WATER RESOURCES AND CLIMATE
This course will cover the science needed to understand hydrology, the link between hydrology and climate, and why climate change will affect the hydrologic cycle. It will then look at what changes have occurred in the past, and what changes are projected for the future and how these changes may affect other sectors, such as agriculture. The final module of the course will look at adaptation measures to adapt to climate change. The course will be formatted to be a mixture of lectures and seminars, with the lecture portion used to introduce scientific concepts and the seminar portion to discuss and evaluate the readings assigned. At the end of this course, students will the hydrologic cycle and its connection to climate, how changes in climate have affected/will affect how much water is available on land, how water impacts ecosystem services, and how to diagnose the cause of a climate-related water problem and develop solutions to address it.
- TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- 3 points
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
This course is about cost-benefit analysis and the economic evaluations of policies and projects. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) consists of a comprehensive set of techniques used to evaluate government programs. It is now routinely applied in such program areas as transportation, water projects, health, training and education, criminal justice, environmental protection, urban policy and even in the international arena such as foreign direct investment. Many of the techniques of CBA can also be applied to private sector decision-making. The objective of CBA is to determine whether the benefits of a particular program, policy or decision outweigh its costs. The techniques used to determine this are sometimes quite simple, but on other, increasingly frequent occasions are highly sophisticated. Sophisticated cost benefit studies are based on a framework that utilizes the basic concepts of economic theory. In addition, statistical and econometric analyses are often needed to estimate program effects from diverse available data. The course has two parts: methodology and practice. The goal is for students to be practically adept to undertake an independent cost-benefit analysis.
- MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Alexander Heil
Info - 3 points
THEORY & PRACTICE OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSME
THEORY & PRAC OF LIFE CYC
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a methodology to assess the environmental impact of products, services, and industrial processes is an increasingly important tool in corporate sustainability management. This course teaches both the theoretical framework as well as step-by-step practical guidelines of conducting LCAs in companies and organizations. Particular emphasis is placed on separating the more academic, but less practically relevant aspects of LCA (which will receive less focus) from the actual practical challenges of LCA (which will be covered in detail, including case studies). The course also covers the application of LCA metrics in a companies’ management and discusses the methodological weaknesses that make such application difficult, including how these can be overcome. Product carbon footprinting (as one form of LCA) receives particular focus, owing to its widespread practical use in recent and future sustainability management.
- TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Adriana B Kliegman
Info - 3 points
CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AND S
CORP SUST REPORTING & STR
The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of trends and best practices in corporate communications relating to sustainability, with a particular focus on global sustainability reporting frameworks and green marketing communications. It is designed for those who hold/will hold positions in organizations with responsibilities for communicating the sustainability goals, challenges and achievements, as well as accurately and honestly communicating the environmental aspects of an organization's products and services. Increasingly, large corporations are creating c-suite roles or dedicated departments to oversee this function. More typically, multiple functions contribute information such as: Corporate Communications, Marketing, Community Affairs, Public Policy, Environmental Health & Safety, R&D, Facilities, Operations and Legal. Benefits of reporting range from building trust with stakeholders, and uncovering risks and opportunities; to contributing to stronger long-term business strategy, and creating new products and services.
- TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Carl A Otto
Info - 3 points
DECISION MODELS & MANAGEMENT
DECISION MODELS & MGMT
This course provides an introduction to computer-based models for decision-making. The emphasis is on models that are widely used in diverse industries and functional areas, including finance, accounting, operations, and marketing. Applications will include advertising planning, revenue management, asset-liability management, environmental policy modeling, portfolio optimization, and corporate risk management, among others. The applicability and usage of computer-based models have increased dramatically in recent years, due to the extraordinary improvements in computer, information and communication technologies, including not just hardware but also model-solution techniques and user interfaces. Twenty years ago working with a model meant using an expensive mainframe computer, learning a complex programming language, and struggling to compile data by hand; the entire process was clearly marked “experts only.” The rise of personal computers, friendly interfaces (such as spreadsheets), and large databases has made modeling far more accessible to managers. Information has come to be recognized as a critical resource, and models play a key role in deploying this resource, in organizing and structuring information so that it can be used productively.
- MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Lucius J Riccio
CULPA: 4
Info
- 3 points
GHG EMISSIONS: MEASURING AND MINIMIZING
GHG EMISSIONS CARBON FOOT
Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are now at a record high, and the world’s scientific community agrees that continued unabated release of greenhouse gases will have catastrophic consequences. Many efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, both public and private, have been underway for decades, yet it is now clear that collectively these efforts are failing, and that far more concerted efforts are necessary. In December 2015, the world’s nations agreed in Paris to take actions to limit the future increase in global temperatures well below to 2°C, while pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. Achieving this goal will require mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, both public and private. Critical to any attempt to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is a clear, accurate understanding of the sources and levels of greenhouse gas emissions. This course will address all facets of greenhouse gas emissions accounting and reporting and will provide students with tangible skills needed to direct such efforts in the future.
Students in this course will gain hands-on experience designing and executing greenhouse gas emissions inventories for companies, financial institutions and governments employing all necessary skills including the identification of analysis boundaries, data collection, calculation of emissions levels, and reporting of results. In-class workshops and exercises will complement papers and group assignments. A key component of this course will be critical evaluation of both existing accounting and reporting standards as well as GHG emissions reduction target setting practices.
This course will introduce many of the challenges facing carbon accounting practitioners and will require students to recommend solutions to these challenges derived through critical analysis. Classes will examine current examples of greenhouse gas reporting efforts and will allow students the opportunity to recommend improved calculation and reporting methods.
- TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
- 3 points
ESG ALIGNED CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
ESG ALIGNED CORP GOVERNAN
Environmental, social and governance issues (‘ESG’) are moving to center stage for corporate boards and executive teams. This elective course complements management and operations courses by focusing on the perspective and roles of the board and C-suite of corporations, financial institutions and professional firms in addressing ESG risks as well as promoting and overseeing governance aligned with ESG principles. The course focuses on the interchange between the external legal, competitive, societal, environmental and policy ‘ecosystems’ corporations face (which vary around the world) and a company’s internal structure, operations and pressures. We will use the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the UN Global Compact Principles (which incorporate all aspects of ESG) as the central frameworks to explore the concept of a corporation’s responsibility to respect and remedy human rights and environmental harms. We will also examine the Equator Principles and other frameworks that spell out good practices for project finance and other investment decisions, and reference a wide range of the myriad indices, supplier disclosure portals and benchmarks that exist in this inter-disciplinary field. Relevant regulations, corporate law regimes and court cases will be discussed from the point of view of what business managers need to know. While most of the course will deal with companies and firms serving global, regional or national markets, several examples will deal with the question of how the ESG ecosystem affects or offers opportunities to start-ups.
- M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jessica M Thurston
Info - 3 points
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
- TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jenna M Lawrence
CULPA: 6
Info
- 3 points
ENERGY MARKETS & INNOVATION
Existing energy sources and the infrastructures that deliver them to users around the world are undergoing a period of rapid change. Limits to growth, rapidly fluctuating raw material prices, and the emergence of new technology options all contribute to heightened risk and opportunity in the energy sector. The purpose of this course is to establish a core energy skill set for energy students and prepare them for more advanced energy courses by providing a basic language and toolset for understanding energy issues.
Using theoretical and practical understanding of the process by which energy technologies are developed, financed, and deployed, this course seeks to highlight the root drivers for change in the energy industry, the technologies that are emerging, and the factors that will determine success in their commercialization. Understanding these market dynamics also informs good policy design and implementation to meet a broad range of social welfare goals.
Upon completing the course, students should not only understand the nature of conventional and emerging energy generation and delivery, but also the tools for determining potential winners and losers and the innovative pathways to drive their further deployment.
- MW 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Travis Bradford
CULPA: 1 Wikipedia Info - 3 points
WRITING ABOUT GLOBAL SCIENCE FOR INTERNA
WRITING-GLOBAL SCI-INTL M
This is an interdisciplinary workshop for scientists, future NGO workers and journalists seeking skills in communicating 21st-century global science to the public. Scientists will be given journalism skills; journalists will learn how to use science as the basis of their story-telling. The course is designed to give students exercises and real-world experiences in producing feature stories on global science topics. While most scientists and international affairs professionals have been trained to write in the style of peer-reviewed journals, we will focus on journalism techniques, learning how to translate global science into accessible true stories that reach wide audiences.
Science is performed by passionate individuals who use their intelligence and determination to seek answers from nature. By telling their histories and uncovering the drama of discovery, we believe that there are ways for science to be successfully communicated to readers who might otherwise fear it.
- MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Claudia Dreifus
CULPA: 1 Wikipedia Info - 3 points
ACCOUNTING, FINANCE, AND MODELING OF SUS
ACCTG, FIN & MODL OF SUST
This course is designed to provide students with working knowledge on how to make successful investments in sustainable companies and to prepare students to be conversationally literate in financial reporting. As you leave the school and become leaders of organizations financial literacy will be a skill set that will be vital to success no matter what career path you go down. It starts with a strong foundation in accounting and corporate finance, then moves on to ESG/Impact screening of potential investments, along with valuation techniques used to arrive at a purchase price. It will explore financial models that can aggregate multiple variables used to drive investment decisions.
To understand and lead a transition to a sustainability-aware business, managers must first be familiar with the terminology, practices and consequences of traditional accounting and finance. Students will learn traditional financial and accounting methods and tools. We will examine how these methods and tools are changing to improve product and service design, resource efficiency and allocation, employee productivity and sustainability performance outcomes. Students will learn how value is created in a company and the different methods employed to create that value, conduct due diligence, discuss optimal capital structure to finance a transaction, execute a transaction, and implement a Sustainability-based value-added operating plan to the target company. The course will conclude with students preparing a persuasive investment memo and accompanying financial model to the investment committee of an impact investing asset management firm. The course also provides a practical introduction to selected non-financial accounting topics including sustainability reporting standards, ESG corporate performance indicators and corporate social responsibility report (CSR Reporting).
- MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Brad Schwartz
Info - 3 points
SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP
- M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Jonathan Hollander
Info - 3 points
CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR SUSTAINABILITY PROF
CIRC ECON FOR SUST PROFS
Throughout history, societies have discovered resources, designed and developed them into textiles,
tools and structures, and bartered and exchanged these goods based on their respective values.
Economies emerged, driven by each society’s needs and limited by the resources and technology
available to them. Over the last two centuries, global development accelerated due in large part to the
overextraction and use of finite resources, whether for energy or materials, and supported by vast
technological advancements. However, this economic model did not account for the long-term impacts of
the disposal or depletion of these finite resources and instead, carried on unreservedly in a “take-make’-
waste” manner, otherwise known as a linear economy. Despite a more profound understanding of our
planet’s available resources, the environmental impact of disposal and depletion, and the technological
advancements of the last several decades, the economic heritage of the last two centuries persists today;
which begs the question: what alternatives are there to a linear economy?
The premise of this course is that through systems-thinking, interdisciplinary solutions for an alternative
economic future are available to us. By looking at resources’ potential, we can shape alternative methods
of procurement, design, application, and create new market demands that aim to keep materials,
products and components in rotation at their highest utility and value. This elective course will delve into
both the theory of a circular economy - which would be a state of complete systemic regeneration and
restoration as well as an optimized use of resources and zero waste - and the practical applications
required in order to achieve this economic model. Achieving perfect circularity represents potentially
transformative systemic change and requires a fundamental re-think of many of our current economic
structures, systems and processes.
This is a full-semester elective course which is designed to create awareness among sustainability
leaders that those structures, systems and processes which exist today are not those which will carry us
(as rapidly as we need) into a more sustaining future. The class will be comprised of a series of lectures,
supported by readings and case-studies on business models, design thinking and materi
- MW 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Diana A Trushell
Info - 3 points
SOLAR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
TBA
- T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
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Instructor:
Daniel J Giuffrida
Info - 3 points
EQUITY, ENERGY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
EQUITY, ENERGY AND BUILT
- TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
- 3 points
Internship In SUMA
This course requires you to experience firsthand a program-related job in a real working environment. You will engage in personal, environmental and organizational reflection. The ideal Internship will provide you an opportunity to gain tangible and practical knowledge in your chosen field by taking on a position that is closely aligned with your coursework and professional interests. Before registering for this course, you must have completed the Internship Application Form in which you will describe your internship sponsor and provide details about the work that you will be doing. This form must be signed by your internship supervisor and approved by your program director BEFORE you register for this course.
To receive instructor approval, the internship:
● Must provide an opportunity for the student to apply course concepts, either at the organizational or team level
● Must fit into the planned future program-related career path of the student
You must identify your own internship opportunities. The internship must involve a commitment to completing a minimum of 210 hours over the semester.
At the end of your course, you will submit an evaluation form to your internship supervisor. The evaluation form should be returned directly to the instructor
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Instructor:
Taylor Wordsman
Info - 3 points
SUSTAINABILITY & URBAN FORM
- MW 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
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Instructor:
Allison L Bridges
Info - 3 points