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Projects Updates for Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

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  1. Education iCAP Team April 2025 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS)
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainability Literacy Assessment
    Sustainability Internship Program
    Sustainability in Study Abroad

    The iCAP Education Team met on Monday, April 7th from 4-5 pm via Teams. First we shared information about the upcoming events during Earth Month. Then we discussed project updates that team members had including AASHE stars data collection, sustainability language in course descriptions, progress towards a sustainability Gen-Ed requirement, a sustainability literacy assessment and outgoing survey, iSEE partnered internship opportunities, and sustainability integration into study abroad. We also discussed student team member ideas like the possibility of composting on campus. The meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  2. Education iCAP Team March 2025 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability at Career Fairs
    Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS)
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainability Literacy Assessment
    Sustainability Internship Program

    The iCAP Education team met on teams from 4-5 pm on Monday March 3rd. First, we recapped the Green Career Forum and the Green Career Panel. Then we discussed updates on the collection of data for the AASHE Stars report, integrating sustainability language into course descriptions and developing the Gen-Ed sustainability requirement. Lastly the team introduced a sustainability graduate certificate and student internship opportunities. The meeting minutes are attatched. 

    Attached Files: 

  3. Education iCAP Team December 2024 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainability Literacy Assessment
    Sustainability at Career Fairs

    The iCAP Education team met on Teams from 4-5 PM on Monday December 16th. We closed the semester by reviewing the sustainability literacy assessment data and discussing updates and next steps for the sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. The meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Education iCAP Team November 2024 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainability in Study Abroad
    Sustainability at Career Fairs

    The iCAP Education team met on Teams from 4-5 PM on Monday November 18th. First we discussed steps on moving forward with the sustainbility Gen-Ed requirement, then we discussed the integration of sustainability in study abroad programs and lastly how to get further student input on the Green Career Forum. The meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  5. Education iCAP Team October 2024 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainability in Study Abroad
    Sustainability at Career Fairs

    The iCAP Education team met on Teams from 4-5 PM on Monday October 21st. First we identified the next 5 steps to take towards implementing a sustainability Gen Ed requirement. Then we discussed the integration of sustainability in study abroad programs through different colleges and how to get further student input on the Green Career Forum. The meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  6. Education iCAP Team September 2024 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Literacy Assessment
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

    The iCAP Education team met on Teams from 4-5 PM on Monday September 16th. The team reviewed the charges and priorities for the 2024-2025 academic year as well as the objectives. The team discussed the Sustainability Literacy Assessment, the Sustainability Gen-Ed, and the Green Career Fair. The meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  8. Education iCAP Team October 2023 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Internship Program
    Sustainability in Study Abroad
    Sustainability at Career Fairs
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

    The Education iCAP team met on Teams from 1-2 PM on Thursday, October 5th. The team reviewed the iCAP Education objectives, discussed area/projects of focus for the year, and brainstormed next steps in relation to projects that are underway. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  9. iCAP Education Team general update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

    Below is an update from Jessica Nicholson, with an update to the gen-ed project.

     

    Hello iCap Education Team,

     

    I hope you all had a good Holiday Season! I have attached my latest Sustainability Gen-Ed Proposal to this email and added it to the iCap Education Team Box Folder along with several supporting documents. The suggestions and next steps I described at our December 5th meeting are added as comments to the proposal, so I hope this helps as the team continues working toward the Sustainability Gen-Ed next semester. I have also copied my mailing list here so you all can see the new attached proposal with next steps. Given these changes, I am confident that my proposal will gather the Dean endorsements that it couldn't previously and has the support it needs to be successful.

     

    Please keep me updated as this progresses, and if you need anything else from me or have any questions, feel free to let me know. I am in a significant transition period now that I have graduated, but I will stay involved as much as I can.

     

    Thanks,

    Jessica

  10. Sustainability Council Meeting 12-13-22

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Council
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Clean Energy Plan
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainable Land Management Committee

    The Sustainability Council met on 12-13-22 and discussed the following agenda:

    • Zero Waste
    • Energy Planning
    • Strategic Plan
    • Old Business
      - Sustainability General Education Requirement
      - Sustainable Land Management Committee Report

    The meeting minutes and slide deck are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  11. Education iCAP Team September 2022 Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Education iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    Education iCAP Team
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Broaden Sustainability Education
    Sustainability at Career Fairs
    Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)
    Sustainability Internship Program
    Graduate Certificate in Sustainability

    The Education iCAP team had a hybrid meeting from 5:00 P.M. - 6:00 PM on Monday, August 29th. The team reviewed the Education iCAP objectives, shared project updates, and brainstormed new action ideas for this semester. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Engagement001: General Education Board Sustainability Sub-Group - Successful

    Associated Project(s): 
    Engagement iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    Engagement iCAP Team
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

    Bill Stewart, Professor in Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism and member of the General Education Board, responded to Ximing Cai with the following email on 12/3/21:

    Hi Ximing,

    I’m following up about the Sustainability Gen Ed Working Group that was formed this year.  The Provost has directed the gen ed board to form a working group with the following charge:  Sustainability General Education: A student group is continuing work to develop a proposal to create a Sustainability General Education requirement. This working group will meet with the student group and provide updates to the full board about the status of the proposal as well as feedback about the implications of a new requirement for evaluation of courses.  I’m serving as chair, with the following members of the working group:  Geoffrey Challen, Leon Decosta Dash, Stephen R Downie, James Robert Miller, and Sterling Raskie. 

    We’ve met twice now, with the first meeting focused on discussing our charge along with the history of sustainability education on campus.  We invited Jessica Nicholson along with others from her team to our second meeting to provide an update on the proposal and the intended next steps.  We plan to take back the activity to the gen ed board, and garner feedback from them.  Notes from our recent meeting are attached.

    Just keeping you in the loop here.

    Best,
    Bill

    ================

    For future updates, please see the Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement project page. 
    See iWG assessment and transmittal of Engagement001 General Education Board Sustainability Sub-Group.
    See original recommendation and submittal of Engagement001 General Education Board SUstainability Sub-Group here. 

  15. Sustainability Gen-Ed Student Survey

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

    Please take this survey regarding the sustainability general education requirement: https://forms.gle/UGho4xcS8hx8Rw5aA

    Proposal information is attached. 

    This proposal calls for a 3 credit-hour Sustainability category to be added to the Natural Sciences and Technology gen ed requirement. It will give all undergraduate students the opportunity to take a course focused on sustainability topics to fulfill 3 credit hours of this existing requirement. Read through the attached proposal to learn more, and fill out the survey below to share your thoughts on this proposal. We appreciate all responses.

    Attached Files: 

  16. Sustainability Gen-Ed Working Group

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement

    Jessica Nicholson, one of the authors of ISG Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement Resolution, sent the following updates on 5/12/21:

    ================

    Good Morning,

    I hope you all are well. Thank you all for expressing interest in the resolution to create a Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. Towards the beginning of the semester, I shared this resolution with each of you and most of you let me know that you would like to stay updated on the status of the resolution. Many of you have endorsed this resolution as faculty members, sponsored as members of ISG or UC senate, or provided additional support and guidance. That being said, I appreciate all of your support and involvement.

    I have a few updates on the progress of our resolution and I want to invite you all to participate in a working group that will draft a formal proposal based on our original resolution. The purpose of this proposal is explained below, so please read through and fill out the attached form if you are interested in being involved. Feel free to share this message and this form with anyone else who you think may be interested as well.

    Sustainability Gen-Ed Proposal Working Group Interest Form: https://forms.gle/dfKfTKwaocMpKovi8 

    We have added some supporting materials to the appendix of our original Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement resolution, so the updated resolution is attached below for your reference. I also recently gave a brief informational presentation to the UC senate about our initiative. This presentation contains some valuable information about our next steps and plan to write a proposal, so I have attached the slides for your reference if you want to take a look.

    Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rMDHj0NpwaJR8TSPg7o9WsONWnnXDGEoEvWIFHwvXK4/edit?usp=sharing

    ISG Senators Dana, Creen, Tyeese and I have consulted with iSEE, the Gen-Ed Board, and the Educational Policy and Senate Executive Committees of the UC Senate to determine how best to bring our Sustainability Gen-Ed resolution to the UC senate floor as a binding piece of legislation. Based on input from all of these groups, we have decided to draft a formal proposal that adds critical information to our original resolution.

    Unlike our original resolution, this proposal will contain sections that detail steps the University must take to implement the Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. Our proposal will include logistical considerations such as resource reallocation to courses that fulfill the requirement and the needs of each academic unit. These additional sections should minimize confusion and concerns over the implementability of our Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement. In order to write these sections into our full proposal, we need to meet with each academic unit to understand their specific needs and determine how this requirement should be implemented within their unit. We also need to determine factors such as current capacity, estimated seat demand, and additional seats needed among courses that fulfill the Sustainability Gen-Ed requirement.

    These considerations are critical for a new Gen-Ed requirement, so they will be the main focus of our working group when we write the proposal. We welcome you all to join our working group, and we particularly value any experience you can share regarding course logistics to help with the considerations above. Please fill out the form above if you want to get involved in our working group or are interested. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Thank you!

    Jessica

    --

    Jessica J Nicholson

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Class of 2022

    College of Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

    Illinois Student Government | Engineering Senator, Chair of Internal Affairs

    Illini Rotaract Service Organization | District Rotaract Representative

  17. Sustainability Council Meeting 4-28-21

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Council
    Sustainability Gen-Ed Requirement
    Sustainability iCAP Portal
    Engagement iCAP Team
    Sustainable Land Management Committee
    Energy Performance Contracting / ESCO
    Energy iCAP Team

    The Sustainability Council met on April 28, 2021 and discussed the following: 

    • iCAP Dashboard
    • Post-pandemic Implications for iCAP 
    • Student Sustainability Leadership Council
    • Engagement001: General Education Board Sustainability Task Committee
    • Land Management
    • Overview of F&S Energy Management Plan 
    • Energy004: ACES Energy Performance Contract 

    See PowerPoint attached.

    Attached Files: