New module makes sustainability education available to all UU直播 students
Creating a Brighter Future: Sustainability at UU直播 was designed to help students engage with the topic regardless of their field of study.
There鈥檚 no doubt the UU直播 community has pushed for sustainable change on campus this academic year, from undergraduate students voting to听, to the University taking the. For students looking to build on this momentum and kickstart their own engagement with sustainability, UU直播 now offers the module听.
The new self-paced module 鈥� available for free to all UU直播 students through myCourses 鈥� introduces the concept of sustainability and ways to get involved on campus. Among the driving forces for creating this module was a听听in learning opportunities outside of the classroom.
鈥淎 lot of programs at UU直播 have pretty strict required courses,鈥� explains Kerry Yang, the VP of University Affairs for the Students鈥� Society of UU直播 (SSMU). 鈥淔ree online opportunities can really help make different types of education accessible for all students by breaking down the barriers and obstacles that prevent them from learning.鈥�
A tool to spark action
A major focus of the new module is highlighting resources, initiatives, and student groups at UU直播 related to sustainability, such as the Sustainability & Research Network, ECOLE, Campus Crops, MealCare UU直播, and more.
鈥淲hen talking about sustainability, I think it鈥檚 crucial to give people a way to听诲辞听something with the information they learn,鈥� says Maya Willard-Stepan, a UU直播 student and intern who helped develop the module. 鈥淥ften these topics can get heavy, especially when talking about climate change. Giving people tools that empower them to act is how change is made.鈥�
The module takes about 45 minutes to complete, but it also includes dozens of external resources so students can dive deeper into the topics that interest them and explore the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability. Students who complete the module will receive recognition for it on their听co-curricular record.
鈥淲e want students to be able to engage with sustainability on their own terms,鈥� explains Sustainability Officer Jessica Latus. 鈥淭he module was designed to be a launch pad for students who are interested in learning more about sustainability. Our hope is that it will be a valuable first step toward taking action on campus and beyond.鈥�
A collaborative effort
The module is a flagship action of the University鈥檚听Climate & Sustainability Strategy 2020-2025,听which includes a commitment to increase sustainability education opportunities for the UU直播 community. While the Office of Sustainability worked closely with Teaching and Learning Services to develop the module, students were regularly invited to provide feedback through focus groups and participate in the design of the module as interns and volunteers.
鈥淭he module is meant to be a resource and tool for all UU直播 students, so we made sure students had a voice throughout the planning and design process,鈥� Latus says. Multiple faculty and staff focus groups were also held throughout the development of the module.
鈥淯ltimately, our students are here to learn,鈥� reflects Christopher Buddle, Associate Provost of Teaching and Academic Programs. 鈥淐ollaboration like this when creating educational resources is crucial to making the final product relevant, useful, and enriching to the student experience.鈥�
听is available on MyCourses and can be found by searching the title in听the 鈥淒iscover鈥� tab. Students who complete the module by听February 26, 2023, will have a chance to win a $100 gift card.
Graphic by Annette Archaeni.
