University of Nevada Las Vegas
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

In an often-cited 1987 definition, the World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as: "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainability is a broad concept that requires simultaneously accounting for human health and well-being, economic justice and sufficiency, and environmental health. For the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, sustainability in research is responsive to the needs of a rapidly growing metropolitan area, economic diversification, and strategies to preserve our fragile desert environment.

In order to create a broad and encompassing definition of sustainability for the course inventory, UNLV called upon a special panel of three academic faculty members. These tenure-track research faculty members, with areas of expertise that span science/technology communications, civil engineering/urban hydrology, and environmental sociology, each brought a unique perspective to the task of articulating a definition of sustainability. Once the panel rendered its final draft, UNLV engaged its permanent advisory board, the Sustainability Council, to elicit additional feedback. The final definition seen here in STARS and used for the sustainability inventory is the product of this joint collaboration.