Meet the Team
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Jordan King, Ph.D.
Site Visit Lead
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Aaron Redman, Ph.D.
Site Visit Lead
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Krista Hiser, Ph.D.
Director
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Teri Balser, Ph.D.
Consultant
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Gregory Massara
Program Associate
The Vision
The true metric at the center of Sustainability Education is the thriving of Earth’s life-support systems -- water, air, and soil quality, and the health and wellbeing of complex ecosystems including all animals, birds, fish, insects, mammals, and human communities as part of nature.
We envision a world in which higher education acts as a living laboratory for just, regenerative, and climate-resilient futures—where every sustainability learner develops the key competencies, practical skills, and sense of purpose needed to lead change in their communities and professions.
The Mission
The Sustainability Education Accreditation Commission supports high-quality, transformative higher education programs that prepare graduates for careers addressing complex social, environmental, and economic sustainability challenges across all sectors.
We do this by providing evidence-based guidance and supporting communities of practice that elevate curriculum, teaching, assessment, and organizational support for sustainability programs. Accredited programs are recognized as trusted partners to employers and communities, catalysts for institutional transformation, and anchors of local to global sustainability impact.
Sustainability Education Leadership Advisory Council
The SEAC was designed with an academic advisory council, the Sustainability Education Leadership Advisory Council (SELAC). We are currently organizing a new Executive Advisory Board and Working Board. Stay Tuned!
Strategic Advisors:
In addition, we rely on input from Strategic Advisors with whom we consult on specialized topics:
Katja Brundiers, Universität Freiburg
Shelley Kossak, Global Council for Science and the Environment
Christopher Lambert, BCC Advisory
Keala Young, Ecoversities Alliance
Michelle Wyman, Biosphere Strategies
Michaela Zint, University of Michigan
Background Briefing
We regularly update this briefing with the full background and current activities.
Partners
SEAC partners with other organizations in the Sustainability in Higher Education space.
The National Sustainability Society
The NSS will facilitate a coordinated national strategy to develop educational standards and advance the professionalization of the field.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
In AY 2024-2025 only, AASHE hosted a cohort of program directors who will work together to evaluate and update their sustainability programs using new program standards collaboratively developed by scores of stakeholders in the sustainability education community.
This peer cohort will pilot program learning outcomes integrating the Key Competencies in Sustainability Framework, and the Best Practices that support them. Participants will complete their own program evaluation while working with other directors to further develop dynamic, context-sensitive guidance for the field. This work was developed by the Pathways towards Accreditation initiative and the Sustainability Education Community of Practice at the Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE).
The Program Directorsʻ Cohort will be facilitated by Krista Hiser, convener of the Sustainability Education Accreditation Commission. Teri Balser and Rod Parnell will co-facilitate.
Weave Education
Candidates for accreditation complete their self-study in Weave Education, a specialized software that improves the process of self-evaluation and external review.
Funders
We are grateful for funding from the following organizations
