There is increasing demand for students with training and job skills for the green economy, and a widening array of sustainability-related careers to choose from. Sustainability Studies seeks to improve environmental health, social justice, economic development and individual well-being through the integration of disciplinary perspectives from across the university. Nearly 400 faculty members from 55 departments across the university research and teach on sustainability-related topics, ranging from materials science to racial equity.
Auburn University’s Academic Sustainability Program supports and encourages learning, teaching and research that incorporates sustainability principles in all academic units on campus, and works to enhance interaction between campus operations and academic activities in sustainability. We pursue this mission through four principle activities:
Oversight of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability Studies.- Support for faculty seeking to incorporate sustainability themes in the classroom and curriculums.
- Support for the development of interdisciplinary research programs and collaborations that include ideas and issues in sustainability.
- Enhance place-based sustainability teaching and research in the Southeast and coordinate with the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Management to enhance the use of campus operations as examples and projects in our courses and research, and to use our research and teaching to inform and support the development of sustainable operations on campus.