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Core Curriculum

Sustainability

Sustainability

Facilitator: Leslie Gray, Environmental Studies and Sciences

Sustainability is most often defined as meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The recognition that sustainability is an imperative that must be met stems from the fact that humans are using the earths resources and degrading its ecosystems in ways that compromise the health and well-being of future generations and the planet. The sustainability Pathway will allow students to learn about sustainability from multiple disciplinary perspectives and in interdisciplinary ways. This will help our students integrate the interconnected ideals of viable ecological integrity, viable economies, and equity and justice.
Some critical sustainability themes that will be embedded in the curriculum of sustainability Pathway classes are:

Human Connections to the Physical and Natural World
How Natural Systems Function
Ethics and Values
Technological and Economic Relationships to Encourage Sustainability
Motivating Environmentally Sustainable Behavior
Critical Engagement with Sustainability Issues

Associated Courses

Foundations Courses
(Please note that only the specific Foundation course topics qualify for the Pathway requirements,
and only one Foundations course may be applied to a Pathway)

ENGL         12A         Nature & Imagination (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         12A         Nature & Imagination (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A/H        Writing about Sustainability (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A           Commitment to Place (effective 1/1/19)
ENGL         2A           Composing a Sustainable World (effective 03/25/17)
ENGL         2A           Ethics & the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
ENGL         2A           International Waters (effective 1/1/18) 
ENGL         2A           Into the (Un)known: Writing About Nature (effective 01/01/18) 
ENGL         2A           Reading Food, Self, and Culture  (effective 1/1/17)
ENGL         2A           Science, Ethics & Society (effective 1/1/18)
ENGL         2A           What’s for Dinner? (effective 3/25/18)
ENGL         2A           Writing Home: Stuff and Stories (effective 3/25/21)
ENGL         2H           Paradigms of Knowledge (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS         2A           Analyzing Green Rhetoric (effective 9/1/09)

Anthropology
ANTH         50           World Geography (cross-listed with POLI 50 and ENVS 50; effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         130          Primate Behavioral Ecology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         140          Food, Culture, and the Environment (cross-listed with ENVS 136; effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         142          Environmental Archaeology (effective 9/1/09)
ANTH         154          Environmental Anthropology (effective 9/1/09)

Art and Art History
ARTH         66            Fabricating Nature (effective 1/1/19)
*ARTH       167          Cityscapes, Past and Present (effective 03/25/22)

Biology
BIOL          5             Endangered Ecosystems L&L (effective 9/1/09)
BIOL          6             The Oceans L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        131          Agroecology L & L (cross-listed with ENVS 132; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        133          Ecology of California Plant Communities L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        142          Natural History of California L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        144          Natural History of Baja California (cross-listed with ENVS 144; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        150          Conservation Biology (effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        151          Restoration Ecology L&L (cross-listed with ENVS 151; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        153          Conservation Science (cross-listed with ENVS 153; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        156          General Ecology L&L (cross-listed with ENVS 156; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        157          Environmental Biology in the Tropics (cross-listed with ENVS 141; effective 9/1/09)
*BIOL        158          Biology of Insects L and L (effective 3/25/24)
BIOL          188          STEM Education and Justice (effective 9/1/09)

Business
*BUSN       71            Foundations of Leadership (two units; if this course is used towards the pathway, additional courses may be needed to reach the 12 or 16 unit minimum; effective 9/1/09)
*BUSN       72            Business Leadership Skills (two units; if this course is used towards the pathway, additional courses may be needed to reach the 12 or 16 unit minimum; effective 9/1/09)
BUSN         132          Contemplative Leadership and Sustainability Program (two units; if this course is used towards the pathway, additional courses may be needed to reach the 12 or 16 unit minimum; effective 1/1/16)
BUSN         150          Feeding The World (effective 9/1/15)
BUSN         151B        Food, Hunger, Poverty, Environment Immersion Preparation (effective 3/25/20)

Civil Engineering
CENG         20            Geology (effective 9/1/09)
CENG         20L           Geology Lab (CENG 20 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       115           Civil Engineering Materials (effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       115L          Civil Engineering Materials Lab (CENG 115 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       119            Designing for Sustainable Construction (cross-listed with CENG 219; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       140            Water Resources Engineering (effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       140L           Water Resources Engineering Lab (CENG 140 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       143            Environmental Engineering (effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       143L           Environmental Engineering Lab (CENG 143 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       144             Environmental Systems Design (effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       144L           Environmental Systems Design Lab (CENG 144 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       161             Sustainable Water Resources (cross-listed with CENG 261; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       219             Designing for Sustainable Construction (cross-listed with CENG 119; effective 9/1/09)
*CENG       261             Sustainable Water Resources (cross-listed with CENG 161; effective 9/1/09)

Chemistry
CHEM         1                 Chemistry & the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
CHEM         103             Environmental Chemistry (effective Spring 2023)

Child Studies
CHST         106              Urban Education and Multiculturalism (effective 9/1/09)

Communication
COMM        117              Multicultural Folktales and Storytelling (effective 9/1/09)
COMM        137S            Film & Sustainability  (cross-listed with ENGL 107S; effective 09/01/22)
COMM        157              Environmental Communication (effective 9/1/09)

Economics
ECON         1                 Principles of Microeconomics (effective 9/1/09)
ECON         1E               Principles of Microeconomics (effective 9/1/09)
ECON         101             Resources, Food, and the Environment (cross-listed with MGMT 173; effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       111             Economics of the Environment (effective 9/1/09)
ECON         129             Economic Development (effective 9/1/09)
*ECON       134             African Economic Development (effective 9/1/09)
ECON         199L            Environmental Economics (Independent Study; effective 9/1/09)

Engineering
*ELEN         182             Energy Systems Design (effective 1/1/16)
*ELEN         183             Power Systems Analysis (effective 3/29/16)
ENGR          1                Introduction to Engineering (effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          1L               Introduction to Engineering Lab (ENGR 1 is a co-requisite; effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          60               Sustainable Electric Energy (effective 9/1/09)
ENGR          90               Solar Decathlon Workshop (effective 9/1/09)

English
ENGL           106             Advanced Writing (topic: Writing the Wild; effective 9/1/09)
ENGL           107S           Sustainability: Stories & Film (cross-listed with COMM 137S; effective 09/01/22)
ENGL           176             Creative Writing & Social Justice (effective 1/1/20)

Environmental Studies & Sciences
ENVS           5                 My Environment (effective 9/1/20)
ENVS           20               The Water Wars of California L&L (effective 1/19/16)
ENVS           21               Introduction to Applied Ecology L&L (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           22               Introduction to Environmental Studies (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           23               Introduction to Earth Systems L&L (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           50               World Geography (cross-listed with ANTH 50 and POLI 50; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           79               Environmental Thought (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           80               Energy and the Environment (effective 9/1/09 for study abroad version, effective 01/01/21 for on-campus version))
*ENVS         84               Spirituality and Sustainability (cross-listed with TESP 84; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         95               SLURP: Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           120              Introduction to Environmental Law and Regulation in the United States (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         122              Environmental Politics and Policy (cross-listed with POLI 157; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         128              Urban and Environmental Planning (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           131              Environmental Education (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         132              Agroecology L & L (cross-listed with BIOL 131; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           133              Sustainable Urban Agriculture Systems (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           136              Food, Culture and the Environment (cross-listed with ANTH 140; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           140              Sustainability Outreach (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         141              Environmental Biology in the Tropics (cross-listed with BIOL 157; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         142              Writing Natural History (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         142B            Writing Natural History (Baja; effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           143 ​             Writing for the Birds (effective 1/1/16)
*ENVS         144              Natural History of Baja (cross-listed with BIOL 144; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         145              Environmental Technology (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           146              Agriculture, Environment, and Development: Latin America (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           147              International Environment and Development (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         148              Solar Revolution (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         151              Restoration Ecology L&L (cross-listed with BIOL 151; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         152              Faith, Ethics & Biodiversity (cross-listed with TESP 152; effective 1/1/18)
*ENVS         153              Conservation Science (cross-listed with BIOL 153; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         155              Environmental & Food Justice (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         156              General Ecology L&L (cross-listed with BIOL 156; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         158              Conservation Psychology (cross-listed with PSYC 158; effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         160              Water Resources L&L (effective 9/1/09)
*ENVS         166              Climate Change: Past, Present and Future (effective 1/1/16)
*ENVS         167              Innovation for Climate Justice (effective 3/25/2016)
*ENVS         185              Garbology (effective 3/25/15) 
ENVS           191              Urban Agriculture Practicum (effective 09/01/17)
ENVS           191EL           Urban Agriculture Practicum - ELSJ (effective 03/25/17)
*ENVS         195              SLURP: Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project (effective 9/1/09)
ENVS           199D            Interdisciplinary Rsrch in Environmental Studies (Independent Study; effective 9/1/09)

Ethnic Studies
ETHN           156              Environmental Racism, Gender, & Justice (cross-listed with WGST 113; effective 9/1/09)

Experiential Learning for Social Justice
ELSJ            134               Seminar in Social Entrepreneurship (effective 9/1/09)

Finance
FNCE            180              Open Book Management (effective 9/1/09)

History
HIST             64               Central America (effective 9/1/09)
HIST             78               Commodities, Technologies, Conservation: Environmental Histories of Latin America (effective 01/01/25)
HIST             84               United States Women's History (cross-listed with WGST 57; effective 9/1/09)
HIST             85               Introduction to United States Environmental History (effective 9/1/09)
HIST             92               Modern East Asia (effective 9/1/09)
HIST             158             Turmoil and Reform: U.S. 1877-1920 (effective 3/25/16)
HIST             184             American Historical Geography (effective 3/25/16)
HIST             188S           The Making of Modern America: The Progressive Era (formerly HIST 188; effective 9/1/09)

Intl Environment & Development
SIS               471-900T      Intl Environment & Development Seminar I (American University Washington Semester Program)

Management
MGMT            40                Foundational Knowledge of Managing for Sustainability (effective 9/1/17)
MGMT            41                Foundational Skills of Managing for Sustainability (effective 1/1/18)
MGMT            42                Leading from the Triple Bottom Line (effective 3/25/18) 
*MGMT           71               Foundations of Leadership (two units; if this course is used towards the pathway, additional courses may be needed to reach the 12 or 16 unit minimum; effective 9/1/09) 
*MGMT          168              Managing for Sustainability (effective 9/1/09)
MGMT            173              Resources, Food, and the Environment (cross-listed with ECON 101; effective 9/1/09)
MGMT            176              Sustainable Food Systems (effective 3/25/24)
MGMT            178              Business and Human Rights (effective 1/1/23)

Marketing
*MKTG           189              Sustainability Marketing (effective 9/1/09)

Modern Language
ITAL                60                Science, Technology, and Society: Global Contributions of Italian Design (effective 06/30/25)

Operations and Management Information Systems
*OMIS           108E             Sustainable Operations Management (effective 01/01/20)

Philosophy
PHIL               29                Ethics and the Environment (effective 9/1/09; formerly PHIL 9)
PHIL               29H              Ethical Issues & Environment (effective 11/25/2015; formerly PHIL 9H)
PHIL               108              Special Topics: Applied Ethics (effective 1/1/20; topic "Indigenous Peoples, Sustainability and Environmental Justice" only)
PHIL               116              Environmental Ethics   (effective 3/25/20)

Physics
PHYS          5                      Physics and Technology for Future Leaders (effective 9/1/20)

Political Science
POLI               50                World Geography (cross-listed with ANTH 50 and ENVS 50; effective 9/1/09)
POLI               123              Global Environmental Politics (effective 9/1/09)
POLI               157              U.S. Environmental Policy (cross-listed with ENVS 122; effective 9/1/09)

Religious Studies
*RSOC            64                 Comparative Religion and Environmentalism (effective 1/1/16)
*RSOC            170               Religion, Gender & Globalization (effective 3/25/18) 
*SCTR             111               Bible & Ecology (effective 1/1/20)
*TESP             16/16H          Religion, Science and Ecology (effective 9/1/19)
*TESP             26                 Sustainable Theologies (effective 03/25/18)
*TESP             64                 Environmental Justice in Catholic Imagination (effective 9/1/09)
*TESP             84                 Spirituality & Sustainability (cross-listed with ENVS 84; effective 9/1/09)
*TESP             152               Faith, Ethics & Biodiversity (cross-listed with ENVS 152; effective 1/1/18)
*TESP             176               Nature, Humanity, Spirituality (effective 9/1/09)

Sociology
SOCI               138               Populations of India, China & the U.S. (effective 9/1/09)
SOCI               141               Climate Justice (effective 9/1/23)

Theatre & Dance
DANCE             69                 Walk Across California (effective 9/1/09)
DANCE             169               Walk Across California (effective 9/1/09)

Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS)
WGST              57                 Women in American Society (cross-listed with HIST 84; effective 9/1/09)
WGST              113                Environmental Racism, Gender, & Justice (cross-listed with ETHN 156; effective 9/1/09)

* Indicates Course Has Prerequisites