Sustainability Studies (SU)

Sustainability Studies is an interdisciplinary field that recognizes that creating a more sustainable world involves many challenges. We must understand the natural sciences to help us identify sustainability issues, however, science alone does not cause change. We must reflect, inspire, communicate effectively, and work together in socially just ways to achieve the changes we need. The course focuses on the integrated contributions of diverse disciplines that address sustainability challenges. Falls Odd.

Introduction to sustainability studies in the social sciences. Students will learn about and practice the different research methodologies used to study human-nature interactions in anthropology, geography, and sociology. Focuses on analyzing how environmental issues are influenced by cultural beliefs and behaviors, social structures and inequities, and spatial patterns. Springs Even. (DICO) (GACO)

Sustainability is a rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary field. During this course we engage in weekly conversations regarding frontier-thinking in sustainability, current projects, and professional pathways. We apply intersectionality to understand what sustainability means across society, discuss societal and political barriers to change, strategies to overcome such barriers, and explore eco-centrism with respect to sustainability planning. Repeatable up to 8 credits. Pass/No Pass. Springs and Falls.

This course combines ecological economics and development economics. It is an introductory integration of the key subjects including economics, ecology, public policy, development and sustainability. It focuses on how these disciplines intersect to provide economic reasoning for implementing practices that aim to solve the challenges to sustainability. It begins with introducing the fundamental concepts in the environmental economics, including ecosystem services, natural resource allocation under scarcity, externalities and market failures, pricing and valuation of non-market goods, etc. It then examines the emerging challenges and opportunities for sustainability, such as renewable resources and climate change. The last part of content focuses on the economic and social aspects of the development economics including economic growth, poverty, education, migration, institution and policy instruments, etc. Springs Odd. (GACO) (QRCO)

What can the humanities teach us about our contemporary ecological crises? How might a poem, sculpture, or work of philosophy help us respond to those crises? As we confront these questions, we will engage in humanistic approaches to concepts such as nature, place, sustainability, and climate, among others. Falls Odd. (WRCO)

Enhancing environmental, social, and economic sustainability at all levels requires multi- and interdisciplinary analysis, planning, implementation, evaluation, and adaptation. In this project-based capstone course, students design their own sustainability-focused projects by defining project goals and measurable objectives, identifying tasks and project team roles, evaluating and providing feedback on peer projects, and developing implementation strategies and evaluation methods. Springs Even.