Strategic Planning and the Working Group | Back to Top

Mission | Back to Top

To build an integrated program of academic research, undergraduate and graduate education, co-curricular and service-learning opportunities, and community outreach that will move Indiana University Bloomington into a position of national leadership in sustainability studies.

Strategic Plan | Back to Top

To move Indiana University towards its goal of leadership in the new academic arena of sustainability, an integrated program of exceptional undergraduate and graduate education, research and creative activity, and community outreach that builds on the academic strengths of IU’s academic resources must be established. Such academic sustainability initiatives should include the interrelated aspects of ecology, economic and social equity, public health and wellness, globalization and international relations, urbanization and poverty, and the politics and economics of food. They must also involve the integration of the academic, co-curricular, and operational elements of campus life.

Working Group Membership

Progress at IU | Back to Top

• Various graduate and undergraduate Sustainability Degree and Concentration Programs are in development
• Sustainable Development concentration as part of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs’ (SPEA) MPA degree
• Geography: MS Sustainable Energy
• Kelley School of Business: Sustainable Enterprise
• Area Certificate in Sustainability
• College Environmental Studies Committee
• Food Studies Ph.D. minor
• New “SU” Registrar designation for courses related to sustainability. See full listing of sustainability related courses



• Sustainability Teaching Awards offered through Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs (awarded 2009)
• Beginning Fall 2009, the Green Thematic Community, taking up one floor in a residence hall, will provide space for a community that embodies, explores and spreads awareness of all things related to sustainable living.
• Eleven residence halls have volunteer Eco-reps who promote environmental change on campus.
• IU Energy Challenge pits dorm and Greek house residents in a competition to see who can reduce energy and water consumption the most
• The College of Arts and Sciences Fall 2010 Themester  – “sustain-ability: Thriving on a Small Planet” will feature a full semester of multi-disciplinary academic opportunities around the theme, with special course offerings, speakers and events

• Sustainability Research Development Grants offered through the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs (awarded 2009)
• Faculty Research Support Program Grant focus area through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research
• The following internships through the IU Office of Sustainability have helped to further academic initiatives related to sustainability at Indiana University:
• SustainIU held in Spring 2009 focused eight days of panel discussions, lectures, films, and volunteer opportunities around sustainability

• Advocate for Community Engagement (ACE) student intern established with IUOS to promote and coordinate service learning opportunities between IUB courses and Bloomington community organizations

• SPEA Service Corps graduate student position established with IUOS
• Sustainability Clearinghouse on campus and community sustainability organizations created by IUOS student intern

• Academic Survey of Campus Sustainability, Summer 2007: Tatyana Ruseva compiled a comprehensive review of existing coursework, academic programs, research, scholarly and co-curricular activities at IUB that relate to sustainability and environmental literacy. She also reviewed comparable programs and activities at peer institutions.
• Outreach study, Summer 2007: Joyce Chang reviewed existing K-12 and community outreach programs at IUB and a survey of comparable initiatives on other campuses.
• Sustainability and the University Libraries, Summer 2008: Deepak Sridhar worked with various stakeholders at Wells developing strategies to make IU’s libraries more sustainable.
• Green Orientation Guide, Summer 2008: Kevin Pozzi developed a Green Orientation Guide, focusing on recycling, water conservation, alternative transportation, and sustainable food.
• Education and Outreach, Summer 2008: Josh Hunter worked to strengthen relationships between community and students, faculty and staff involved in sustainability at IU. 
• IU Energy Challenge, Summer 2008: James Pierce redesigned the IU Energy Challenge, a competition designed to encourage energy and water conservation amongst students living in the dormitories at the IUB. James also redesigned the Sustainability Task Force website.
• 2009 IU Energy Challenge, Summer 2009: Mckenzie Beverage expanded the effort during the previous year’s challenge to include more dormitories in the competition and explored new ways of engaging residents by utilizing technology to raise awareness of energy use.
• Hutton Honors College Sustainability and Diversity, Spring 2009: Aimee Light worked on engaging with minority communities at IUB on issues surrounding sustainability to enrich the outcomes of the Sustainability Initiative for all students by bringing together diverse perspectives on the topic.
• IU Sustainability Clearinghouse, Spring 2009: Liz Beeler-McWhorter created a of a clearinghouse for sustainability to provide an avenue for experts, faculty, students, staff, and the local community to find information, instruction, collaboration, community links and networks, and direction in regards to issues relating to sustainability.
• Central Heating Plant Media Relations, Spring 2009: Abby Schwimmer worked with Central Heating Plant to create educational materials about their conservation measures.
• Central Heating Plant Media Relations, Summer 2009: Veronica Rog continued Abby’s work, producing educational materials about conservation measures at the CHP.
• Increasing Service Learning in Sustainability-Related Coursework: Tatyana Ruseva is assisting the Office for Service Learning with preparing the Summer 2010 Institute on Service-Learning and Sustainability; mapping IUB service-learning courses with a sustainability designation; and identifying university and community partners for future sustainability-oriented service-learning activities.
• Themster 2010 Coordinator: Hana Ros is helping prepare for the College of Arts & Sciences Fall 2010 Themester sustain.ability: Thriving on a Small Planet. Hana is assisting in the development of  new courses, service-learning projects, lectures and community events to increase meaningful dialog on campus about issues of sustainability.

Environmental Literacy & Student Learning

The following academic initiatives would move IUB forward and into a position of sustainability leadership among peer institutions:

• Explore ways to incorporate literacy on environmental and sustainability issues into the educational program of all undergraduate students
• Establish incentives to support student sustainability scholarship
• Establish and undergraduate “Area Certificate” in sustainability
• Establish a fellowship program to fund graduate and post-doctoral students
• Establish a Ph.D. minor is sustainability
• Develop a program for hiring new faculty who can expand and enrich our current research, course offerings, and mentoring in the area of sustainability
• Research, Scholarship, & Creative Activity
• Foster active affiliate faculty
• Continue to invite high-profile external speakers and establish a colloquium series for local speakers
• Plan and implement conferences and dissemination
• Establish metrics of success and evaluation
• Establish center for degree programs
• Provide seed funding
• Community Outreach & Collaboration
• Institute mechanisms to encourage both formal (for course credit) or informal (volunteer) participation in some form of community outreach
• Develop resources for outreach to teachers

• Campus Sustainability Report
• IU Sustainability Clearinghouse
• CoAS website for Themester 2010: sustain.ability: Thriving on a Small Planet
• Energy Challenge Website

Updated February 6, 2012