University of Texas at Arlington
ER-5: Sustainability Course Identification

A definition of sustainability in the curriculum was developed by the Working Group on Research, Curriculum, and Community Engagement of the University Sustainability Committee. The working group has 15 faculty members representing 11 academic departments, 2 staff members, 1 student members, and 1 external community member. Environmental and sustainability studies traverse the sciences, politics, economics, culture, the arts, humanities, and ethics. Environmental studies examines how individuals, communities, societies, and cultures interact with the non-humans and ecosystems around them, so that we can better understand how these interactions might take place in ways that permit non-humans and ecosystems to thrive. Sustainability studies builds on environmental studies to recognize accelerating environmental destruction and to seek development of practices, ideas, and values that repair past damage, prevent ongoing damage, promote social justice, and enhance human and non-human welfare. A sustainability-focused course addresses these three elements during the majority of course activities, and calls attention to sustainability or environmental studies in the title, course description, or syllabus. A sustainability-related course addresses these three elements in a substantive way while presenting related content in one or more disciplines that provides knowledge or skills enhancing students understanding of the context surrounding sustainability.

Sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses were identified by the Working Group on Research, Curriculum, and Community Engagement by asking departments to self-identify such courses and by reviewing course catalogs. This group periodically reviews the list of such courses.