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For Faculty

For Faculty

What is a Sustainability-Designated course?

Sustainability Designated courses teach the TRADITIONAL COURSE CONTENT through a LENS OF SUSTAINABILITY. This is not a replacement of the original course content, but instead, it is an enhancement of the course content by focusing the traditional content through sustainability issues, service projects, or other assignments through which the course content is delivered and understood.

Sustainability Hallmarks:

H1: The course demonstrates how concepts of sustainability are connected to local, regional and global issues and applies these concepts to local, regional or global challenges.

H2: The course imparts understanding of the science of the environment and how this knowledge can be applied towards creating a more sustainable world.

H3: The course describes how traditional and indigenous perspectives or other socio-cultural values and attitudes inform practices of sustainability and encourages students to connect to personal values and attitudes that facilitate sustainable living.

Sustainability Core Concepts:

C1: Sustainable Economics: Quadruple Bottom Line, Alternatives to GDP, Circular Economy

C2: Ecosystem Services: Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecological Restoration, Invasive Species Impacts

C3: Ecological Footprints/Carbon Footprints

C4: Sustainable Materials Management : Cradle to Cradle, Zero Waste, Life Cycle Assessment

C5: Sustainable Food Systems: Food Sovereignty, Food Security, Food Miles, Agro-ecology, Local First

C6: Climate Change: Mitigation, Adaptation, Resilience

C7: Equity: Environmental Justice

C8: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK): Indigenous Wisdom, Spiritual Ecology.

Sustainability Designation Application Process

Sustainability Designation Application

Committee Description and Membership

Hawaiʻi Community College Sustainability Committee

The Academic Sustainability Committee, also known as the Sustainability Course Designation Committee, reports to the Hawaiʻi-CC Faculty Senate

"The Sustainability Course Designation Committee will review and approve courses that meet the University of Hawaiʻi System requirements that identify important skills and concepts regarding sustainability across a variety of academic disciplines. A significant component of readings, assignments, and other course materials will address environmental topics."

From Senate Charter in Article VII, Section 3, Paragraph C.

During the academic year the Committee meets once a month.

Committee Membership

The Academic Sustainability Committee is composed of representatives from different departments and units at Hawaiʻi CC:

 In addition to work on SF (Sustainability) Course Designation, the Committee is responsible for creation and coordination of the ASC (Academic Subject Certificate) in Sustainability, which became active in Fall 2021.

The Committee and its members have also had a role in many other campus sustainability initiatives and efforts including, but not limited to:

  • Sustainability-Themed Kauhale Day 2019
  • Lā Honua Earth Day Fair 2019 to the present
  • ʻAi Pono
  • STARS (Sustainability Tracking and Rating System)
  • UH System Sustainability conferences and workshops
  • Sustainable and traditional agriculture and aquaculture
  • Service learning: native reforestation, watershed restoration, marine debris clean-up
  • Ahupuaʻa research

 

And for the future:

  • A Campus Waste Audit
  • A Bike Share Program
  • Advising for the Mālama ʻĀina Sustainability RISO

 

The Committee has drafted Resolutions that were passed by the Academic Faculty Senate on:

And a statement in support of the environmental-cultural integrity of Maunakea ~ Mauna a Wākea.

 

Note: In order to view the PDF documents in this section, you will need to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Resolutions

  • Resolution #2019-2
    Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs)
    A resolution calling for Hawai'i Community College to install Electric Vehicle recharging stations on the Manono and Pālamanui Campuses per Hawai‘i State law.
  • Resolution #2019-3
    Composting
    A resolution calling for Hawai'i Community College to use fully compostable products in all food serving capacities on the Manono and Pālamanui Campuses.

 

Academic Faculty Senate Reports

2020

 

2019

 

Sustainability Committee Mauna Kea Statement