Eastern Mennonite University
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

For the purposes of completing the sustainability course identification credit (ER-5) for AASHE STARS reporting, sustainability at Eastern Mennonite University is defined by the following statement: Principles of Sustainability We acknowledge that individual, institutional, and community actions have local and global impacts on the current and future health and prosperity of all humans and other species. These impacts include the: * The fairness, equity, stability and security of human cultures and social systems * Economic opportunity for all current and future humans * Ecological diversity and integrity Therefore, we strive to transform and renew social, economic and ecological systems to create just and peaceful relationships between humanity and the rest of Creation. To distinguish specifically between courses focused on sustainability and those related to sustainability, we will use the definitions below, taken from the AASHE STARS Technical Manual: Sustainability-focused courses concentrate on the concept of sustainability, including its social, economic, and environmental dimensions, or examine an issue or topic using sustainability as a lens. Sustainability-related courses incorporate sustainability as a distinct course component or module or concentrate on a single sustainability principle or issue.

Three methods were used to complete the sustainability-related course inventory: 1) The stated learning outcomes and course objectives associated with each course were examined by reading individual syllabi for over 90% of university courses 2) department heads or curriculum coordinators for select graduate programs were asked to self-identify sustainability related courses withing their programs and 3) course descriptions for remaining courses were used in cases where specific syllabi could not be located.