2019-20: Cohort 4 Strategic Initiative Awardees Update (projects that received funds for FY 2021 and will receive funds for FY 2022) Strategic Initiative: Environmental Integration Lab Project Contact(s): Nichole Wissman-Weber, PhD, Assistant Professor of Management and Julia Cantzler, PhD, Associate Professor of Sociology Main Strategic Goal Alignment: Goal 1: Enhancing Student Learning and Success Monetary Award Category: c) $50,000-$74,999
and staff representing a diverse array of academic departments and organizations on campus. The Steering Committee met four times over the course of the year (twice in each semester). During those meetings, the Steering Committee focused on the following tasks: developing and honing the EIL’s mission statement and strategic pathways, planning Spring 2021 programming, brainstorming collaboration around the Equinox Project’s Quality of Life Dashboard, the new Master’s Program in Engineering for Sustainability and Health, discussing possibilities for curricular innovation including a pop-up class on climate change/ sustainability, communities of practice around topical areas, and “making climate a class.” The Steering Committee also discussed long-term strategic planning, including the possibility of developing a minor and constructing a campus-wide survey to assess environmental
About: The initiative seeks to create an Environmental Integration Lab
knowledge and attitudes. We are thrilled by the composition of our
(EIL) that will bring together faculty and students in a concerted effort
Steering Committee and the unique expertise and community networks
to connect campus-wide sustainability endeavors as it relates to
that they bring to the table. Due to COVID, we delayed hiring student
climate change. The University of San Diego has a variety of experts on
assistants until January 2021. Three students were ultimately hired, and
environmental science, real estate sustainability, sustainable supply
their primary tasks have been: developing and implementing student
chain, carbon footprint measuring, green engineering product design
engagement programming, benchmarking, developing social media
and process development, environmental policy analysis, sustainable
content, liaising with student organizations, communicating with the
management, and climate justice that have never been formally brought
Steering Committee, and brainstorming future programming. We have
together. The lab will harness our resources and talent to be integrated,
been extremely impressed with their contributions and their willingness
leveraged, and made much more effective at addressing the issues of
to take initiative to provide value to the EIL beyond the tasks given to
climate change and sustainability.
them. In recognition of their enhanced role on the team, we decided to
Major Successes in 2020-21: During Fall 2020, the Environmental Integration Lab established a Steering Committee composed of 12 faculty
Strategic Initiatives Annual Report 2020-21
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