Students pursuing a Sustainability Certificate could take classes from the Sustainable Community Food Systems program or from other programs at UH West Oʻahu
UH West Oʻahu students are being asked to respond to a survey gauging their interest in a proposed Sustainability Certificate for students wanting to study pressing issues of ecological and social sustainability.
The survey is being undertaken to understand interest in the proposed certificate program and gain a better understanding of student knowledge of sustainability issues. The survey is designed to take five minutes to fill out – students can take it by clicking on this link. Students are being urged to take it by March 15.
The West Oʻahu campus wants to develop an 18-credit Sustainability Certificate that would require interdisciplinary study and help students develop critical thinking, increase awareness of significant ecological and social issues, and provide a foundation for students to pursue professional work or graduate studies. Coursework could be drawn from various programs, including Sustainable Community Food Systems, Hawaiian-Pacific Studies, Geography, Anthropology, Philosophy, and Political Science.
The proposal is in keeping with a University of Hawaiʻi System executive policy on sustainability that calls for every campus to embrace sustainability principles while encouraging sustainability education initiatives. The policy, adopted in 2015, also calls for campuses to increase use of renewable energy resources, require new construction achieve a minimum of LEED Silver designations.
UH West Oʻahu currently offers seven certificate programs – Applied Forensic Anthropology, Asian Studies, Disaster Preparedness & Emergency Management, Health Care Administration, Risk Management & Insurance, Substance Abuse & Addictions Studies, and Music.