AC-2            Learning Outcomes               (Examples) 
                   
                 Examples  of  Possible  Learning  Objectives  for  Environmental  Awareness  and  Environmental 
                 Sustainability 
                            Explain fundamental environmental concepts using appropriate vocabulary. 
                            Articulate and apply the scientific method and its role in scientific inquiry 
                             concerning the environment. 
                            Explain  the  co-evolution  of  humans  with  their  environment  and  the 
                             limitations of human interactions with it. 
                            Analyze environmental problems in a structured way and develop strategies 
                             for  solutions  that  indicate  how  scientific  principles  interact  with  ethical, 
                             political and/or economic principles. 
                            Describe the state of the environment in relation to the social structure and 
                             human health. 
                            Analyze the complexities of phenomena that link economics, politics, culture, 
                             history, biology, geology, and physical processes. 
                            Engage  in  dynamic,  vigorous  exchange  across  the  traditional  disciplinary 
                             boundaries within and between natural and social/human sciences. 
                            Work  with  specific  communities  to  facilitate  self-conscious,  reflective 
                             engagement with 
                            Linked socio-environmental processes. 
                  
                 Sustainability in day-to-day life 
                            Students will learn ways in which natural resources are used to produce what 
                             they  consume, such as the food they eat, the water they drink, and the 
                             energy they use. 
                            Students  will  understand  ways  in  which  their  lifestyle  and  well-being  are 
                             interconnected with those of diverse producers and consumers around the 
                             world, including impoverished communities. 
                            Sustainability knowledge and skills 
                            Students will learn core concepts of ecology and develop skills relevant to 
                             their chosen field to provide a basis for environmental sustainability. 
                            Students will learn to think holistically about sustainability using perspectives 
                             across multiple disciplines. 
                            Sustainability as Personal Vision 
                            Students  will  understand  relationships  between  global  environmental  and 
                             economic trends and their impact on diverse cultures and communities. 
                                              Students will develop an integrated vision for sustainability that embraces 
                                               their personal lives, professions, local communities, and the world-at-large. 
                                                       
                           Colleges  and  departments  outside  of  SoGES  frequently  incorporate  sustainability  learning 
                           outcomes into their curriculum. A full description of learning outcomes is available for each 
                           department through the course catalog. The following provides examples of learning outcomes 
                           which ensure that students are prepared to think critically and engage with contemporary 
                           issues around sustainability and the environment. 
                            
                           Environmental  Horticulture:  "Management  and  leadership  skills  necessary  for  a  successful 
                           career in the green industry. Technical competencies in their understanding of growth and 
                           development of horticultural plants and landscapes, including development as influenced by 
                           manipulation  of  horticulture  technologies,  such  as  fertility  and  water  management,  and 
                           integrated  pest  management  for  all  aspects  of  landscape  horticulture.  Skills  to  assess  site 
                           issues,  provide  creative  environmentally  sound  solutions  and  manage  designed  and  built 
                           landscapes" 
                             
                           Agricultural and Resource Economics: 
                           "Successful [graduating] students will demonstrate...an ability to solve  real world  problems 
                           beyond the pedagogical context. Students will be able to identify a problem and its scope, 
                           evaluate resources available to address the problem, formulate alternative solutions, and select 
                           the solution(s) most consistent with a stated objective." 
                           Learning Outcomes - upon completion of the minor in Sustainability Studies a student should be 
                           able to… 
                                              demonstrate                  an       understanding                   of       our        roles:          a      well-grounded 
                                               understanding—informed by natural science, social science, and humanistic 
                                               perspectives—of  the  parts  humans  have  played  in  creating  current 
                                               environmental  challenges,  and  that  they  must  play  in  devising  and 
                                               implementing sustainable solutions to environmental problems; 
                                              conduct an analysis of sustainability, that includes the ability to apply the 
                                               concept of sustainability in critically examining social issues related to the 
                                               use of Earth’s natural resources and the quality of life; 
                                              consider ethical dimensions: thinking critically about the diversity of ethical 
                                               issues raised by human interactions with the environment, and using these 
                                               ethical  insights  as  a  foundation  for  responsible  behavior  seeking  and 
                                               supporting social Justice 
                            
                           Campus Wide Sustainability Learning Outcome 
                 Students will identify, act on, and evaluate their professional and personal actions with the 
                 knowledge and appreciation of interconnections among economic, environmental, and social 
                 perspectives in order to create a more sustainable future. 
                 Specific Learning Outcomes 
                            Students will be able to describe the environmental, economic and social 
                             aspects of sustainability and how they are interrelated. 
                            Students will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives and 
                             how their actions impact sustainability. 
                            Students will learn how to apply concepts of sustainability locally and globally 
                             by engaging in the challenges and solutions of sustainability in a broader 
                             context. 
                            Institutional Assessment Council - Sustainability Subcommittee 
                 http://iac.pdx.edu/content/sustainability