 |
|
School Survey: 2003
Taking the pulse of sustainable design education in North America.
By Metropolis Staff
August/September 2003
Intuitively and anecdotally--as well as through our reporting on current
projects--we at Metropolis know that grassroots environmentalism
is making an impact on the world of design and architecture. But when it
comes to the integration of sustainability into design education, the anecdotal
accounts are less encouraging. We hear that students are often forced to
choose between, say, green design or restaurant design; that some deans
and department chairs dismiss sustainability as mere "dogma";
and that teachers in all disciplines complain that concepts like sustainability,
systems thinking, and bioinspiration are hard to grasp. We also sense that
little of what's called green or sustainable design is based on solid theory
rather than sporadic experience. It was from a desire to confirm--or
deny--these and similar assumptions that we designed this survey. With it, we
set out to take the pulse of design education in North America, to find out
just how well our schools are working sustainability theory and practice into
their curricula. Working with Audience Profiler, an independent research
organization, we posted our questionnaire on our Web site and prompted design
educators by e-mail to participate. Between April 13 and May 21 we received a
total of
371 responses from deans, department chairs, and professors in nearly
all fifty states and Canada. Here are two telling numbers: A mere 14 percent
say that their schools are developing programs to educate their teachers about
sustainable design. And only 25 percent say their school has a faculty advisor
on sustainable design. Is this as alarming to you as it is to us? Take a look
at our survey results on this page, then tell us where you stand on sustainable
design education.
Are Schools Teaching Sustainability?
How do you bring LEED into the classroom?
Part of the instruction 43%
Do not bring LEED into the classroom 42%
How much do you agree that sustainability is relevant to your design
curriculum?
Completely agree: 67%
Somewhat agree: 26%
Neither agree nor disagree: 6%
Somewhat or completely disagree: 2%
What's the average number of studios in your program that are dedicated to
sustainable design?
2 out of an average total of 11.
How many required courses in your department are dedicated to the environment?
0: 9%
1-3: 27%
4-5: 8%
5+: 10%
?: 45%
How many elective course descriptions in your department use the words environment,
sustainability, green, or systems thinking?
0: 14%
1-3: 28%
4-5: 4%
5+: 9%
? 45%
How many of your department's invited speakers discussed environment-related
topics in the last academic year?
9%
12%
7%
6%
2%
8%
Is this more or less than the previous year?
Same: 45%
More: 33%
Less: 9%
Not sure: 12%
How Are They Doing It?
How much do you agree or disagree that elective courses related to studios
help students understand sustainability?
Completely agree 65%
Somewhat agree 30%
Neither agree nor disagree 5%
Somewhat or completely disagree 1%
Which of the following courses are included in your foundation program or
are required?
History: 71%
Culture: 56%
Life Sciences: 48%
Philosophy: 38%
Ethics: 35%
Economics: 34%
Political: Science 22%
Cybernetics/Systems Thinking: 10%
Do the studios in your department engage students in the investigation of
environmental or ecological issues?
Yes 66%
No 15%
Not sure 19%
Do the studios in your department study the life-cycle costs of design?
Yes: 34%
No: 41%
Not sure: 25%
Could your students easily identify faculty members who are knowledgeable about
sustainable design?
Yes: 55%
No: 21%
Not sure: 24%
Are you attempting to thread sustainable thinking through your school's foundation program?
Yes: 46%
No: 18%
Not sure: 36%
Does your department offer courses on the principles of nature's processes?
Yes: 30%
No, but we plan to offer them: 11%
No, and we have no plan to offer them: 34%
Not sure: 25%
What percentage of instructors in your department show a working knowledge of LEED?
Don't know: 57%
Does your school have a designated faculty advisor on sustainable design?
No: 63%
Yes: 25%
Are you currently developing lifelong learning programs for your faculty in the
area of sustainable design?
Yes: 14%
No, but we plan to develop them: 24%
No, and we have no plan to develop them: 39%
Not sure: 23%
Which of the following do you use to help acquaint your faculty with
sustainable design?
Lectures by specialists: 54%
Special grants: 20%
Do not help acquiant faculty with sustainable design: 31%
What About Graduate Studies In Sustainable Design?
How many graduate courses does your department offer that include
considerations of sustainability?
None: 28%
Don't know: 45%
How many graduate degrees have been granted by your department that focus on
interdisciplinary sustainable design?
None: 37%
Don't know: 55%
How Can We Learn To Collaborate?
How often do you initiate collaboration?
With other design departments?
Never: 10%
Sometimes: 45%
Very often: 18%
Not too often: 28%
Between courses within your department?
Never: 4%
Sometimes: 43%
Very often: 38%
Not too often: 15%
How much do you agree or disagree that your studio critics advance the
understanding of sustainable design by both the instructors and the students?
Completely agree: 54%
Somewhat agree: 36%
Neither agree nor disagree: 8%
Somewhat or completely disagree: 2%
How much do you agree or disagree that interdepartmental collaborations are
important to sustainable design?
Completely agree: 58%
Somewhat agree: 33%
Neither agree nor disagree: 7%
Somewhat or completely disagree: 2%
What's Holding Up The Teaching Of Sustainable Design?
Which of the following resources does your department need to improve the
teaching of sustainable design?
Books: 66%
Web sites: 55%
Visiting lecturers: 73%
Advisors: 50%
Other: 22%
In your opinion, which of the following are barriers to working in an
interdisciplinary manner toward understanding sustainable design?
Administration: 41%
Funding: 60%
Faculty attitudes: 53%
Other: 22%
 |
 |
|
Information Graphics By Alicia Yin Cheng for Metropolis |
|
|
|
Do your students have access to computer programs that simulate living systems?
Yes: 18%
No, but we plan to acquire them: 19%
No, and we have no plan to acquire them: 32%
Not sure: 31%
Where do YOU stand on sustainable design education?
Tell us your thoughts.
PAGE 1 2 |
NEXT |
|
|
BACK TO TOP;MM_showHideLayers('navdepts','','hide')){kind=small}
;MM_showHideLayers('navfeats','','hide')){kind=small}
;MM_showHideLayers('navcolumns','','hide')){kind=small}
