EVS 560 Leadership in Sustainability

This course aims to inspire and enable people to lead the effective change towards environmental sustainability and is designed to empower and prepare anyone to join in the collective effort to steer our society back on course towards a just and sustainable future. It is created to enhance individual leadership skills as applied to a variety of organizational contexts (education, government, non-profit, church, community, business, etc.). The course explores what leadership in sustainability is and guides students to advance their related capabilities, competencies, and strategies. The personal, interpersonal, organizational and infrastructural dimensions of leadership in sustainability are each addressed. A variety of specific case studies and examples of sustainability in practice, including everything from urban green and blue spaces to environmental purchasing are explored. Interdependencies between finance, politics, interpersonal relationships, cognitive processes, capacity building, and technology are discussed. Students taking the course for credit in the Department of Environment and Sustainability, or any other department or major, as well as professionals, will leave with a deeper knowledge of leadership in sustainability as they are required to complete a project involving a real-life or fictitious leadership of their choice.