University of Virginia
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

The University of Virginia Global Sustainability Minor Governing Board has seven faculty members representing all six undergraduate academic units and a student representative. Together, this Governing Board, created a definition for sustainability and sustainability focused courses. The Governing Board centers its definition of sustainability around the three E’s including: Environment, Economy + Policy, and Equity. The Governing Board defines sustainability as meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. There are many important components of sustainability courses at the University of Virginia including:

• Systems Thinking: The courses that are most reflective of sustainability principles include assignments that require students to use a systems thinking approach. “Systems thinking” can be defined as the process of examining how things relate and affect other parts of the system. Student should understand that problems relating to sustainability are complex and will require a way of thinking that is comprehensive.

• Engaged Citizenship: Sustainability courses should allow students to apply their foundational knowledge to work with communities to address local sustainability issues. Students should learn how to engage effectively with a community to formulate goals and develop solutions.

• Innovation: While a sustainability course should provide a foundational knowledge of sustainability challenges and approaches, it should also prompt students to apply and integrate that knowledge, to think creatively and allow opportunities for innovation to emerge.

• Research: Each sustainability course should have a strong research component that teaches students the skills necessary to collect and analyze data in order to make scientifically sound conclusions.

• Interdisciplinary: Sustainability courses should emphasize the importance of the interconnectedness of global sustainability challenges. Students should understand that many approaches (technical, behavioral, economic, policy, etc) are needed to address issues related to sustainability. Students should also acquire some skills from each discipline and learn how to communicate and work with peers from other concentrations.

The Global Sustainability Minor governing board consisting of seven faculty members representing all six undergraduate academic units and a student representative reviews the course catalog each semester to determine the courses that are sustainability related and sustainability focused. The governing board uses the definition of a sustainability course to determine whether the course qualifies. Having a member from each academic unit ensures quality of the courses listed. Each representative is responsible for checking the course content of the courses in the school that they represent. The student representative compiles the final list of sustainability focused courses for the minor and the sustainability related courses are listed on the Sustainability at UVa website.