P UR P OS E
Business Case for Sustainability Course Integration of SDGs in Numerous Courses
This course lays the foundation for sustainable development
and the notion of creating shared value across
economic, social and environmental interests. The course
frames the business enterprise within the natural and social
environments, and addresses a variety of intersection points
and their inherent challenges and opportunities. Systems
thinking and long term perspective are used to understand
the potential consequences of organizational choices
regarding goals and strategies, given consideration on how
natural and social environments increasingly shape/drive the
business environment. The United Nations 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals are highlighted throughout the course. During AY 2017-2018, the College of Business
Administration delivered 60 courses into which
sustainability/CSR/SDG content was infused to some extent.
This was up from 48 courses during AY 2016-2017. These
courses spanned all departments and all faculty types
(Tenured/tenure track; non-tenure track; adjunct). Currently,
most of these courses are taught at the undergraduate level.
It is not uncommon for students to enter this course with
little awareness of environmental and social sustainability
challenges around the world, much less the array of actions
organizations are taking to address them. Throughout the
semester, as their knowledge grows, they become increasingly
engaged and their sense of purpose grows: they become
aware of the power of their personal actions and their choices.
Students become inspired by the SDGs, organizational actions
and sustainability reports. They begin to change their personal
habits (recycling, eating, purchasing, etc.) and set goals to
work for an organization that values sustainability.
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