Sustainability Across the Curriculum at Chapman
December 5, 2012
Chapman University faculty are stepping up and leading the way in educating students about a more sustainable future. By developing courses related to sustainability, faculty are helping students and the Chapman community to understand the importance of sustainability in their everyday lives.
In a recent survey looking at ways in which faculty integrate sustainability into already existing course, 24.2% of those professors who responded to the survey (n=66) indicated that they already teach a course that includes sustainability in theory and/or practice. From business to social science to history, these classes include Imagining a Sustainable Future; Writing about Ecology; Environmental History of the American West; and Corporate Entrepreneurship Production and Operations Management.
A prime example of sustainability across the curriculum, is the course Imagining a Sustainable Future, where students explore the major themes of sustainability through research, self-reflection and engagement with their local community. On a recent field trip, students visited Silverado Canyon, a wildlife preserve close to Chapman, and learned about the local flora and fauna from Joel Robinson, a local naturalist.
As an appreciation for the need to transition to more sustainable practices grows, Chapman aims to lead the way along with efforts from interested students, professors, and universities around the world.
Many thanks to Prof. Geraldine McNenny and student Annaliese Baker for the writing of this blog post.