Syllabus - Spring 2008
Principles of Sustainability (HSA 305)

This is a three-credit graduate course and is one in a series of courses in the online Humanitarian Services Administration program developed by the University of Connecticut's Center for Continuing Studies. This course is an elective course in the online Master of Professional Studies degree with a field of study in Humanitarian Services Administration.

The developer of this course is Dr. Ruth Rosenbaum.

Course Title: Principles of Sustainability (HSA 305)
Credits: 3
Instructor: Dr. Ruth Rosenbaum

E-mail: ruth_rosenbaum@crea-inc.org
Phone:(860) 527-0455

Sustainability is a key issue for every person, community, and country throughout the world. The concept and the need for sustainability apply to environment, communities, and social and economic systems. Sustainability encompasses the need to repair past damage and to ensure that policies and practices of today provide not only for the present but also for the future.

Students seeking to work in the corporate, NGO (non-profit), education, medical, environmental, and other sectors will be faced with key questions related to social, economic, and/or environmental sustainability.

This course will provide students with an understanding of the basic principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability and will assist students to develop the ability to apply these principles to current issues of sustainability.

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Recognize the basic principles of environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability.
• Apply the basic principles of sustainability to selected case studies.
• Apply the basic principles of sustainability to current sustainability issues, both domestic and international.
• Demonstrate the application of the basic principles of sustainability in a research paper that will enable the student to work on his/her writing skills, as well as application of conceptual knowledge.

Grading Procedures:

Students will be graded on discussion participation, exercises, responses to case studies, as well as their application of the principles of sustainability to specific situations. In addition, there will be written assignments for each module. The final exam will consist of a comprehensive paper integrating the components of the course in application to specific countries.

Grade components are as follows:

• Discussion Participation - 25%
• Case Studies and Application of Principles - 25%
• Written Assignments - 25%
• Final Paper - 25%

Final letter grades for this course will be determined based on the following scale:

Grade	Letter Grade	GPA
97-100	A+	4.3
93-96	A	4.0
90-92	A-	3.7
87-89	B+	3.3
83-86	B	3.0
80-82	B-	2.7
77-79	C+	2.3
73-76	C	2.0
70-72	C-	1.7
67-69	D+	1.3
63-66	D	1.0
60-62	D-	0.7
<60	F	0.0

You are responsible for acting in accordance with the Student Code, available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.cfm?from=im&fn=Judicial%20Affairs. 

The following required course materials may be purchased by contacting the vendor directly. Please see the purchase information following each required course item.

Required Materials:

• Center for Reflection, Education and Action. (2004). Sustainable Living Wage and Income Report on El Salvador (2004). [This publication can be purchased from the Center for Reflection, Education and Action (CREA) or by emailing Dr. Rosenbaum directly at ruth_rosenbaum@crea-inc.org.]

• Snitow, A. & Kaufman, D. (Producers/Directors). (2004). Thirst [DVD Documentary Film]. Snitow-Kaufman Productions. [This DVD can be purchased directly from Bullfrog Films. Visit Bullfrog Films' Web site at http://www.thirstthemovie.org/order.html for more details. NOTE: Bullfrog Films has agreed to sell the DVD for a reduced rate of $25 plus shipping and handling to students taking this course. When purchasing the DVD, identify yourself as a University of Connecticut student taking the "Principles of Sustainability" course.]

Web sites will be listed in this course.

• Word processing software
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

Your Internet browser and browser settings need to be Vista compatible.
See Settings.

Module 1: Defining Sustainability

1. Exploration of Definitions
2. Core Questions
   1. Sustainability of what?
   2. Sustainability of whom?
3. Who decides? Who benefits?
4. Access, Control, and Benefit – core questions for sustainability

Module 2: Sustainability: Past, Present, and Future

1. Understanding Damage from the Past
   1. Cumulative Damage
   2. Undoing the Damage from the Past
2. Understanding the Present
   1. Key Definitions
3. Planning for the Future
   1. Learning from the Past and the Present
   2. Designs and Needs

Module 3: Environmental Sustainability

1. Eco-systems
2. Balance and Imbalance
3. Bio-accumulation
4. Recycling and Renewing
5. Ecological Succession and Climax Communities
6. Access, Control, and Benefit
7. Case Studies:
   1. Water
   2. Mining
   3. Deforestation

Module 4: Economic Sustainability

1. Defining Need and Necessity of Human Communities
2. The Role of Work and Jobs
3. Econo-Systems: What stays in the community? What leaves? Who decides?
4. Creating a Tax Base
5. Case Studies
   1. Free trade zones
   2. Privatization

Module 5: Social Sustainability

1. Creating Social Infrastructure
2. Creating Physical Infrastructure
3. Migration
4. Family and Community Stability
5. Cultural Identity, Stability and Change
6. Conflicts: Warfare and Violence
7. Case Studies
   1. Migrant Farm Workers
   2. Minimum Wage Jobs
   3. Outsourcing

Module 6 : Measurements, Indicators, and Information

1. The UN Millennium Goals
2. The Global Reporting Initiative
3. The CERES Principles
4. Community Information

Module 7: Major Players, Many Voices

1. United Nations
2. ILO
3. World Trade Organization
4. NGO Community
5. IMF and World Bank
6. Local Voices
7. Academia

Module 8: Putting it all Together for the Future

1. Defining the Common Good
2. Designing for the Common Good
3. Common Good and Environmental Sustainability
4. Common Good and Economic Sustainability
5. Common Good and Social Sustainability

Students will be provided an opportunity to evaluate instruction in this course using the University's standard procedures, which are administered by the Office of Institutional Research.