ACADEMIC PROGRAMS:
Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability
Addressing sustainability in our society poses interdisciplinary challenges that require interdisciplinary solutions. McMaster created the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability with the goal to develop student’s interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of sustainability.
Overview
Objectives
To achieve this goal (see above), the Minor provides a path for students to study diverse aspects of sustainability by taking courses from different faculties and integrating them into a cohesive whole. The specific objectives of the Minor are as follows:
- Promote engagement among students, faculty, and staff across all faculties, facilitating interdisciplinary learning.
- Offer a wide selection of courses to enable students to choose the sustainability emphasis that is right for them and to pursue courses that will further their individual learning objectives.
- Provide opportunities to meaningfully engage with communities both within and outside of McMaster.
- Encourage opportunities for student experiential learning about sustainability.
Reporting
Through the development and implementation of McMaster’s Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability, students are now able to choose from over 64 courses from faculties across campus to gain a truly interdisciplinary perspective of sustainability as well as tailor a minor that compliments their major. In only two years of operation, 19 students have declared an Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability.
Collaborators
The Minor would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of the past and current members of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability Committee; the Arts & Science Program for providing an administrative home for the Minor; the faculty members who have opened up their courses for inclusion and helped communicate the Minor; the staff members, including academic advisors, who have provided advice and guidance throughout; and the dozens of students who have shown their support by taking the Minor and working with us through its development.
Requirements
24 units total
3 units from SUSTAIN Courses
SUSTAIN 1S03 – Introduction to Sustainability;
SUSTAIN 2S03 – Evaluating Problems & Sustainable Solutions;
SUSTAIN 3S03 – Implementing Sustainable Change;
SUSTAIN 4S06 – Leadership in Sustainability
Starting in 2017/18, Sustain 2S03, 3S03, and 4S06 will include prerequisite of the previous level course. However, all courses will include the option for acceptance upon permission of the instructor.
21 Units from Course List
Any cross-listed course and those of interdisciplinary programs between two or more Faculties will be counted as a course outside of the student’s home Faculty.
Sustain courses do not count towards units outside a student’s home Faculty.
NOTES
1) Students should note that not all courses listed are available each year. As well, it is the student’s responsibility to check carefully for prerequisites, co-requisites and enrolment restrictions.
2) Students are strongly encouraged to seek guidance from their Faculty advisor to ensure they are meeting all enrollment requirements, including Faculty-specific requirements for double counting courses required for a student’s major.
3) All courses have enrolment capacities. The Faculty cannot guarantee registration in courses for minors, even when prerequisites have been met.
Committee
Roles and Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of the Committee are as follows:
- Promote the Minor, including Sustain 1S03 and other courses on the Minor Course List
- Advise on the administrative processes involved, such as course exception process, course list, requirements, etc.
- Consult with Faculty colleagues on the course list and other administrative aspects
- Approve the course list, specifically for courses under each member’s home Faculty. Offer insight on courses outside home Faculty.
- Provide pan-campus perspective as it relates to development and management of the Minor
Guiding Principles
McMaster’s Minor in Sustainability is guided by the following principles:
- Provide students with foundational sustainability knowledge
- Create a consciousness and respect for the diversity of sustainability perspectives held in different Faculties
- Ensure an interdisciplinary educational experience
- Encourage and support student-directed learning
- Complement existing McMaster educational offerings while avoiding redundancy
- Ensure inter-Faculty equity, including student accessibility
Meeting Frequency
Twice annually in July and November
Membership
| Member | Faculty | Department | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kate Whalen, Co-Chair | Academic Sustainability Programs Office | whalenk@mcmaster.ca | |
| Brent McKnight, Co-Chair | Business | Strategic Management | bmcknight@mcmaster.ca |
| Shelley Anderson, Administrative Support | Arts & Science | Arts & Science | anderso@mcmaster.ca |
| John Maclachlan | Arts & Science | Arts & Science | maclacjc@mcmaster.ca |
| Daniel LaFrance, Student Representative | Engineering | lafrandp@mcmaster.ca | |
| Dean Mountain | Business | Finance and Business Economics | mountain@mcmaster.ca |
| Cam Churchill | Engineering | Civil Engineering | church@mcmaster.ca |
| Carlos Filipe | Engineering | Chemical Engineering | filipec@mcmaster.ca |
| Judy Major-Girardin | Humanities | School of the Arts | girardin@mcmaster.ca |
| Susie O’Brien | Humanities | English and Cultural Studies | obriensu@mcmaster.ca |
| Luc Bernier | Science | Geography and Earth Sciences | berniejm@univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca |
| Chad Harvey | Science | Integrated Science (iSci) Program | harvech@mcmaster.ca |
| Maureen Padden | Science | Geography and Earth Sciences | paddenm@mcmaster.ca |
| Shanti Morell-Hart | Social Science | Anthropology | smorell@mcmaster.ca |
| Sandra Preston | Social Science | Social Work | prestosl@mcmaster.ca |
| Stacey Ritz | Health Sciences | Health Sciences | ritzsa@mcmaster.ca |
Request for Course Substitution
Students wishing to have a sustainability-related course, which is not currently on the Sustainability Minor Course List, and have it count towards their minor are encouraged to email Kate Whalen, Senior Manager of Academic Sustainability Programs and Co-Chair of the Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainability (whalenk@mcmaster.ca), with the following information:
Your Name:
Your Home Faculty:
Your Program of Study and Level:
Faculty (of the course you are submitting the request for):
Program (of the course you are submitting the request for):
Course Code and Title:
Course Outline (link or attach a copy):
Name and Email of Course Instructor (who taught when you took the course):
Have you had any other courses approved for substitutions? If yes, please list using Course Code and Title:
A key objective of the minor is to enable students to select from a diverse list of courses in order to tailor a minor to suit their unique passions and interest in sustainability. Please describe how this course, and/or what you have done in this course, contributes to your learning about sustainability and your sustainability minor. Your request will be reviewed by the minor committee and students can expect a response within approximately 3-4 weeks.
The requirements for the Minor in Sustainability can be found within the 2017/18 Course Calendar, under the heading of Interdisciplinary Minors.
Additional Resources:
Request for Course Substitution
Minor in Sustainability can be found within the 2017/18 Course Calendar, under the heading of Interdisciplinary Minors
2017/18 Course Calendar
Minor in Sustainability can be found within the 2017/18 Course Calendar, under the heading of Interdisciplinary Minors
McMaster 2013 Sustainability Annual Report
Minor in Sustainability can be found within the 2017/18 Course Calendar, under the heading of Interdisciplinary Minors