Inquiry Pathways provide an avenue for students to explore an important issue or topic in-depth and from multiple disciplinary perspectives. The theme of the pathway provides a “glue” that helps students draw connections across disciplines and apply knowledge at a deeper level.

As part of the CSU Inquiry Core Curriculum, the Inquiry Pathways aim to:

1. Enhance student engagement through designing courses on topics and themes of interest to CSU students.
2. Enhance student learning through promoting the engagement with important themes from multiple disciplinary perspectives.

Currently, there are five possible pathways for students to participate in: Justice & Society, Environmental Sustainability, Transformative Leadership, Healthy Futures, and Technology & the Future of Society.

Justice & Society

How can we achieve a more just world? How do social and legal structures impact different groups differently? How do systematic inequalities persist, and how can we dismantle them? How is power and privilege distributed across a society? Can we achieve real social equality while respecting individual liberty? What does a more inclusive, equitable society look like and how can we help create it? These are the questions that motivate the Justice & Society Pathway. As you complete courses across the university, you’ll investigate the meaning and demands of individual liberty, racial equity, gender rights, economic disparities, environmental justice, and more. You’ll develop your critical thinking, cultural understanding, and empathy all in the service of analyzing complex social issues and developing effective strategies for advocating for change. The Justice & Society Pathway is a transformative experience. Whether you aspire to be a policy maker, activist, or simply a more informed global citizen, the courses in this pathway will empower you to make a meaningful impact in your community and beyond.

Why Justice & Society?

Social justice is arguably the issue for this generation of students. Through events across the United States and beyond, nearly everyone has awoken to the deep inequalities and injustices the plague our world. And they know we can do better. Surveys indicate many students want to know more about how to promote social justice and see their life goals as including using their talents to promote social justice. Further, an understanding of the complexities of political society and the various values and issues that surround social justice is essential within a democratic society. As students become activate political citizens, with political power, they will need to be sensitive to the sorts of social and legal issues that the social justice pathway will consider.

Pathway Goals

Students successfully completing the Justice & Society pathway will…

1. Gain a deep understanding of the ideas and debates surrounding the nature and practice of justice in society.
2. Evaluate historical and contemporary issues in light of social justice theory and practice.
3. Develop attitudes and strategies for promoting social justice.

Pathway Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the justice & society pathway should be able to…

1. Analyze and articulate the core principles of social justice, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of their interconnections and complexities.
2. Critically evaluate historical and contemporary social issues through the lens of social justice theories.
3. Apply interdisciplinary approaches to assess the impact of policies, practices, and social structures on marginalized communities.
4. Develop and present strategies for addressing social inequities.
5. Reflect on their own positionality and privilege, articulating how these factors influence their perspective on and approach to social justice issues.

Justice & Society Reflection Prompts

• Social justice is partly about possessing certain dispositions. This includes the disposition to examine a social issue from diverse perspectives and consider how a social or policy matter may impact people very differently from you. More broadly, it includes the cultivation of empathy – the ability to understand others’ perspectives and see things through their eyes. Reflect on your development of these sorts of dispositions. How has learning about specific instances of social (in)justice and specific concepts or theories contributed to your dispositional growth?
• What is a social justice project you are personally interested in? How might the ideas from this course help you engage in that project?
• Social justice is a complex subject with many competing views and ideas. How does your signature assignment highlight or demonstrate the complexity of the topic?
• Social justice is often understood differently in different disciplines. Identify a specific aspect of social justice we explored in this course and relate it to an aspect of social justice you explored in another course in the Social Justice pathway. Do the different aspects challenge one another? Support one another? Did your understanding of one become clearer as a result of learning about the other?
• How has your understanding of social justice changed as a result of taking this course (or completing this signature assignment)?

Environmental Sustainability

Are you passionate about the environment and eager to make a real impact? Are you curious about the interdependence of human systems (such as economies and cities) and the environment? The Environmental Sustainability pathway is designed to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to understand and address pressing environmental challenges. This pathway will explore the interdependence between humans and natural resources, the science of environmental change, public policies for environmental sustainability, the practice of conservation and green design, and our ethical responsibilities to the environment.

Why Environmental Sustainability?

A changing climate. Declines in biodiversity. Dwindling natural resources. The Environmental Sustainability pathway will allow students to explore the theory and practice of environmental stewardship and sustainability while also becoming drivers of change in a world that needs innovative solutions to environmental challenges. They will be challenged to explore how we can respond to environmental catastrophes and preserve the natural world and economic well-being for future generations. This involves investigating our moral obligations to the environment and how this can be reconciled with other human values and goals such as economic development. By enrolling in the Environmental Sustainability pathway courses, students will not only increase their career options but also learn how to contribute to the well-being of society and the planet.

Pathway Goals

Students successfully completing the Environmental Sustainability pathway will…

1. Explore and analyze complex and evolving environmental issues from multiple perspectives.
2. Gain an in-depth understanding of the complex relationship between humans and the environment and the concept of environmental sustainability.
3. Develop practical skills and strategies for promoting environmental sustainability in personal and community settings.

Pathway Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the Environmental Sustainability pathway should be able to…

1. Critically evaluate and synthesize complex and evolving environmental issues from multiple perspectives to propose informed and sustainable solutions.
2. Describe, analyze, and critique the impacts of human activity on the environment, natural resources, and sustainability.
3. Devise informed and meaningful responses to problems and arguments in the area of sustainability based on the study and the analysis of relevant information.

Reflection Prompts

• Reflect on a personal habit related to the environment. How could you alter this habit to be more sustainable, and what impact might this change have?
• Describe an environmental issue that particularly concerns you. How has learning about this issue influenced your thoughts and actions?
• Sustainability can mean different things in different disciplines and contexts. Focusing on a specific aspect of sustainability we examined in this course, how does it relate to sustainability as you learned about it in another course in the Environmental Sustainability pathway? Do the ideas oppose or complement one another?
• Sustainability is often viewed as at odds with other important values, such as economic growth or individual freedom. How did you grapple with this conflict in your coursework (e.g., via your signature assignment) or elsewhere? Be sure to identify what other value(s) you focused on.
• As part of the Environmental Sustainability pathway, this course is designed to help you gain a deep understanding of the relationship between humans and the environment. Making specific references to your work in this course, how have you progressed toward achieving this goal?
• As part of the Environmental Sustainability pathway, this course is designed to help you develop practical skills and strategies for promoting environmental sustainability in personal and community settings. Making specific references to your work in this course, how have you progressed toward achieving this goal?
• Reflect on how interdisciplinary connections in the Environmental Sustainability pathway enhanced your understanding of sustainability. Provide specific examples from your coursework that highlight the interdisciplinary connections and discuss how they influenced your outlook on solving environmental challenges.
• Reflect on how Environmental sustainability pathway courses have influenced your career goals or professional objectives. Explain how the skills and knowledge gained from the coursework could be applied in your future professional pursuits. Provide specific examples.
• Reflect on how the knowledge acquired from your Environmental Sustainability pathway courses have influenced your lifestyle choices. Consider areas such as energy consumption and waste reduction. What specific changes have you made in your personal life to have sustainable practices? Discuss the challenges you’ve faced and the benefits you’ve experienced as a result of these changes.
• How has your understanding of environmental problems and solutions evolved? Reflect on key moments or concepts that significantly influenced or changed your thinking. Provide specific examples.
• What key concepts or practices related to environmental sustainability have resonated with you the most, and why?
• Throughout human history, there has been tension between those who adopt a worried environmental alarmism and those with an assured techno-infused optimism (or who are otherwise dismissive of environmental concerns). Where do you position yourself along a spectrum from alarmism to concern to optimism or skepticism? Has your position changed as a consequence of completing this coursework?

Transformative Leadership

Might you be the next Transformative Leader to help shape our Cleveland communities? What even is a “Transformative Leader” and what skills set them apart from others? Embark on the Transformative Leadership Pathway to find out! This pathway is designed to integrate leadership competencies into your undergraduate experience, regardless of your major. In this pathway, you’ll be immersed in experiential learning opportunities, providing a hands-on approach to acquiring skills, knowledge, and insights by tackling real-world challenges in a controlled environment. This will include experiential activities such as simulations, case studies, and role-playing activities aimed at developing your problem-solving skills and adaptability, building trust through effective collaboration techniques, and improving your ability to effectively communicate. Completing the Transformative Leadership Pathway will prepare you to handle unexpected situations in the future, help you to engage with diverse perspectives and navigate interpersonal dynamics, and improve your emotional intelligence by practicing empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution – all key elements of effective leadership!

Why Transformative Leadership?

Our aim is to empower students to drive innovation, foster ethical decision-making and effective communication skills in order to build stronger communities. Through a global lens/perspective and ability to adapt to change, transformative leaders drive organizational and community success.

Pathway Goals

Students successfully completing the Transformative Leadership pathway will…

1. Gain a deep understanding of the key values of effective leadership and the essential traits of transformative leaders.
2. Develop their personal leadership style through experiential learning opportunities.
3. Learn to lead with empathy in order to collaborate inclusively, equitably, & effectively.

Pathway Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the Transformative Leadership pathway should be able to…

1. Identify and describe key leadership traits & values.
2. Discuss the importance of transformative leadership in the Cleveland community and beyond.
3. Effectively apply their leadership style when working collaboratively & navigating novel challenges.

Reflection Prompts

• What do you think are the three most important traits of an effective leader?
• What three skills do you think are key to being a transformative leader?
• What do you think are the two most challenging leadership skills to develop?
• Reflect on a time when you benefitted from effective leadership – what were some things that the leader did to facilitate success of the project/initiative?
• Reflect on a time when you were let down by ineffective leadership – what were some things that the leader could have done differently to better facilitate success of the project/initiative?
• Discuss an example of when you successfully applied your leadership skills to facilitate a project/initiative – which skills did you utilize and how did they contribute to the team’s success?
• Reflect on a leader you admire. What qualities do they possess, and how can you incorporate those qualities into your own leadership style?
• Consider a challenge you may face as a leader. How would you apply the theories you’ve learned to overcome it?
• Compare an idea related to leadership that you learned in this course to an idea you learned in another course in this pathway. How are they similar and how do they challenge each other? How does knowing about one improve your understanding of the other?
• What key habits of leadership do you believe you are most developed in? What key habits of leadership do you want to focus most on developing going forward?
• There are many ways to be a leader. In your signature assignment, how did you grapple with or explore this complexity of what it means to be a leader?

Healthy Futures

How do we create a “healthy future”? In this pathway we will investigate what it means to build healthy lives individually and collectively. This involves exploring questions such as “What is health?,” “How does our lived environment affect our health?,” and “How do we protect and promote community health for all?” Ensuring a healthy future also requires thinking about a wide range of topics such as how the foods & substances we consume affect our health, how the pollutants & chemicals we’re exposed to diminish our health, and why health disparities continue to persist between different communities. This pathway is designed to increase awareness of the myriad issues that impact human health, and to prepare students with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate these issues in bringing about heathy futures for all.

Why Healthy Futures?

Students are naturally interested in health, whether their own, that of their family, or their community. When asked to choose a topic for research, many students gravitate towards stress and mental health, substance use (e.g., alcohol, cannabis, vaping, caffeine, dietary supplements), diets (keto, vegan, paleo) and other things they have variously been told are “healthy” or “not healthy”; students want to learn more. This intrinsic desire for health literacy can and should be encouraged from disciplines across campus to build a community that understands the interconnections between personal and population health, science/technology and health, business and health, and environment/culture/media and health.

Pathway Goals

• Students will improve their understanding of health and what contributes to health for individuals and communities
• Students will learn about different barriers to health and will consider how to navigate these barriers in order to promote healthy futures for themselves and others

Pathway Outcomes

Students successfully completing the Healthy Futures Pathway will be able to…

• Locate and utilize health-related information from a variety of sources
• Draw clear connections between environmental factors and the effects these have on individual and community health, both now and into the future
• Critically evaluate the impacts of current practices and/or new technologies on the health of individuals, organizations, and communities

Reflection Prompts

• As part of the CSU Healthy Futures pathway, this course is designed to help you gain a deep understanding of the connection between a person’s health and the influence of social determinates such as socioeconomic status and environmental exposures. Making specific references to your work in this course, how have you progressed toward achieving this goal?
• Reflect on a personal habit related to your health. How could you alter this habit, and what impact might this change have?
• Describe a health-related issue that particularly concerns you. How has learning about this issue influenced your thoughts and actions?
• Describe a health-related issue that particularly concerns your community. How has learning about this issue influenced your thoughts and actions?
• How might the foods & substances you commonly consume affect your health and your ability to achieve a healthy future?
• How might the pollutants & chemicals you’re commonly exposed to affect your health and your ability to achieve a healthy future?
• Identify and discuss two ways in which your lived environment affects your health. How might these bear on your ability to maintain a “healthy future?”
• Discuss three things you think are essential for a “healthy future,” and then reflect on actionable steps you/others can take to help ensure access to/achievement of these.
• Reflect on a personal barrier to achieving a “healthy future,” and discuss some actionable steps you can take to overcome this barrier.
• What are 2-3 social determinates of health that currently present barriers for marginalized communities in Cleveland? Discuss some steps that can be taken to begin addressing each social determinate of health.
• What are 2-3 health disparities that continue to persist for Cleveland communities? What is one thing that could be done to help address each health disparity and better promote “healthy futures” in Cleveland?
• Discuss three things you think are essential for a community to have a “healthy future,” and then explain what steps can be taken to help ensure access to/achievement of each thing you identified.
• What do you think a “healthy future” looks like for your community? How might this be different from what a “healthy future” could look like for another community?

Technology & the Future of Society

Technology is now an inescapable component of our lives. Just as the invention of the plow revolutionized how we produce food and organize society, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies are now reshaping society. This pathway explores the interconnectedness of technological innovation, humanity, and society. You will explore the profound ways that technology not only reflects but also shapes societal values, habits, and institutions. Courses in this pathway may address questions such as: What is the future of work, education, writing, and/or art in the age of AI? What is the future of play and relationships? What is the future of privacy? What is the future of life in a hyper-technological world? How should we be thinking about social media and smartphones? Should we use technology to enhance ourselves, the environment, and/or society?  What criteria should we use to decide upon guidelines, guardrails, and guideposts to better manage technology in our lives? What is the relationship between humanity and technology?

Pathway Goals

Students on the Technology and Society pathway will:

1. Explore the history and evolution of technology
2. Examine the societal implications of technology and related ethics
3. Understand the application/implementation and development of technology

Students on this pathway will examine the role of technology in shaping cultural, economic, and political systems. Furthermore, students will be able to identify ethical and philosophical considerations in the design, development, and implementation of technologies. This exploration will include examination of the unintended consequences of technology (interventions) and the importance of building accountability into the design, development, and implementation phase.

Pathway Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Technology & the Future of Society Pathway, students will be able to…

• Identify meaningful ways that technology has impacted society
• Describe the technical and/or ethical considerations of the design, development, or implementation of technologies
• Analyze, evaluate, communicate, and address the potential risks and/or benefits of emerging technologies
• Engage with philosophical questions about the nature of technology and its relationship to human values

Reflection Prompts

• How has your understanding of the relationship between technology and society changed throughout this course (and/or pathway)? Provide specific examples to illustrate your evolving perspective.
• Reflect on a specific technology or technological innovation discussed in this course (or pathway). How might this technology impact different communities or social groups in different ways? What ethical considerations should be considered in its development and implementation?
• How has this course (and/or pathway) challenged your assumptions or preconceived notions about the role of technology in society?
• Identify a technological issue or debate that was explored in this course and/or pathway. How did the different disciplinary perspectives from faculty, classmates and case studies/examples enhance your understanding of the complexities involved?
• Describe a personal experience or observation that illustrates the positive or negative impact of technology on society. How has this course (and/or pathway) influenced your interpretation of that experience?
• Reflect on a technological innovation that you believe has the potential to significantly impact society in the future. What potential benefits and risks should be considered, and how might different stakeholders view this technology differently?
• Discuss how your thinking about the values and assumptions embedded in technological systems has evolved throughout this course (or pathway). Provide specific examples that have shaped your perspective.
• Imagine you are tasked with designing a new technology or software application. What ethical considerations would you prioritize in the design process, and how would you ensure that the technology aligns with societal values and promotes the greater good?
• Reflect on a specific reading from this course (or pathway) that challenged your preconceived notions about the relationship between technology and societal issues such as inequality, privacy, or political power. How has this experience influenced your understanding of the complexities involved?
• In the rapidly evolving technological landscape, reflect on the role of technological literacy and/or computational thinking in shaping an equitable society.
• How has a concept, theory, or framework from this course helped you develop a better understanding of a technological issue?
• Consider a specific group of people we have discussed in this course (e.g., scientists, students, under-represented minority groups, people with a disability, etc.). How has technology influenced this group over time? What are the positive and negative implications of technology for this group in the future?
• Reflect on pressing needs faced by a specific group of people (e.g., black moms at risk of infant and maternal mortality, low-income populations caught in the ‘no car-no job’ paradox) and how technology might offer solutions to real-world problems.

How Students Participate in Pathways

Students may optionally choose to complete some of their core curricular requirements through the completion of a pathway.

• To complete a pathway, students need to complete at least three courses within the pathway.
• Completion of a pathway earns a digital badge and an indication on the student’s transcript, akin to completion of a certificate program.
• Students may choose to complete multiple pathways.