Overview

Sustainability is generally characterized as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It requires the integration of natural scientific understanding of the threat of environmental degradation with social and behavioral scientific understanding of the social, economic, cultural and political factors driving the human contributions to the problem, as well as to its solution. It also draws upon the historical perspective, ethical sensibilities, and creative imagination of the arts and humanities to help understand what led us to this point, and to map out alternative futures.

Learning outcomes

The Sustainability Studies Program at Indiana University South Bend provides an interdisciplinary framework within which students can study the foundations of sustainability and learn how to apply this knowledge to the development and implementation of sustainable values, innovations, practices, and technologies, in our homes, in business, on campus, and in our communities. It emphasizes connections between environment, economy, and society; and builds a community of faculty and students committed to tackling the complex socio-environmental problems confronting our communities and the world. In addition to the traditional classroom, sustainability studies bridges the gap between campus and community through civic engagement and experiential, project-based, and service learning.