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

All graduate students must complete a capstone project to graduate. Unity hosts a Student Conference each semester to highlight student research, partnership, and creative work. The Sustainability Office awards the Sustainability Award at each conference. Nominations for the award are open to all students. Additionally, there is a strong focus on participation in "Research Experiences for Undergraduates" -- a program that places Unity students at top research institutions throughout the country for intensive summer research experience.


Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct research in sustainability topics?:
Yes

A brief description of the faculty research program, including the incentives provided and any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

Unity's Faculty Scholarship Committee supports research efforts for Unity faculty There is a Professional Development Fund that helps faculty develop seed ideas or provides match. The institution has a return of IDC policy that provides an incentive to apply for grant money and the college has a grant writer to assist faculty and staff with applications.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s support for interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

The college encourages interdisciplinary research and considers faculty scholarship in review and promotion decisions. A past example of interdisciplinary research is the multi-year Hemlock Ecosystem Management study led by four faculty members in ecology, GIS, biology, and botany, using undergraduate student researchers from Unity and other colleges.


Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research, including any positive outcomes during the previous three years:

The library’s research guides provide access to the wide variety of resources that the library offers to support the curriculum and the underlying mission in sustainability. Though a guide might not specifically list resources with the word “sustainability” included, these collections are curated with this theme as one component. The library’s collection development policies guide the selection of materials. As such, the library’s first priority is to collect resources that support the curriculum and mission of the College. Format of the resource is also considered to ensure appropriate use (i.e. an electronic version will be purchased over a print version when use fits that need.) The librarians are frequently invited to speak with classes regarding the use of library resources for assignments. These instruction sessions are tailored to address the specific requirements of the assignment and, depending on the course, do touch on sustainability focused topics. Often, we have the benefit of student and faculty research aligning in such a way that we can make use of the same resources for both purposes.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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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.