Teaching and Learning About Sustainability

TitleTeaching and Learning About Sustainability
Faculty/College/UnitVP Academic
StatusCompleted
Duration1 Year
Initiation04/01/2001
Completion03/31/2002
Project Summary

In 1998, the Vice-President, Academic challenged a committee of twelve faculty members from eight Faculties to rethink UBC's undergraduate environmental programs. The committee concluded that there is little coordination among the dozens of courses and degree programs related to environment and sustainability at UBC, with the result that opportunities for interaction among students and faculty with common interests are being foregone. Moreover, UBC's research and teaching related to sustainability are not sufficiently visible to students or the broader community. The committee's final report called for creation of a new 6-credit first year course, Sustainability 100, to better prepare our students for the formidable challenges related to sustainability that they will face in the 21st century, as well as creation of a College of Sustainability to coordinate and extend UBC's undergraduate teaching related to sustainability.

This TLEF application seeks to advance those proposals through development of the Sustainability 100 course, development and delivery of four workshops on pedagogical approaches to teaching about sustainability, development of a university web page to better publicize UBC's environment and sustainability-related course offerings, laying the groundwork for a university-wide minor in Sustainability Studies in conjunction with individual Faculties, and supporting a student-led conference on sustainability.

Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2000/2001
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorKathryn Harrison
Year 1: Funded Amount45,000
Year 1: Team Members

Kathryn Harrison, Political Science, Faculty of Arts
Douw Steyn, Earth and Ocean Science, Faculty of Science / Geography, Faculty of Arts
Jim Atwater, Civil Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
George Spiegelman, Microbiology, Faculty of Science
Alice Cassidy, Centre for Teaching and Academic Growth