Course Descriptions

SUS 101 - Introduction to Sustainability

3 Credits

This course will provide an overview of the social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainability. Students will consider the development of industrial society and examine key trends and events in the history of conservation and environmental reform in order to better understand current social, environmental, and economic problems. Students will evaluate the long-term sustainability of current systems and practices, and propose a solution to a current problem that balances economic, environmental, and social interests.

MCC General Education: MCC-GLO - Global Understanding (MGLO), MCC-VE - Values and Ethics (MVE)

Course Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the role of natural resources in population growth and in the development of human societies.
2. Describe the historical tension between economic concerns and efforts at social and environmental reform and regulation.
3. Describe the interdependence of economic, environmental, and social systems on a local and a global scale.
4. Analyze the role of energy in an industrialized, market economy.
5. Distinguish ideological arguments from empirical arguments in the field of sustainability.
6. Evaluate the impact of mass production and consumption on environmental, economic, and social systems.
7. Evaluate the impact of geographic patterns of growth (for example urban vs. suburban) on environmental, economic, and social systems.
8. Propose a solution to a current problem that employs a whole systems approach and balances social, economic, and environmental interests.

Course Offered Fall, Spring

Use links below to see if this course is offered:
Fall Semester 2024
Spring Semester 2024
Summer Session 2024