Teaching Sustainability

As a member institution of AASHE, all UMD faculty can access their comprehensive library of resources. From virtual education programs to case studies, faculty can leverage sustainability-focused tools and a global network of peers. The Sustainability Tracking, Rating, and Assessment System (STARS) is one program administered by AASHE to provide a tangible framework for sustainability performance over time and across higher-ed institutions. Explore UMD's 2025 Gold Rated Report, to see the broad range of sustainability areas assessed. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers a collection of federal and non-governmental resources designed to support educators and students in understanding climate science, including its impacts and solutions. This hub includes curriculum materials, activities, data tools, and interactive content that can be used by a wide range of audiences and disciplines. One such resource, Climate Literacy: Essential Principles for Understanding and Addressing Climate Change presents key principles for understanding Earth’s climate system, the impacts of climate change, and pathways toward solutions and mitigation strategies.

Faculty, researchers, and staff at UC3 member institutions have the opportunity to accelerate climate action efforts on campus, in their communities, and as a global coalition by connecting with counterparts from peer institutions, sharing knowledge and best practices, and collaborating on the development of new resources that help scale action beyond what individual universities can achieve on their own. As a charter-signatory of the Climate Leadership Network at Second Nature, UMD shares its SIMAP reports. Second Nature also has climate action resources relating to Climate Justice and Climate Resilience.

The Office of Sustainability hosts an annual Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop to offer faculty an introductory training on integrating sustainability into their diverse curricula and disciplines. In the upcoming June 2026 workshop, participants will learn how to leverage UMD’s campus and sustainability programs as living learning laboratories and go beyond environmental sustainability to explore transdisciplinary connections with their work and the evolving concept of sustainability.  

Sustainability Advisors are trained in peer-to-peer education and campus sustainability, and as upperclassmen, they can share their experiences, campus resources, and involvement opportunities with new students. Advisors are available to deliver a 30-minute interactive lesson to your class each fall. This engaging lesson will introduce your students to the topic of sustainability, campus and global sustainability goals, and involvement opportunities on campus. 

Explore the measurable steps UMD is taking towards achieving campus sustainability initiatives. The "Measuring Progress" dashboards are a comprehensive set of quantitative data that show metrics from annual university greenhouse gas emissions to the amount of composted food waste. Faculty can pull data from the Progress Hub to include in lectures or share the tool with students as a resource for projects. 

Teaching Innovation Grants offered by the TLTC invite the UMD instructional community to submit proposals that maximize our teaching impact through accessible and inclusive practices. Sustainability Grants are available to any student, faculty, or staff member at UMD to receive funding for initiatives and projects that benefit sustainability. The Do Good Campus Fund supports the substantial efforts happening across UMD, aimed at reimagining learning and serving humanity inside and outside the classroom. Projects centered on social, economic, or environmental sustainability are encouraged to apply.

This digital course series helps faculty prepare students to think about problems in new ways, engage more effectively with solutions, and build a positive outlook grounded in agency and hope. The first of 4 courses in the series, Basics, introduces foundational concepts of sustainability including the 3 pillars, the importance of systems thinking and challenges instructors to reflect on how this information relates to their own field and courses. To enroll in the Canvas course, email Dr. Elisabeth Smela at smela@umd.edu.

The Teaching & Learning Transformation Center (TLTC) drives academic excellence through pedagogy and promoting a culture of effective, engaging, and inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. The TLTC is dedicated to the professional development of all members of the campus teaching community as it supports evidence-based learning and teaching practices. The instructional design team and faculty coaches are eager to partner with faculty, graduate students, postdocs, and administrators.