Post contributed by Dr. Nanette Chadwick, Director of Academic Sustainability Programs, Office of the Provost

Last spring, I submitted an application to the Core Curriculum Committee (CCC) of Auburn University, for SUST 2000 Introduction to Sustainability, to become a Social Sciences option in the core curriculum. After discussion with the committee and revision of my application, this course was approved as addressing Student Learning Outcome #8 in the core curriculum: Students will be informed and engaged citizens of the United States and the world.

This is a step in the right direction, of more of our students being able to graduate with basic sustainability literacy. It incentivizes enrollment in a general sustainability course, by allowing students to take this type of course as part of their core curriculum. We expect to see an increase in the number of students each semester who attempt to enroll in this course. As such, we have increased our teaching budget so that, for the first time, we will offer 2 sections of SUST 2000 in Spring 2016. Each section will be co-taught by a faculty member with expertise in a science/technical field, paired with one in a humanities/social science field, to provide the complementary, broad perspectives needed for this type of interdisciplinary course.

Please inform students about this new option in the core, and encourage them to take the course. It is an active-learning course with many hands-on student activities, including tours of sustainability features as part of our program of Campus as a Living Laboratory (a new approach being adopted by many universities around the country).

If you have questions about the course, or are a faculty member interested in becoming a co-instructor next year (as overload teaching pay, or buyout of a current course), please contact: Dr. Nanette Chadwick, Director of Academic Sustainability Programs at chadwna@auburn.edu.