Over 260 Sustainability Courses at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech has focused on including sustainability in courses across every college. Sustainability is included in core courses every undergraduate will encounter. Sustainability is included in upper class courses also. Before a student graduates, our goal is for him to have had at least one course in sustainability.
When this survey was last completed, in 2000, there were 103 courses offered across Georgia Tech which focused either primarily on sustainability or had a sustainability component to it. While this is a large number of courses and made Georgia Tech a leader in environmental education, Georgia Tech has not rested on its laurels. The survey completed in September 2009 now includes 263 courses on the list and again coveralls all six Colleges at Georgia Tech.
"Students and faculty alike have asked for an update to the list of courses," said Markcia Kinstler, Sustainability Director at Georgia Tech. She compiled the list of courses by contacting the Academic Dean of each Department as well as the College Deans.
"Every department was allowed to determine what sustainability means" says Kinstler, "because each person has his own definition of sustainability and because 99% of the people I talk to understand the definition of 'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Beyond this basis tenet, each person's context and each subject's context begin to influence what is meant by sustainability. For example, most students would readily accept the idea that an "Earth and Atmospheric Sciences" or "Enivronmental and Civil Engineering" course would have a different view of sustainability than an "Economics" or "Business Management" course. Our students know how evaluate courses in context."
"We have to publish it" said Andy Smith, Senior Vice Provost, when asked. "Our students want this information! They have asked us to provide more coverage of sustainability on campus."
Kinstler concurs that she has received requests from students who have space for an elective course in their degree program and are looking for which courses include sustainability. She also indicated that professors have asked for help in letting students know which classes include sustainability. There is a good list of degress available from Georgia Tech which focus on sustainability, on the GreenBuzz website, the campus portal to Sustainability across Georgia Tech. It lists over 20 degrees offered with an emphasis on sustainability."
Feedback and updates on the list should be sent to Marcia Kinstler, whose contact information is included in the list's footer. "We expect feedback and changes" said Kinstler. "It has been a long time since this list was last updated. We want to use this opportunity to broaden communication and awareness of sustainability across Georgia Tech."
When asked about Continuing Education courses or Professional Education, Kinstler indicated the list was so long, and more prone to change, so she is referring people to the Professional Education catalog.