Sustainability Management Minor

The Sidhu School of Business and Leadership and the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department in the College of Business and Engineering are jointly offering a minor in sustainability management for students who wish to enhance their understanding of sustainability management. Sustainability is smart management of natural resources toward the end results of efficiency and profitability. Sustainability management is becoming a growing focus for many organizations that strive to be more environmentally conscious and socially responsible. Leaders in every industry have recognized the value sustainable measures bring to the world, and to their bottom line.

Minor Highlights:

Students will become familiar with the terminology and implementation strategies for sustainability management and learn about “sustainability champions.”

Students will learn about the latest sustainability management tools and how to assess an organization’s currents status and target areas for improvement.

Students will learn how to communicate and disseminate information, both internally and externally, about an organization’s sustainability programs and create implementation‐ready initiatives and programs.

If a student does not choose to obtain the minor, completion of the four courses SUS 401, SUS 402, SUS 403 and SUS 404 (or other options) will allow you to obtain a certificate in sustainability management. A grade of 3.0 or greater in all four courses is required for receipt of the certificate.

The following four core courses are required for the minor. They are all three credits each. A grade of 3.0 or greater in all four courses is required for receipt of the minor.

Sustainability Management Core Courses* (all required)

SUS 401 - Introduction to Sustainability (On-line)

This course serves as an introduction to the concept of sustainability and will investigate why knowledge of sustainability issues and initiatives is an important business management and operational tool. There are no pre‐requisites for this course.

SUS 402 - Metrics of Sustainability (On-line)

Metrics of sustainability are the tools and procedures that are utilized to measure the impact and progress of a sustainability management program. These metrics are important because they enable goal setting and facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices. In this course current sustainability reporting and tracking systems will be studied. SUS 401 is a pre‐requisite for this course.

SUS 403 - Sustainability Implementation (On-line)

Students will learn about implementing sustainability management systems through an in‐ depth study of a manufacturing facility. Key topics to be studied will include setting sustainability goals, development of an environmental policy statement, development of sustainability metrics and sustainability reporting. SUS 402 is a pre‐requisite for this course.

SUS 404 - Industry‐focused Sustainability (On-line) or Other Options

In this course students will perform an in‐depth study of sustainability standards and practices in the context of a specific industry. This course is the last in a series of the four core courses in Sustainability Management. SUS 403 is a pre‐requisite for this course.

Other applicable major courses can be substituted for SUS 404 with permission of the SUS Minor Coordinators. Students will need to propose the substitution for SUS 404 to the SUS Minor Coordinators before completion of SUS 403 for approval.

* ‐ Wilkes University is an International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP https://www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org/) educational partner and is a recognized leader in delivering sustainability‐related educational opportunities to current and aspiring sustainability professionals. Students who complete the four Sustainability Management Core Courses will be prepared to sit for ISSP exam.

REQUIREMENTS

Successful completion of the 12 credit Sustainability Management Certificate Program core courses: (SUS 401, SUS 402, SUS 403 and SUS 404 or other options) with a grade of 3.0 or higher.
A minimum of 18 credits in approved courses (i.e., 6 of the 18 credits from the approved course - list below).
Minimum grade of 3.0 in courses toward minor
Completion of a “Declaration of Minor” form

Approved courses that qualify towards the requirements of the Sustainability Management Minor:

Required Courses

SUS 401 - Introduction to Sustainability Credits: 3 *
SUS 402 - Metrics of Sustainability Credits: 3 *
SUS 403 - Sustainability Implementation Credits: 3 *
SUS 404 - Industry-Focused Sustainability Credits: 3 *
EES 105 - Planet Earth Credits: 3 **
CE 325 - Sustainability Engineering Credits: 3
EES 210 - Global Climate Change Credits: 3
ENV 240 - Introduction to Environmental Systems and Sustainability Credits: 3
ENV 305 - Solid Waste Management Credits: 3
ENV 330 - Water Quality Credits: 4
ENV-TE Engineering Technical Elective Credits: 3 ***
ENV 332 - Air Quality Credits: 3
HL 353 - Human Resource Management in The Service Industry Credits: 3
HL 355 - Event Management Credits: 3
HL 382 - Food and Beverage Management Credits: 3
MGT 251 - Management of Organizations and People Credits: 3
MGT 298 - Topics in Management Credits: 3
MGT 352 - Production and Operations Management Credits: 3
MGT 356 - The Social Responsibility of Business Credits: 3
SM 355 - Facility Management Credits: 3

Total Credits: 43

*Required

**Other applocable major course can be substituted for SUS 404 with permission of the SUS Minor Coordinators. Students will need to propose the substitution for SUS 404 to the SUS Minor Coordinators before completion of SUS 403 for approval.
**Non CEE students only
***Required approval by Sustainability Management minor coordinators

Guidelines and Stipulations

Course offerings are subject to change.