Aquinas College
AC-5: Immersive Experience

International Perspectives in Sustainable Business: This course examines the deployment of sustainable business practices around the world. Class discussions, lectures, and assignments will explore the variety of sustainable business models and practices which may be found in differently developing countries and regions, as well as introduce the complexities of a practicing sustainable business in a globalizing world. Students will be challenged to analyze the significance of cultural, political, and socioeconomic contexts in designing products, processes, and business strategies and models which will further sustainable business criteria. Each semester, a particular region/country receives more intense examination, culminating with a ten-twelve day field visit to that region/country immediately following the end of the semester. A required field component for the course takes place in various locations throughout the region/country. Recently, students have travelled to Costa Rica for the last 2 weeks of the course. Sustainable Business Innovations Lab: We investigate and deploy triple top-line entrepreneurial innovation, effective organizational design, workplace innovation application skills, and research/analysis methods through in-class discussions as well as practice based projects. The course is taught in a semester long format, using 2 or 3 "real world" projects from local businesses. During Spring Break, the Campus Ministry department overs a one-week service learning trip to Jerusalem Farm in Kansas City. It is a trip with the opportunity to meet new people, learn about sustainable living, and to serve others.