Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.76
Liaison Aurora Sharrard
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Pittsburgh
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.73 / 8.00 David Sanchez
Asst. Prof/Assist. Director
Civil and Environmental Engineering
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total number of graduates from degree programs (i.e. majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, and other academic designations):
7,892

Number of students that graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome:
725

Percentage of students who graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome:
9.19

Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
One

Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the institution level (e.g. covering all students)?:
Yes

Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the division level (e.g. covering particular schools or colleges within the institution)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the institution level or division level sustainability learning outcomes:

The University-wide Undergraduate Sustainability learning outcomes:

Students will develop the basic competencies needed by science, engineering, and humanities graduates to contribute quickly and effectively to the development and ultimate use of sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad,

Students will develop analytical skills and to learn to think critically about sustainability,

Students will be able to seamlessly incorporate sustainability into knowledge from their core course of study


Does the institution specify sustainability learning outcomes at the program level (i.e. majors, minors, concentrations, degrees, diplomas, certificates, and other academic designations)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the program level sustainability learning outcomes (or a list of sustainability-focused programs):

University-wide Undergraduate Sustainability Certificate:
Established in 2016 the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability aims to provide undergraduates the opportunity to enhance their education by including sustainability in their course of study. This certificate program in “Sustainability” transcends existing Schools and Departments at the University of Pittsburgh, capitalizes on ongoing Sustainability-growth opportunities in teaching and research at the University of Pittsburgh, and utilizes the framework of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (MCSI) to execute the certificate.

The objectives of the Undergraduate Sustainability Certificate are:
• To develop the basic competencies needed by science, engineering, and humanities graduates to contribute quickly and effectively to the development and ultimate use of sustainable technologies, science, and practices in the U.S. and abroad,
• To create opportunities for undergraduates to develop analytical skills and to learn to think critically about sustainability,
• To provide undergraduates the opportunity to seamlessly incorporate sustainability into their course of study, and

Swanson School of Engineering –
The Engineering for Humanity certificate is open to all undergraduate students and both guides and formalizes student participation in engineering projects in which social and/or environmental sustainability is a core thrust. Moreover, the certificate program addresses the significance of cultural, political, and business forces in rapid and effective penetration of new technologies. This certificate will allow students to earn credit for service learning projects. Students have the option of pursuing either a U.S. or international track. The certificate embodies significant flexibility, with only 2 of 5 courses being explicitly defined, so participating students may tailor course work to their region and topic of interest. It is expected that with appropriate planning at least two of the courses will align with departmental BS graduation requirements.

Master's Sustainable Engineering-
• identify and solve sustainability issues using systems approaches in the context of the triple bottom line of environmental, societal, and economic problems.
• Create regional and nationally scalable sustainability solutions via service learning projects
• communicate sustainability issues and solutions to multiple audiences.


Graduate School of Public and International Affairs – Master of International Development
Major in Planning and Environmental Sustainability: Students in the development planning & environmental sustainability major learn to become informed, responsible leaders whose decisions will affect future generations. The program builds a sound knowledge base in the fundamentals of the discipline: economics, project planning and the balance of environmental preservation and financial feasibility. Students learn how to understand the political and economic context of markets; the role of foreign aid, policy and international environmental law; as well as strategic thinking for developing countries.
(http://www.gspia.pitt.edu/Academics/DegreePrograms/MasterofInternationalDevelopment/MajorinDevelopmentPlanningEnvironmental/tabid/97/Default.aspx)


Do course level sustainability learning outcomes contribute to the figure reported above (i.e. in the absence of program, division, or institution level learning outcomes)?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the course level sustainability learning outcomes and the programs for which the courses are required:

Current Issues in Sustainability 1905
At the end of this course, students should be knowledgeable about:
• a number of current energy and environmental challenges
• several policy tools to incentivize players to take into account the impact of their actions on sustainability
• Perceptions of sustainability in the computer engineering and science domain
• Holistic sustainability methods for computing
• Current computing challenges and their relationship to sustainability

Sustainability Capstone 1907
By the end of the course the students will have a deeper understanding of: 1) the multi-faceted nature of Sustainability solutions, 2) approaches to problem solving across fields, and 3) how to communicate sustainable solutions and concepts in an interdisciplinary team environment. This course serves as a capstone course for the Sustainability certificate and M.S. in a Sustainable Engineering degree and is a required course for these two programs.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/MCSI/Sustainability-Certificate/

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.