Sustainable Development Minor

Outcomes, Sustainable Development Minor

• Identify core concepts of sustainable development
• Describe interconnections between community structures and influences on the environment
• Examine the environmental, economic, and social sustainability from multiple academic disciplines
• Understand the disciplinary overlap of sustainability issues and approach holistic real-world problems from diverse perspectives
• Critically read, evaluate, and discuss sustainable development literature
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ever-increasing scholarship within the sustainable development literature

Rationale for Sustainable Development minor

Education for sustainability, often defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by paying equal attention to issues of environmental impact, social equity, and economic prosperity,” is an imperative for colleges and universities; so much so, the United Nations has named 2005- 2015 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Because universities are an integral part of the global economy/ community, we have a fundamental responsibility to teach, train and conduct research for sustainability—creating a framework addressing environmental, social, and economic factors. We believe the success of higher education in the future will be judged in part by our ability to put forth a bold agenda, making sustainable development a cornerstone of our academic and administrative practices.

This interdisciplinary minor involves courses on sustainability and environmental studies from a variety of departments. Experiential, project-based and service learning curricula are encouraged. In the long term, this minor is expected to foster increased contributions to UCCS and other local organizations toward environmental issues and projects that seek to increase fair and equitable working and living conditions for all; to do this in an environmentally and economically sustainable way; and, most importantly, to create a more responsible, active set of global citizens.

Academic Requirements

Students seeking the Minor in Sustainable Development must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work, 12 of which must be upper division.

There are three components or general areas in sustainability— environment, equity, and economy. A student must choose one core course in at least two of the three areas outlined below and select at least one course from any listed under the third area. The student must also complete the one-credit-hour course GES 480—Sustainability Seminar. This one hour course is an independent research project, with the project usually completed in the context of another course. The student receives the one hour of credit by expanding and presenting this work at a Sustainability Symposium at the end of the student’s final semester.

Special topic courses, internships, independent studies or other courses that are not listed below but may qualify to be included on an ad hoc basis in the minor require the consent of the Director of the Sustainable Development Minor. Students may double count up to nine credit hours between a major and the Sustainable Development Minor. Such double counting is permitted for at most one major and one stand-alone minor pair. Course work applied toward a minor may also be applied toward general education requirements.