Sustainability in the Curriculum

As a polytechnic university, Cal Poly has long made sustainability a centerpiece of its educational purpose. That dedication is reflected in the campus's Sustainability Learning Objectives (SLOs) articulated as essential educational components for all students in all majors. Momentum is building on campus, as evidenced by achieving a STARS Silver Rating in 2017 from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). This page assembles the various programs and services that CTLT offers campus educators in support of enhancing and expanding sustainability across the curriculum in support of the SLOs and continued pursuit of advanced STARS ratings.

Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshops

AY 2017-18

Are you an instructor who is interested in teaching sustainability concepts in your classroom but need help identifying methods? These highly interactive workshops are for folks who want to learn more about the Sustainability Student Learning Outcomes and ways to infuse them into coursework. These workshops are interdisciplinary and introductory. 

Learn more: Sustainability Across the Curriculum page

Quick Qualify Workshops

AY 2017-18

These workshops are interdisciplinary and intermediate with the purpose of helping you review and update your syllabus so that it qualifies for inclusion in the SUSCAT. They are designed to guide language revisions in course documents so that they more accurately reflect the way that the courses have already incorporated sustainability. This will not only communicate to students the role of sustainability in the courses but also allow each to contribute to Cal Poly's overall status on the AASHE ratings.

Learn more: Quick Qualify Workshop page 

Sustainability Course (Re)Design Retreat

This 3-day summer camp is meant to give educators time and space to design sustainability-focussed courses (or units within courses) in a collaborative and stimulating environment. In three days you will take your initial concepts and build them into your course curriculum. This workshop is for those who want to integrate their passion for sustainability literacy into courses they are already teaching. It is also ideal for educators who have completed the Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshop and want help with course development.

Learn more: Sustainability Course (Re)Design Retreat page

Teaching Sustainability Community of Practice (CoP)

This is for all Cal Poly educators with interests in incorporating sustainability principles and practices across the curriculum. Participants will be collaborating on projects that explore methods and assess outcomes related to sustainability education in a wide variety of disciplines and courses. Findings could support refined approaches to curriculum infusion and scholarly work (e.g., presentations, publications).

Teaching Sustainability CoP page