Involving students in implementing a campus culture of sustainability

Abstract

Courses in sustainability studies are garnering significant interest across U.S. colleges and universities and are increasingly represented in a wider range of disciplines including economics. The latter addition is consistent with the Brundtland recommendation and offers a significant opportunity to foster understanding of both the basis for present decision-making as well as the values foundation required for the shift from a consumerism-fostered culture to one of sustainable economic development based on intergenerational equity. This paper provides an overview of the Economics of Sustainability course offering at Northeastern University in Boston. Students in two sections of a same semester offering of the course were assigned to groups wherein they determined a group-based semester long project. The parameters of the project required a life cycle or cost benefit assessment inclusive of externalities and projects were specific to a current university action that could be modified to promote campus sustainability. Given that sustainability was an objective and a marketing stance of the institution, the projects, which ranged from a consignment store to local food sourcing to resource measurement and efficiency, were aligned to the publicly stated university goals and were designed to be shared with university administration and ultimately, implemented. The latter aspect provided students with both an incentive and tangible outcome that promoted their longer-term educational goals. Overall, the assignment process is one that can be replicated and offers an opportunity to incorporate a campus-based cultural orientation to sustainability within a course design.