Notes

Interview Protocol
I appreciate your letting me interview you. This study is being conducted to understand that how Western Michigan University is approaching its commitment to sustainability through sustainability-core courses. I have come to know through sustainability office that your course “AAA” has been designated as sustainability core course.
I have some questions I’d like to ask you related to your teaching method. Would you mind if I tape the interview? It will help me stay focused on our conversation and it will ensure I have an accurate record of what we discussed. Please understand that record of this conversation is only to help me gather information associated with my dissertation. I will be the only person accessing and reviewing this recording. Additionally, all identifying information will be redacted upon review for confidentiality purposes.
A) Background and teaching experience
1. Tell me a bit about yourself. For example, your teaching experience (years, where and what) and current career status.
B) Course Details:
1. Can you please tell me about your course “AAA”: who takes it, what are your goals for these students? What students are expected to learn from this course.
2. What aspects of sustainability are you addressing in your course?
3. How strongly are sustainability issues incorporated into your course? (For example, is sustainability fully integrated into the primary course topics, presented as a stand-alone module or unit, provided as an optional activity, etc.)
Thank you, your answers are very helpful. In previous questions, I asked about your course. Do you mind if I ask a few, broader questions about sustainability and sustainability courses at WMU?
C) Instructor’s Conceptualization of sustainability
4. How do you define sustainability?
5. Did you know that your course has been designated as a sustainability focused course? If so, who informed you and what position did this person hold?
6. Why do you think your class designated as sustainability focused class? Did you ask for it to be classified this way?
D) Learning Objectives of course
7. What you want your students to learn from your course related to sustainability?
8. How well do you think your students are reaching your sustainability-focused learning objectives? Are there things you would like to do differently?
E) Sustainability declaration
9. Do you know western Michigan university has signed Talloires declaration of sustainability?
a. If yes, what do you know about the Talloires Declaration?
10. The Talloires Declaration states in its 10 action plan that:
“University leaders must initiate and support mobilization of internal and external resources so that their institutions respond to this urgent challenge.
2) Create an Institutional Culture of Sustainability.
All universities should be encouraged to engage in education, research, policy formation, and information exchange on population, environment, and development to move toward global sustainability.
3) Educate for Environmentally Responsible Citizenship.
Establish programs to produce expertise in environmental management, sustainable economic development, population, and related fields to ensure that all university graduates are environmentally literate and have the awareness and understanding to be ecologically responsible citizens.” (ULSF, 2002)

How important do you think these issues are in higher education?
4) To what degree does your course reflect the Talloires sustainability declaration? How does it affect the teaching of your course?
5) To what degree does WMU monitor your sustainability course? Do the courses and their syllabus undergo some type of review?

References:
Talloires Declaration Resource Kit (2002) A guide to promoting and signing the Talloires Declaration. Association of UNIVERSITY LEADERS
FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
Retrieved from: http://www.studentsenateccc.org/Portals/1/Documents/TD_resourcekit.pdf