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Climate Studies Attribute—Course Application

Pathways to Resilience is excited to announce the newly established Climate Studies (CLI) Course Attribute. 

Already know you want to have your course considered? Here’s the CLI Attribute Application Form. For more information, read on.

What is an attribute? It’s simply a mechanism to tag courses in the Bulletin and in the registration system so that students, faculty and advisors can easily find a particular kind of course.

Why a Climate Studies (CLI) attribute? Tagging courses with the CLI attribute has two key purposes. The CLI attribute will make it easier for all students interested in climate literacy to find relevant courses, and will also enable the implementation of an interdisciplinary Climate Studies minor, which QEP plans to formally propose in Fall 2025.

Which departments should consider the CLI attribute? All of them. Every discipline has climate connections, from helping us to understand the drivers of climate change (including complex social, cultural, political, technological, and economic factors), to helping us to understand the consequences (climate change affects all dimensions of human well-being including health and safety, water security, food security, economic security, international security and more), and/or helping us understand how to respond with solutions (including mitigation actions that reduce the causes and adaptation actions that reduce the harms).

Is the CLI attribute applied at the course level or the section level? Both. As we prepare to propose a Climate Studies minor, we are prioritizing getting the attribute attached to relevant courses at the course level, which means that in the Bulletin those courses will have “Climate Studies course” added to the end of the course description. We understand that there are cases in which one faculty member among several who teach a particular course is using a climate studies approach–in that case the CLI attribute can only be attached at the section level (i.e., tagged in the registration system rather than in the Bulletin). See FAQ Q3 below for how to apply for the CLI attribute for your course section(s).

What are the criteria for a course to be tagged with the CLI attribute? To be eligible, a course must meet all five (A-E) of these CLI criteria:
A) Course must focus a significant portion of its content (student contact hours, assignments, etc.) on climate literacy. We recommend a minimum of 20%, which equates to at least 3 weeks of climate focus in a 15-week semester. Ideally the perspectives included in the climate components also permeate the rest of the course.

B) Course Bulletin copy (course title and/or description) must make clear that the course aligns with “climate studies.” We strongly prefer that course descriptions make explicit mention of climate content (i.e. using a phrase like “climate change,” “climate mitigation,” “climate solutions,” etc.). If the existing course Bulletin copy does not meet this criterion, consider revising it through the AP&P process.   

C) Course must address at least one of the following QEP SLOs, which come from App State’s Gen Ed program, within their climate literacy content. Select only SLOs for which faculty teaching the course can provide associated artifacts of student learning. In other words, only select an SLO(s) for which the course has an associated assignment that gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency with that SLO.   

  • Global Self Awareness: Students will evaluate the effect of human agency on social, cultural, and natural environments.
  • Systemic Drivers of Global Change: Students will evaluate systemic factors that produce local and global inequalities and environmental problems in order to advocate for appropriate responses.
  • Consequences of Global Change: Students will evaluate the effects of global change on local environments.
  • Response-Ability: Students will evaluate the effects of social, economic, and environmental problems on communities and cultivate a capacity to actively respond to these challenges.

D) Course syllabus must mention the CLI attribute and the selected SLO(s)–see suggested language below. Ideally, any assignments that address a selected SLO should also be identified as such in the syllabus. Suggested syllabus language:

“This course is designated as a Climate Studies (CLI) course in support of App State’s Pathways to Resilience Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Courses with the CLI attribute improve students’ climate literacy and will count towards the forthcoming interdisciplinary Climate Studies Minor. This course addresses the following QEP Student Learning Outcome(s): [list selected SLO(s)]”  

E) All faculty teaching the course agree to provide artifacts of student learning for QEP assessment purposes (if selected through IRAP’s randomized selection process) for each of the student learning outcomes selected above.

 

CLI Application & Process

How can I have my course considered for the CLI attribute? Complete the CLI Attribute Application Form. If NOT ALL faculty are teaching this course with a climate studies approach, you will need to use the CLI Attribute Section-Level Application Form) and email it along with a copy of your syllabus to Laura England at englandle@appstate.edu.  

What is the process for CLI attribute approval once I submit my application? 

  1. QEP will convene the CLI Attribute Committee (with faculty representatives from 5 colleges) to review the application form and syllabus. If this committee determines that the course meets the criteria, QEP will forward the application to the relevant college curriculum committee for review. 
  2. Colleges will submit a list of courses that are approved to carry the CLI attribute to UAP&P as an FIO proposal (for information only). 
  3. The Registrar will add the attribute language (“Climate Studies course”) to the bottom of Bulletin copy for approved courses. 

CLI Attribute Committee Meeting Schedule
The CLI Attribute Committee will meet approximately monthly during the semester. We will update this schedule with Spring 2025 dates soon:

  • December 11, 2024 (deadline for applications: December 2nd)
  • February TBD, 2025 (deadline for applications: TBD)
  • March TBD, 2025 (deadline for applications: TBD)
  • April TBD, 2025 (deadline for applications: TBD)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1) Re: Criterion A, can the 20% climate content be woven throughout the semester, or does it have to be in stand alone modules? A: Either approach is fine–we defer to faculty and departments to make the decision for their courses about how the climate content best fits among other course content.

Q2) Re: Criterion B, does the course description have to specifically mention ‘climate’ in some way? A: No. While we prefer that the climate content is explicitly referenced in course description, we defer to faculty and departments to determine whether they prefer course description language where the climate content is implied.

Q3) The course I would like to be considered for the CLI attribute is taught by other faculty who do not bring a climate studies approach to teaching it. Can I still apply for the attribute? A: If only some (but not all) of the faculty who teach the course bring a climate studies approach, then the CLI attribute cannot be attached at the course level. Instead, the CLI attribute can be attached at the section level. If section level is appropriate for the attribute in your case, please use this form: CLI Attribute Section-Level Application Form.

Q4) How does the process for the Climate Studies (CLI) attribute relate to the process for the Gen Ed Sustainability and Climate Literacy (SCL) curricular component? A: The CLI attribute is not part of Gen Ed and the processes for tagging a course with CLI is separate from the AP&P process of placing a course in the SCL curricular component (AKA “bucket”). Some faculty/departments may opt to go for both CLI and SCL for a particular course, but the two processes do not have to be done at the same time.

Q5) Do I have to complete any AP&P forms? A: You do not have to complete AP&P forms if the only change you are making is to add the CLI attribute to your course. You do need to go through the AP&P process separately from the CLI process and use AP&P forms if you are also changing your course title or description (Form A), adding a new course to the Bulletin (Forms A and B), and/or proposing a new Gen Ed course or changes that affect a Gen Ed course.

Q6) I’m proposing a new course and want to apply for it to have the CLI attribute. When should I submit the CLI application? A: Since the AP&P proposal and CLI application both will be reviewed by your college curriculum committee, we need to ensure that the CLI application doesn’t get ahead of the AP&P proposal. In other words, the CLI application should be considered by the college curriculum committee either concurrently with or after the AP&P proposal is considered by the college curriculum committee. You can submit your CLI application to QEP as soon as you have it ready and we’ll help make sure that it does not arrive prematurely at your college’s curriculum committee.

Contact: Still have questions about the Climate Studies attribute? Contact Laura England (englandle@appstate.edu).