USC Websites & Resources
- Assignment: Earth
USC's sustainability framework for creating a healthy, just and thriving campus and world. - Student Sustainability TrainingThe Student Sustainability Training is an excellent tool for faculty hoping to integrate sustainability into their courses, or wanting to introduce their students to sustainability more broadly. The training provides a brief overview of what sustainability is before diving into specific actions being taken here at USC, and ways students can live more sustainable lives. This training has been used as an introduction for students as well as a text to be used in class discussion or as part of an assignment.
- Sustainability Across the CurriculumThe Sustainability Across the Curriculum is an initiative led by the Presidential Working Group on Sustainability and the Office of Academic Programs. It supports faculty from across the university in developing courses, programs, and curricular approaches that address sustainability. The initiative also has grants available for faculty who choose to develop these opportunities.
- Office of SustainabilityThe Office of Sustainability supports USC's Assignment: Earth initiatives and helps forge partnerships across campus.
- Sustainability HubThe Sustainability Hub is a multi-use gathering space located on the first floor of the student union. It is a great location for a class gathering, meeting, presentation, or a venue to feature student work. If you are interested in learning more about the space, contact Chelsea Graham.
- Sustainability Data HubThe Sustainability Data Hub is a repository of sustainability data from across the university spanning the areas of energy and water use, buildings, vegetation and biodiversity, waste and recycling, and transportation. The Data Hub is ideal for quantitative methods courses that wish to engage sustainability as it happens at USC.
- USC Living Lab Utilities DashboardThis dashboard provides real-time insights into energy usage data from UPC and HSC, including water, natural gas, and electricity.
- Sustainability Course FinderThe sustainability course finder uses the course catalogue to identify course descriptions with keywords connected to the UN Sustainable Develpment Goals (linked below). It is a useful tool for faculty who are looking for ways to incorporate sustainability into their courses by identifying potential connections between course topics and the UN SDGs.
The dashboard is a work in progress and faculty feedback is critical in refining its accuracy and utility. If you have feedback or suggestions please email us at oosdata@usc.edu. - USC's Sustainability Progress ReportThis annual report reflects the first year of progress on USC's Assignment: Earth Framework.
- Directory of USC Groups and ProgramsThis extensive list covers fellowships, grant opporunities, research groups, and student organizations engaged in sustainability work at USC.
- Wrigley Marine Science CenterThe Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island is affiliated with the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability. WMSC is an excellent location to bring a class for a day trip or overnight visit to explore sustainability from a number of different disciplinary perspectives.
- LA ColiseumThe LA Coliseum is an historic venue with a forward-facing commitment to sustainability. The Coliseum is an outstanding partner for experiential learning for sustainability and has extensive experience working with faculty. To discuss sustainability-based experiential learning opportunities at the Coliseum, contact Chelsea Graham or Marina Fote (fote@usc.edu).
- USC Peace GardenThe USC Peace Garden is located a few short blocks away from campus near the Shrine Auditorium. It is available for experiential learning opportunities, research, and programming. For more information, contact Camille Dieterle (dieterle@usc.edu).
- Resources for Incorporating Sustainability into CurriculumThis document was created by Dr. Jill Sohm, Director of the Environmental Studies program at USC and is a useful tool for those seeking to get started with teaching about sustainability in their courses.
- Friends & Neighbors DayFaculty and students alike often express interest in volunteer work. USC's Friends & Neighbors Day occurs 4x each term and is an easy way for faculty to facilitate this sort of experience as part of their class.
- University RelationsFor faculty seeking to work with community groups or partnerships, please reach out to University Relations to discuss existing relationships and best practices.
External Websites & Resources
- Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
AASHE is an international organization comprised of faculty, staff, and administrators engaged in the work of advancing sustainability in higher education. Their work spans education and research to operations and community engagement. They host an annual conference and their website contains resources speaking to all aspects of higher education's engagement with sustainability. AASHE also oversees STARS (The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System), a transparent reporting system that allows universities to track their progress towards sustainability goals. As of 2023, USC has a Silver STARS rating. - USC STARS Report
This is a copy of USC STARS report. We earned a Gold rating in February 2024. - Key Competencies: Practical Approaches for Teaching SustainabilityThis ebook, published by AASHE, explores practice ways of teaching sustainability competencies. It includes examples that approach sustainability pedagogy from an array of approaches--including experiential education.
- UN Sustainable Development GoalsThe UN Sustainable Development Goals are an excellent way to connect your discipline's primary focus and work to sustainability work. There are 17 goals that span socioeconomic, environmental, and justice-oriented areas.
- Teaching the Sustainable Development GoalsThis guide touches on all 17 UN SDGs and provides guides and lesson ideas for teaching about each SDG, as well as the connections across SDGs.
- All We Can Save Educator ResourcesAll We Can Save is an organization geared towards developing climate leadership from an emotional-spiritual perspective. Their educator resources provide discussion guides, sample assignments, and multimedia resources.
- Inner Development GoalsDeveloped from the perspective that we must do inner-development to contribute to larger sustainable futures, the Inner Development Goals represent skills that students can cultivate as a precursor to engaging in large-scale action. This is a great resource for integrating hard and soft skills development into sustainability conversations.
- Intersectional EnvironmentalistIntersectional Environmentalist is a non-profit climate justice organization. Their website features toolkits that can be useful in connecting various social and community causes to broader environmental concerns.
- Project DrawdownProject Drawdown's primary goal is to provide science-backed solutions to climate across many sectors. Their website contains a wealth of information connecting climate goals to nearly every industry.
- National Center for Science and Civic EngagementNCSCE supports STEM educators support student learning by translating STEM concepts into applied, civic opportunities.
- Global Green Skills Job ReportThis report, compiled by LinkedIn, provides a broad overview of the sorts of skills required of 'green jobs,' and demostrates that the green jobs sector is rapidly growing. Since many of our students come to classes thinking about career preparedness, this can be a good resource for helping them see a connection between sustainability and future employment.
- List of Environmental Justice Groups in CaliforniaThis spreadsheet highlights a few environmental justice groups working in California.
- Key Competencies in SustainabilityThis video provides an overview of key competencies in systainability through an applied example involving migratory birds.
- Critical SustainabilitiesThe Critical Sustainabilities Project uses critical methods to explore five 'types' of sustainability--vernacular sustainability, eco-oriented sustainability, market-oriented sustainability, justice-oriented sustainability, and utopian sustainability. The students and faculty involved in this project argue that we must understand all types of sustainability so we can make informed decisions as to what we pursue.
- An Existential Toolkit for Climate Justice Educators"This toolkit helps educators and students navigate the long emergency ahead without becoming overwhelmed by despair. The resources in this project have been crowdsourced from an international community of scholars, educators, and climate justice leaders focused on addressing the emotional impact of climate disruption. The project was initially launched by eco-emotion researchers Jennifer Atkinson, Elin Kelsey and Sarah Jaquette Ray."
- Terra.doTerra.do is a platform for finding climate jobs as well as providing opportunities for continuing education.