Sustainability Education at the University of Montana

Sustainability education has become increasingly important to prepare the next generation of professionals to address immense challenges such as climate change. Institutions of higher education play a critical role in developing student understanding and perceptions of sustainability through their curricula, specifically in the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy, and society. This research paper explores sustainability education at the University of Montana to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent do sustainability-focused and sustainability-inclusive courses at the University of Montana include themes or concepts from all three pillars of sustainability; (2) Do courses at UM impact student understanding, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions about sustainability; and (3) From among the small group of sustainability courses sampled, are students’ understanding, beliefs, attitudes, or intentions impacted by course content? I collected data in three phases. First, I examined UM’s 2021 Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Report (STARS) of inventoried sustainability courses to analyze the distribution of the three pillars of sustainability. Second, I assessed syllabi from three sustainability courses taught in the fall of 2021. Lastly, I administered a survey to students in those three courses at the beginning and end of the fall 2021 semester to measure student understanding, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions. The results showed that only 18% of the inventoried sustainability courses incorporated all three dimensions of sustainability, and the economic dimension was the least represented across courses. Syllabi varied in topics and activities and was more difficult to compare given that there is no common framework for curricula development. The survey results revealed that most students held sustainability beliefs prior to the course which stayed consistent over time. Student understanding and attitudes were more variable and had the biggest changes from beginning to end of the semester, while intentions somewhat changed. Currently, there is no standardized assessment tool for examining sustainability curricula internationally or at UM, which made the research process nuanced and difficult. This research suggest that UM needs a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to develop an updated and common framework to guide curricula development, as well as a standard assessment tool, so that aspects of sustainability teaching are consistent across campus

Sustainability Education at the University of Montana

Sustainability education has become increasingly important to prepare the next generation of professionals to address immense challenges such as climate change. Institutions of higher education play a critical role in developing student understanding and views of sustainability through their curricula, specifically in the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy, and society. This research paper explores sustainability education at the University of Montana to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent do sustainability-focused and sustainability-inclusive courses at UM include themes or concepts from all three pillars of sustainability; (2) Do courses at the University of Montana impact student understanding, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions about sustainability; and (3) From among the small group of sustainability courses sampled, are students’ understanding, beliefs, attitudes, or intentions impacted by course content? The study collected data in three phases. First, the research examined UM’s 2021 Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Report (STARS) to analyze the distribution of the three pillars across courses. Second, the study assessed curricula from three sustainability courses. Lastly, a survey was administered to students in those three courses at the beginning and end of the fall 2021 semester to measure student understanding, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions. Findings showed that only 18% of course descriptions incorporated all three dimensions of sustainability and curricula varied in topics and activities. The survey results revealed that most students held sustainability beliefs prior to the course which stayed consistent over time. Student understanding and attitudes varied and had the biggest changes from beginning to end of the semester. Currently, there is no standardized assessment tool for examining sustainability curricula internationally or at UM, which made the research process nuanced and difficult. This research suggest that UM needs a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to develop an updated and common framework to guide and assess curricula development so that aspects of sustainability teaching are consistent across campus

Zero Waste Education

Climate change is a global crisis that calls for local action. When it comes to reducing our impact on the Earth and its climate, Zero Waste has become a strong mitigation strategy because solid waste generates greenhouse gas emissions, increases the city’s carbon footprint, and impacts the quality of living. Zero Waste looks to reduce the amount of waste coming in and out of a system, prioritizing upstream solutions and providing avenues so no waste goes to the landfill. In February 2016 the City Council of Missoula adopted the Missoula Zero Waste Resolution to reduce its landfill disposal 90% by 2050. As of right now, the University of Montana has yet to commit to the city’s goal of Zero By Fifty. However, UM’s participation in this ambitious goal is crucial. Our team’s goal is to conduct research and form an educational strategy to aid the UC Food Court in going Zero Waste. Education is a crucial component of Zero Waste, as it requires a knowledge of correct waste disposal and calls for an overall cultural shift on campus. Educating the students at UM is necessary for Zero Waste to be successful and become an integral part of campus culture so it can continue in the future and inspire other sustainable changes on campus and beyond. Our project looks to create an educational campaign around Zero Waste to help UM campus become more resilient in the face of climate change