UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Sustainability Institute is collaborating with the Penn State Office for General Education on a Seed Grant initiative for faculty interested in developing a new Integrative Studies General Education course. Integrative Studies courses were not previously designated nor required; therefore the University is preparing the way for their development and incorporation into the curriculum.
The Office of the Provost has provided over $400,000 for development of these courses. The Sustainability Institute is one of 13 collaborating units at the University providing additional funds or wrap-around expertise and resources to assist faculty. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on Feb. 28. Details about the new General Education requirements, the 2017 Seed Grant Initiative, grant proposal applications, and information on how to apply can be found at gened.psu.edu.
The Sustainability Institute is looking to support the development of courses that develop students’ multidisciplinary sustainability literacy. Courses should use different disciplinary lenses to develop students’ sustainability competencies including the evolution of nested environmental, social, and economic issues, their ethical implications, and imaginative solutions or coping methods. The institute’s academic programs fellow, Peter Buckland, will offer one-on-one support, a platform for sharing work through The Field Guide to Teaching Sustainability, connections to other faculty and resources, and a day-long workshop should three or more choose to bring sustainability into their Integrative Studies course.
An Adobe Connect informational webinar will be hosted by the Office for General Education at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26, to describe the new Integrative Studies courses, requirements of the proposal, and the expectations for Seed Grant awardees. All faculty and staff are invited to participate. For those not able to join, a recording of the webinar will be made available at the Office for General Education website. Participants can connect to the webinar here.