Initial plans for the course


May 1 2009

Planning an Introduction to Sustainability Course

 

Jonathan presented information about the formation of the EDES program, now on Wiki

  

At the Sustainability Book Club,

 

At a lunch meeting, Steven, Alypios and Hunter agreed on the following tentative format

 

Enrollment

 

 

Format

 

 

Staff

 

Two four-unit instructors, whose duties include

 

•    Delivering the first two weeks’ of lectures covering

 

o    general definitions of Sustainability 

 

o    introducing terms and concepts used in multiple fields of study , for instance

 

•    triple-bottom-line

 

•    inputs and externalities

 

•    closed loop systems

 

•    biomimicry

 

•    GDP vs GHI

 

•    Selecting and scheduling guest lectures and presentations

 

•    Teaching two seventy minute discussion sections per week

 

•    Assigning and grading their discussion sections’ homework, exams and projects

 

Format and guidelines

 

•    Lectures and discussions will emphasize both sides of controversial issues.  For instance the discussion of sustainability in Agriculture will present arguments for and against monocropping or Confined Animal Feeding Operations

 

•    Discussion sections will require students to prepare homework—readings and viewings assigned by instructors and guest lecturers—and to follow up on lectures

 

Funding and credits

 

•    Course will be proposed as upper-division offering GE in one of several areas

 

•    Course will be proposed as UNIV prefix or as crosslisted among several departments