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Sustainability Literacy in a Time of Socio-Ecological Crisis: Using Reaccreditation as a Leverage Point for Innovation in Higher Education

Author

Listed:
  • Todd LeVasseur

    (Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program, College of Charleston; Charleston, SC 29424, USA)

  • Christopher Ciarcia

    (Office of Student Organizations and Activities, University of Kentucky; Lexington, KY 40506, USA)

Abstract

This article presents a case study of innovation in sustainability education in higher education. It does so by explaining the to-date progress of a multi-year reaccreditation process begun in 2016 for the College of Charleston (CofC), a public liberal arts and sciences university in Charleston, South Carolina of approximately 10,000 undergraduates and 1300 graduate students. The question addressed is how can a higher education institute strategically embed sustainability literacy that is focused on social/environmental engagement, in a way that contributes to measurable student learning gains? We argue that the leverage point of institutional reaccreditation provides a strategic entryway into embedding such sustainability across curricular and co-curricular settings in innovative capacities. We do so by discussing how sustainability education was implemented into a co-curricular civic engagement program, alternative break, to build students’ sustainability literacy at the College of Charleston. The article concludes by reflecting on lessons learned at CofC on how to use institutional reaccreditation as a driver of sustainability education through civic engagement in an era of socio-ecological collapse.

Suggested Citation

  • Todd LeVasseur & Christopher Ciarcia, 2019. "Sustainability Literacy in a Time of Socio-Ecological Crisis: Using Reaccreditation as a Leverage Point for Innovation in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:18:p:5104-:d:268275
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Gosselin & Rod Parnell & Nicholas Smith-Sebasto & Shirley Vincent, 2013. "Integration of sustainability in higher education: three case studies of curricular implementation," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 3(3), pages 316-330, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Valentina Roviello & Melinda Gilhen-Baker & Giovanni N. Roviello, 2023. "Graffiti Paint on Urban Trees: A Review of Removal Procedures and Ecological and Human Health Considerations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-11, February.
    2. María Consuelo Sáiz-Manzanares & Sara Gutiérrez-González & Ángel Rodríguez & Lourdes Alameda Cuenca-Romero & Verónica Calderón & Miguel Ángel Queiruga-Dios, 2020. "Systematic Review on Inclusive Education, Sustainability in Engineering: An Analysis with Mixed Methods and Data Mining Techniques," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, August.

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