This seminar will immerse students in the interdisciplinary nature of Sustainability as a subject and a paradigm. Class reading and individual research will focus on the presence of connections, interrelationships, and flows at all levels, with the aim of better understanding humanity’s place in the planetary ecosystem. We will build a shared understanding of the wider conversation about Sustainability during the first month of the term by studying Sustainability Principles and Practice, by Margaret Robertson. Following that, each student will choose a topic of special interest for in-depth research, and will present that research to the class each week. That work will form the basis of each student’s final paper and audiovisual presentation.
Beyond simply producing a final product, each student will be responsible for sharing their research with the class at every class meeting, both to teach us about the research topic and to get feedback from classmates on the direction of the project. Sharing the research with the class is an integral part and requirement of the class. Students may choose research topics that compliment their major field of study, or they may pursue a completely different topic.
