Taylor University
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

The definition of sustainability used for determining sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses was not defined by an interdisciplinary committee, but by the Office of Sustainability. Sustainability in courses offered is defined as: "An emphasis placed on deliberate study of long-term environmental and societal impacts resulting from processes initiated and perpetuated by individuals as well as the collective decisions of society as a whole." The purpose of including sustainability in coursework is to help students view their actions through a socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable lens. This allows for the assessment of ones own lifestyle for the betterment of future generations and the stewardship of our planet. Sustainability in the curriculum is not limited to a particular department or school. It is not a course subject so much as it is a perspective. Taylor University hopes to foster this perspective in all course content so that students will realize the interconnectedness of sustainability and their chosen course of study and be better equipped to face the challenges that await them.

Using the Office of Sustainability's definition of sustainability (see previous answer) alongside the STARS definition of sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses, a list of courses meeting the outlined criteria was assembled. The first step in this process was to identify all course syllabi that included key words such as sustainability, sustainable, stewardship, renewable, environmental, and natural resources. From these lists, individual course syllabi were read through to determine if the course objectives and subject content aligned with the STARS definition of either sustainability-focused or sustainability-related courses. The result was a compilation of interdisciplinary courses that adhered to the definition of sustainability.