The Faculty of Engineering at The University of Western Ontario was rewarded for integrating sustainability into its curriculum, being named among the best in the country in a national ranking.
Western came in a close second behind the University of Calgary in the seventh annual Corporate Knights Magazine survey.
In 2008, Western’s Faculty of Engineering ranked fifth.
The ranking, modeled after the US-based Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey, scored programs in the areas of institutional support, student initiatives, and course work.
The engineering programs were evaluated based on a broad definition of sustainability, incorporating environmental and social concerns such as issues of social justice, professional ethics, cultural diversity, renewable energy, climate change and conservation.
“It is encouraging to see schools devoting resources to sustainability research,” says Jon-Erik Lappano, the chief researcher for the Knight Schools survey. “Engineers have a direct influence on the design, efficiency, and health of our cities, organizations, and industries. The need for integration of sustainability into engineering education cannot be overstated.”
The Corporate Knights ranking can be viewed at https://www.corporateknights.ca/special-reports/68-knight-school-guide.html.
Information about Engineering’s sustainability initiatives is posted at https://www.eng.uwo.ca/sustainability/.
