Academics

The student is entering sophomore Sahran Hashim, shown here working with Professor Susan Cameron Devitt, at a site along Lady Bird Lake, west of Lamar Blvd.

As stated in the Campus Sustainability Policy, UT Austin strives to produce scholars who are literate in sustainability, research that illuminates and advances sustainability, and graduates who will carry the mission of sustainability into the state, the nation, and the world. In line with these goals, the university’s academic community is fully engaged in creating meaningful interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused teaching, learning, and research opportunities across campus.

Featured Academic Programs

The Sustainability Course Development and PLUS Awards competition is designed to incentivize the development of new sustainability courses or course conversions to a Peer-Led Undergraduate Studying (PLUS) model. To be eligible for either award, a course must address issues related to sustainability and fulfill the requirements for one or more flags.

For more information on each type of award, go to:


Read about past award winners:

In partnership with the Office of Sustainability, UT Austin’s Center for Teaching and Learning launched a new Faculty Learning Community (FLC) focused on sustainability in fall 2012. Any faculty member interested in engaging in learning activities and conversation on effectively incorporating sustainability-content into curricula to better equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to face the social, economic, and environmental challenges of the 21st century is invited to attend. For more information, contact Alice Gerhart at alice.gerhart@austin.utexas.edu or visit the Sustainability FLC Blog.

The President’s Sustainability Steering Committee and Office of Sustainability sponsor a sustainability-focused lecture each year as part of the School of Undergraduate Studies’ (UGS) University Spring Lecture Series. Geared toward undergraduates, the spring lecture challenges students to think critically about sustainability-concepts, the relevance of their real-world application, and society’s ethical commitment to future generations. Watch a promotional clip of the 2013 conversation.

UT Austin’s Sustainability Research Network is an informal group of grant administrators, faculty and researchers from Organized Research Units and departments across campus that gathers every semester to strategically brainstorm opportunities for collaboration and increased communication around sustainability-research at the university.