Sustainability means much more than recycling and switching off lights. It has implications
for what we eat and drink, how we travel, what we study, how we earn our living, what we
buy, who we vote for, and how we think and act and feel as individuals, citizens, and as
members of diverse communities.
Sustainability is often defined as meeting the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is characterized
by three overarching concerns: maintaining ecological and environmental health; creating
economic welfare; and ensuring social justice. This course introduces the ideas, insights,
questions, and challenges associated with the interdisciplinary field of sustainability
studies. It addresses the principles and practices of sustainability as approached through a
variety of topics and academic fields and features the input of experts, public intellectuals,
and community leaders, contributing to as diverse a perspective as possible.
Crucial questions and challenges define our times. Is the earth headed for ecological
collapse, and if so, what can be done to avert catastrophe? How can humanity’s growing
needs be met without mortgaging the future? Are there economically viable ways to
ensure equitable, flourishing lives for the citizens of the planet? Is a sustainable world
primarily to be achieved through green design and technology, or by changing
consciousness and behavior? What are the characteristics of sustainable lives and
businesses, and what practical means are at our disposal to achieve these goals? In this
course, students will develop answers to such questions by critically and creatively
engaging with interdisciplinary texts and recorded lectures, through written assignments,
and by way of online debate and discussion.
Facets of Sustainability serves as the gateway course for students in the Bachelor of Arts in
Sustainability Studies and the Minor in Sustainability Studies. For information about the
Major and Minor in Sustainability Studies, go to http://sustainability.clas.ufl.edu/
Primary Outcomes and Focus of Assessments:
1. Gain knowledge of a diverse spectrum of sustainability oriented scholarship,
including that in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
2. Understand the benefits and challenges of multidisciplinary efforts to address and
integrate environmental, economic, and social concerns in relation to an array of
professional fields and concrete practices in government, business, civil society, and the
cultural arena.
3. Critically assess, evaluate and utilize interdisciplinary knowledge and systems
thinking that can facilitate adaptation in a rapidly changing world at local, regional,
national, and global levels.
4. Demonstrate effective communication of a broad range of approaches, frameworks,
metrics, principles, and practices of sustainability.
earning Skills Practiced:
This course aims to equip students with the skills required to pursue sustainability in a
quickly changing world. These skills include:
• critical and creative thinking skills
• network learning and interdisciplinary inquiry skills
• collective deliberation and communication skills
Students will be encouraged to develop their perceptiveness, appreciation of diverse
perspectives, and understanding of complex systems while clarifying their personal values
and public commitments.