Mission
The Sustainable Development Department emerges from the United Nations mandate to engender "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Our mission is to prepare students to engage in the social, economic, and environmental transformations necessary to create thriving, equitable, and sustainable communities within an ecologically healthy world. This mission is achieved through: 1) integrative teaching and mentoring; 2) applied research, experiential education, and restorative creative endeavors; and 3) effective and ethical community engagement, both locally and globally. These efforts enable students to think critically and constructively as they work to build a sustainable future.
Vision
We envision a world where sustainability and sustainable development are integrated into all human endeavors. We imagine a world based on a deep appreciation for life, with lasting natural and cultural wealth, where well-being, social justice, and ecological integrity are valued and guarded with the same rigor as economic prosperity. Graduates of the Sustainable Development Department will be equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to effectively and ethically address sustainability challenges in public, private, and non-profit sectors through informed, engaged, and hopeful work.
Peer Teaching Evaluation Policy
The interval of peer teaching reviews as it applies to faculty and faculty rank is determined by the academic unit in which the Department resides. In SD the peer teaching review process is as follows:
- Two peer faculty members are required for a formal review in the SD Department.
- One member from the core SD faculty to be determined by the Chair of the Department, the other faculty member to be chosen from the general SD Faculty by the person to be reviewed.
- The faculty member under review will arrange a pre meeting with both reviewers (either separately or together) in order to schedule a time for a class visit, apprise them of the syllabus, class dynamics and/or any special circumstances pertaining to the class.
- After a classroom visit the two reviewers will submit to the Chair an evaluation report that outlines the faculty member's performance including strengths as well as suggestions for improvement if need be.
- The SD Chair will form a separate, single report that accurately reflects the comments of the two reviewers and present that report to the faculty member under review. Special care should be taken by the Chair to keep the anonymity of the two reviewer's comments in tact.
- The SD Chair will schedule a meeting within two weeks with the faculty member under review to discuss the report and address any questions or concerns.
- The report will then be filed in the faculty member's personnel file.