Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 59.34
Liaison Elizabeth MacKenzie
Submission Date July 24, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Iowa
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Sara Maples
Interim Director
The UI Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program that is one week or more in length?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s) offered by the institution, including how each program addresses the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability:

The India Winterim is an intensive field-based program that provides students with the opportunity to learn and find solutions to real world problems. Each section is led by one or more UI faculty and has its own disciplinary perspective inlcuding biodiversity and sustainability, art and architecture, cultural exploration, social justice, renewable energy, water resources, healthcare, education and other development issues. Students work with various non-profitorganizations, employing a variety of techniques to address social issues. Specific courses vary each year and is open for undergraduate, gradute students and community members. Students also visit various significant historical, cultural and enviornmental sites within India during the program. In 2015-2016, 104 students participated in 6 different courses.
The School of Urban and Regional Planning partnered with Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council and the City of Sioux City to complete a sustainable greenspace project for the city over the course of 2015-2016. 4 graduate students were involved in the project and presented their report to the city. The greenspace plan focused on increasing social well-being for employees and residents (by enhancing livability, walkability and recreation), improving economic benefit, and increasing the resilience of the built and natural environmental benefit of downtown, Sioux City (by reducing the urban heat island effect through shading and cooling from green infrastructure, managing stormwater runoff by increasing inflitration, supporting diversified trees and plants, Sioux City. The group worked on the following goals:
1) greening the downtown streetscape by identifying multiple strategies to green sidewalks (e.g., planters, in-the ground planting, urban forestry, and possibly green walls);
2) planning the design and/or programming for a pocket park by the Childrens’ Museum and identifying ways to develop additional such green spaces (including their location, funding, design);
3) identifying locations for rooftop gardens/green roofs for both (a) public use (e.g., on parking ramp, public buildings) and (b) private property, including structural analysis, cost analysis, funding, and incentives for these locations;
4) addressing soil permeability and restoration in areas that will be greened and
5) linking the downtown greening project to bike trail access points.


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 two courses listed are meant to serve as examples, not an exhaustive list.

For more information regarding the India Winterim Program, please see- https://clas.uiowa.edu/geography/undergraduate-program/india-winterim-study-abroad

For more information regarding Greenspace Plan for Downtown, Soiux City, Iowa please see- https://iisc.uiowa.edu/greenspace-plan


The two courses listed are meant to serve as examples, not an exhaustive list.

For more information regarding the India Winterim Program, please see- https://clas.uiowa.edu/geography/undergraduate-program/india-winterim-study-abroad

For more information regarding Greenspace Plan for Downtown, Soiux City, Iowa please see- https://iisc.uiowa.edu/greenspace-plan

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