Appalachian State University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The Sustainable Development Department emerges from the United Nations mandate to engender "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Our mission is to prepare students to engage in the social, economic, and environmental transformations necessary to create thriving, equitable, and sustainable communities within an ecologically healthy world

Appropriate Technology reflects an approach to technological development, characterized by creative and sound engineering, that recognizes the social, environmental, political, economic, and technical aspects of a proposed technological solution to a problem facing a society. Generally, appropriate technologies are smaller-scale technologies that are ecologically and socially benign, affordable, and often powered by renewable energy. The field is an interdisciplinary one drawing from the physical and social sciences as well as from engineering, architecture, and technology. Areas of interest include energy conversion systems, waste and water management, community and shelter design, technology assessment, small-scale production systems, and technology transfer.

The curriculum for the Environmental Science program is a science-intensive, cross-disciplinary experience that also includes a required "active learning" component. Students take a suite of "core" introductory courses in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Geology, along with 2 semesters of calculus and a statistics course. Another 20 semester hours of "Environmental" courses - which includes courses such as ecology, environmental chemistry, and Geographical Information Systems, among others - are required as well. The curriculum is rounded out with at least 12 additional semester hours in "concentration" areas: Chemistry, Geophysical Sciences, and/or Biology

Building Science http://buildingscience.appstate.edu/

Students engaged in the Sustainable Development minor will acquire knowledge of foundational sustainability principles and will develop technical skills that are oriented toward sustainable aspects of careers in agroecology, sustainable development, renewable energy technologies design and construction, resource management, transportation, wastewater management, and energy issues .

BOONE—The Department of Management in the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University will offer a sustainable business minor to meet a growing demand in industry for businesses to be more environmentally and socially responsible. The minor, available to business and non-business majors, will be offered beginning this fall. It will provide students with a comprehensive foundation in the ways that business and sustainability intersect. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently found that 75 percent of large firms surveyed were engaged in sustainability activities, twice as many as three years before. Most companies had a person or team dedicated to sustainable practices, with – as noted by the New York Times – an increasing number of “chief sustainability officers” in upper management guiding vendor and customer partnerships, product research and advertising. Appalachian aims to help meet the industry need through graduates who possess a foundation in sustainable business decision-making, which will help companies lower input costs, manage risks, comply with increasing regulations and engage employees and customers who expect organizations to be environmentally and socially responsible. Students in Appalachian’s 18-hour minor will acquire knowledge and skills needed to design and manage businesses to promote environmental quality, minimize needed resources, promote healthy communities and increase long-term effectiveness.

This minor focuses on concerns about environmental and social impacts of technology. Students augment sustainability concepts in their curriculum with a strong technical foundation including the study of material processing, construction, CAD/drafting, design, manufacturing, computer technology, and electronics.