Are you a program director for a sustainability or sustainability-related degree program? Is your five-year curriculum review looming… and maybe that process isnʻt working for you?  We know that sustainability degrees are different: interdisciplinary, community-engaged, career-oriented, justice-focused, and integrating climate literacy and resilience in the rapidly changing field of sustainability education.

In AY 2024-2025, AASHE will host a cohort of program directors who will work together to evaluate and update their sustainability programs using new program standards collaboratively developed by scores of stakeholders in the sustainability education community. This peer cohort will pilot program learning outcomes integrating the key competencies in sustainability framework, and the best practices that support them. Participants will complete their own program evaluation while working with other directors to further develop dynamic, context-sensitive guidance for the field. This work was developed by the pathways towards accreditation initiative and the Sustainability Education Community of Practice at the Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE). 

The Program Directors Cohort will be facilitated by Krista Hiser, convener of the Sustainability Education Accreditation Commission and will include additional guest facilitators and experts.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will complete a self-evaluation of core program elements, and give/receive peer feedback providing a unique collaborative experience with other program directors. Using the Key Competencies in Sustainability Framework and the Best Practices in Sustainability Program Guidelines, participants will: 

1. Reflect and report on the core practices of their program: curriculum, evaluation, and pedagogy, integrating the Key Competencies in Sustainability Framework.
2. Reflect and report on support activities including campus operations, community engagement, leadership, student support, and faculty development, in cooperation with peer programs.
3. Discuss issues of interdisciplinary program organization and support including resourcing, workload, and qualifications.
4. Integrate the Key Competencies in Sustainability Framework across program elements.
5. Articulate your program’s unique theme and topic emphases.

Key Details

This six-meeting, six-month course consists of an initial 2-hour orientation in November followed by a monthly discussion group section on Zoom that will be scheduled after registration to meet the needs of the enrolled group. To accommodate different time zones, the initial orientation will be offered on Thursday, November 7th at 2:00-4:00 pm ET. If necessary, if necessary, another group or 1-1 orientation may also be provided.

Registration Fees*

* To check if your organization is a current AASHE member, please search the AASHE Membership Directory.

Discounts are available for group registration. A limited number of scholarships are available to individuals who need financial assistance to participate. Please apply two weeks before the program begins (i.e., 10/24/2024) to be considered for a scholarship for this workshop.

Registration Policies:

• Registration deadline is Thursday, November 7 at noon Eastern.
• Payment is accepted in the form of Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.
  If you need to pay by check or ACH, please contact us at least five weeks prior to the event start date. Registration using these forms of payment must be received four weeks prior to the event start date and full payment must be received by AASHE within two weeks of event start date.
• Cancellation Policy: A 20% processing fee applies to any cancellation prior to October 28, 2024. No refunds will be given after October 28, 2024.
• No substitutions are allowed.
• Registered participants will receive access to the recording after the live event.
• Review all Terms & Conditions.Register Today

Register today

Instructor

Krista Hiser, Senior Advisor for Sustainability Education, Global Council for Science and the Environment
Dr. Krista Hiser is the convener of the Sustainability Education Accreditation Commission. She currently serves as Senior Advisor for Sustainability Education at the Global Council for Science and the Environment. She was formerly the Director of the University of Hawaiʻi System Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum, and is an active sustainability leader with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.  She teaches writing and literature at Kapiʻolani Community College with an emphasis on climate change education, service-learning, and community resilience. She received her doctoral degree in Educational Administration from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Teri Balser, Professor, University of Calgary
Professor Teri Balser is a passionate scholar and senior university leader. Formerly provost and vice-president (Academic) at the University of Calgary, she has also been interim president and provost at Dalhousie University. An internationally known educator, she has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in soil and environmental science. Throughout her career she has sought to connect and empower people across public, academic, and private sectors in working together toward a sustainable future. She brings that lens, coupled with the perspective of university leadership, to bear on how we can contribute toward a response to the climate emergency and move into a new future.