Wentworth Institute of Technology
AC-2: Learning Outcomes
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
Reporter |
Debra
Shepard Sustainability Consultant N/A |
Has the institution adopted one or more sustainability learning outcomes that apply to the entire student body or, at minimum, to the institution's predominant student body?:
Which of the following best describes the sustainability learning outcomes?:
A list of the institution level sustainability learning outcomes:
A selection of Wentworth's general education learning outcomes related to sustainability include:
After completing their general education curriculum, students will be able to demonstrate competence in:
-Applications of ethics to decision-making
-Logical thinking and scientific and quantitative reasoning
-Critical analysis of scientific, historical, and social phenomena and aesthetic dimensions of humankind
Undergraduate student learning outcomes with sustainability themes include:
-Making connections between disciplines and contexts
-Personal and social responsibility
Total number of graduates from degree programs:
Number of graduates from degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
A brief description of how the figure above was determined:
This figure was estimated as the number of undergraduate degrees awarded within the programs with known sustainability-focused learning outcomes.
A list of degree programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
Across Wentworth's academic programs, more than 25 sustainability-focused courses and 70+ sustainability-related courses are offered. While information on sustainability learning outcomes was not available for all programs, a selection of programs with sustainability learning outcomes is provided below:
The Engineering Program (Computer Science Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Interdisciplinary Engineering) include sustainability learning outcomes:
ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) Criteria:
Student outcomes:
(3.2) An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
(3.4) An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
(h) Broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.
ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Code of Ethics:
Canon 1: Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.
NAAB (National Architecture Accreditation Board):
Wentworth's Interim report to NAAB included the following - "Environmental responsiveness Sustainability is a core value and theme, woven throughout the curriculum. Studios and co-requisite courses build students’ knowledge base from a qualitative understanding of environmentally responsive design in the foundation years to a more detailed and quantitative ability in the later years. Several courses in the third year focus intensively on this subject. The fourth year Comprehensive Design studio requires students to translate this knowledge into highly resolved building systems and assemblies. Thesis preparation seminars introduce readings on sustainability, and students often choose the topic as part of their research. Sustainability is a recurrent theme in the thesis studio as well, where it has become a major topic and guiding principle for numerous thesis projects. In addition, all design studio syllabi include the following statement: “Studio projects shall be designed in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. All projects should demonstrate the manner by which they reduce dependencies on non-renewable resources.” (Team Room: Course Syllabus template)"
As a recent example of its sustainability-focused curriculum, the architecture department's graduate-level studio class, "Mass Timber and New England," explores this new material's relationship to climate change and user well-being. The studio was recently named one of the best courses in North America by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the Software Lumber Board.
Documentation supporting the figure reported above (upload):
Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
Percentage of students who graduate from programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability:
Website URL where information about the sustainability learning outcomes 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.