Welcome to ECON 295
ECON 295: Introduction to Sustainable Development
Washington and Lee University
Spring 2018
Professor: James F Casey
Email: caseyj@wlu.edu
Class: MWF
9-12, Wilson Hall 2019
Office Hours: MWF
12-1 and TR by appointment
Office Location: Holtkamp 119
Course Description
In September 2015, the world adopted
a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2015-2030 to replace the
Millennium Development Goals when they expired in 2015. These SDGs set targets
for reducing poverty, protecting the environment, and increasing equality of
opportunity for those who may have had less than equal opportunity in the past
– These are the three pillars of Sustainable Development. The primary objective of this course is to
provide an introduction to the concept, theories, and potential outcomes of
sustainable development. In addition to
this, we will take a case study approach and look at policies and programs that
have aimed to address each of the SDGs.
By the end of the term, you will have been introduced to sustainability through
policies addressing oceans, biodiversity, climate, energy, education, social
investment and health.
Learning
Objectives
The course learning objectives focus on broad knowledge
attainment, critical thinking and research and writing skills.
By
the end of the semester, students should:
- Be familiar with conceptual debates on sustainable
development - understanding basic issues, trends, and concepts in the
field of sustainable development
- Be familiar with
current and emerging global issues related to the Sustainable Development
Goals
w
Have a greater understanding of some of the
strategies and examples of ways in which government and the private sector can
contribute to sustainable development
- Demonstrate critical
thinking, research and writing skills in a research paper on a topic of
their choice related to sustainable development (topic must be
approved by professor)
Reading material:
Class Outline
(with additional readings)
WEEK ONE:
Monday: Introductions,
overview, expectations.
Economic
Development: A theoretical framework
Wednesday: What is Sustainable Development?
Chapter 1 from -
and
Sustainability: An Economist’s
Perspective
Friday: Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs)
Sachs, J.D., “From Millennium Development
Goals to Sustainable Development Goals,” The Lancet, Volume 379, Issue
9832, Pages 2206 - 2211, 9 June 2012. 6 pages. http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60685-0/fulltext
WEEK TWO:
Monday: SDGs 1, 2, and 3
Poverty, Hunger and Health
Wednesday:
SDGs 12,14, and 15
Production and Consumption, Water
and Land
Friday:
Garden and Campus Kitchen and
Compost
WEEK THREE:
Monday: SDGs 6, 7, and 9
Clean Water, Clean Energy, and
Clean Infrastructure
Wednesday: SDGs 11, 13, and 18
Cities, Climate, and Finance
Friday:
Third-Year Housing, Energy and
Water Usage
WEEK FOUR:
Monday: SDGs 4, 5, and 8
Education,
Work, Equal Opportunity
Wednesday: SDGs 10,
16, and 17
Inequality,
Institutions, Interconnectedness
Friday:
Community Engagement, Habitat for
Humanity, and Boxerwood
Course
Requirements
Each day, a group of three students will work together to make
and deliver a formal presentation to
guide our discussion. You should 1) summarize your SDG, 2) provide us with
a summary of the targets, 3) give us an update on progress, 4) tell us about
organizations working on these goals, and 4) try to think creatively about what
we can do locally to contribute to the targets.
Class Participation is
an important part of the course. I expect students to read each day’s assigned
readings, be prepared to discuss them, and to participate actively. On days
when your group is not presenting, your group must come to class with a list of
questions or comments about the days assigned reading. This is your ticket to class (I will
explain). This, also, means you need to
meet with your group outside of class. Even
if you are uncomfortable speaking in class, I urge you to step out of your
comfort zone as much as possible, and I will help to create a supportive
classroom environment. Developing confidence in public speaking is a crucial
skill, and is important for the overall quality of our joint learning.
Each week, we will have, at least, one un-announced Quiz.
The quiz will be based on material covered the previous day. They
are un-announced in order to provide the correct incentive to review your notes
from class every day during the term and to provide you with an opportunity to
meet with me outside of class if you have any questions about the
material. We will have 6 quizzes, in
total, and you will keep your top 5 scores.
The Final Paper assignment
will provide you with an opportunity to research and present a case study in
Sustainability of your choosing. The
basic premise is to 1) ask a question, 2) find three primary sources, i.e.
journal article, book chapter, etc., and 3) “answer” your question. An
excellent guide for this can be found here:
I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THIS.
Grading
Presentations/student-led Discussion 25%
Class Participation 25%
Quizzes 25%
Paper 25%
A note on the honor system: Students must adhere to W&L’s Honor System. Be vigilant in the use and citation of
others’ work when writing the term paper. https://www.wlu.edu/executive-committee/the-honor-system/the-white-book
A note on disabilities:
Washington
and Lee University makes reasonable academic accommodations for qualified
students with disabilities. All undergraduate accommodations must be
approved by the Title IX Coordinator and Director of Disability
Resources. Students requesting accommodations for this course should
present an official accommodation letter within the first two weeks of the term
and schedule a meeting outside of class time to discuss accommodations. It
is the student’s responsibility to present this paperwork in a timely fashion
and to follow up about accommodation arrangements. Accommodations for
test-taking must be arranged at least a week before the date of the test or
exam, including finals.
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