Sustainability and Instructional Learning Outcomes Resolution

Author (2023-2024): Jhanella Mae Martinez, ASI Executive Vice President, Jaiden Villanueva, ASI Vice President of Academic Affairs, Adilene Tinoco, ASI Director of Legislative Affairs, Rahul Vattigunta, ASI Director of Student Services

WHEREAS, The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) is the official student voice of more than 13,000 students at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH); and

WHEREAS, it is the mission of ASI “to advocate for student rights, render an official voice through which student opinions may be expressed and provide educational, social, and cultural activities aimed to enhance student life at California State University, Dominguez Hills”; and

WHEREAS, ASI acknowledges that the University is committed to providing accessible and transformative education, aligning with the values of sustainability as a core feature, as outlined in the University Strategic Plan, which states, “We recognize and live up to our responsibility to our campus community, and the community at large, through the sustainable and equitable stewardship of our natural, social, and economic resources;” and

WHEREAS, it is ASI’s goal to serve, engage, empower, and inform CSUDH students about issues that affect the student body; and

WHEREAS, ASI recognizes the critical importance of sustainability in addressing growing global environmental challenges and highlights the responsibility of academic institutions to be leaders in that matter; and

WHEREAS, CSUDH has been recognized as a leading state institution in sustainability efforts, having this year achieved a Gold rating on the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE); and

WHEREAS, no other school in the California State University (CSU) system has ever progressed from Bronze to Gold in as short a time as CSUDH; and

WHEREAS, CSUDH has been further recognized by being listed on Princeton Review’s Green College Guide (2022), as an Arbor Day Foundation: Tree Campus Higher Education (2020), as well as having received Best Practices Awards for sustainable food services, energy infrastructure and savings at the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (2020); and

WHEREAS, it is the University’s goal to reach Platinum status, something no other CSU has achieved, and a rating attainable only by the integration of sustainability into the University’s
Instructional Learning Outcomes (ILOs); and

WHEREAS, integrating sustainability into the University’s ILOs can foster a culture of environmental responsibility and equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address complex sustainability issues in their careers and communities; and

WHEREAS, numerous other universities and educational institutions have successfully incorporated sustainability in their curriculum, achieving a Platinum STARS rating, and producing environmentally conscious graduates; and

WHEREAS, a substantial amount of learning and development for students takes place within their own daily practices; and

WHEREAS, integrating sustainability within the regular academic curriculum would be a forward step toward producing an environmentally conscious community; and therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the ASI Board of Directors hereby express support for the integration of sustainability into the University’s ILOs; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ASI Board of Directors, urges the Academic Senate at CSUDH to pass a resolution in support of integrating sustainability into the University’s ILOs; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ASI Board of Directors encourages the University to collaborate with faculty, staff, students, and any relevant stakeholders to develop and implement specific strategies for integrating sustainability concepts, principles, and practices into all academic programs; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ASI Board of Directors calls upon the University to establish clear and measurable sustainability learning outcomes that align with the University’s mission and values; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ASI Board of Directors recommends that the University allocate necessary resources, including faculty development, to ensure the successful incorporation of sustainability into the curriculum; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the ASI Board of Directors asks that the University implement the integration of sustainability into the University’s ILOs prior to the commencement of the 2024-2025 academic school year; and be it further

RESOLVED, that copies of the resolution be distributed to all university administrators, faculty, staff, and student organizations to promote awareness and support for the integration of sustainability into the University’s ILOs; and be it further

Approved by ASI Board of Directors on September 22, 2023