Sustainability and Higher Education

Tracking Sustainability on Campus

The Sound Policy Institute works to integrate sustainability into higher education at the University of Puget Sound and colleges and universities. Sound Policy Institute helps implement the national Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) through the Puget Sound Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC).

Sound Policy Institute hosted one of the first working meetings on the rating scheme for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Since then, we have supported and facilitated retreats, meetings, and pilot programs in collaboration with SAC to encourage more innovative student/faculty/staff research projects that further campus sustainability goals. This work was referenced in a white paper publication entitled “Uncovering Sustainability in the Curriculum” by Daniel Sherman, put out by the US Green Buildings Council.

Sharing Lessons on Sustainability in Higher Education Curriculum

Sound Policy Institute has made significant efforts to share lessons learned on sustainability and the higher education curriculum. Professor Sherman has delivered many conference talks and workshop presentations to faculty worldwide on matching curriculum goals in the disciplines to big ideas of sustainability and community-based learning. Some of these events included the annual meetings of the Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, American College Personnel Association, Society for Values in Higher Education, North American Association of Environmental Educators and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Curriculum for the Bioregion

Sound Policy Institute worked with the Curriculum for the Bioregion Project, formerly at the Washington Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education at Evergreen State College, to host events on sustainability and place-based learning at Washington State colleges and universities.

Forthcoming Textbook!

Daniel Sherman has written about and been active in integrating sustainability broadly across the higher education curriculum. Dan’s latest project is an environmental science and sustainability textbook with W.W. Norton due out this year.