Syllabus

Course Meeting Times

Lectures: 1 session / week for 7 weeks, 2.5 hours / session

Introduction

Sustainability challenges organizations to address the implications — and responses — in their own operations and supply chain, products/services/markets, and community responsibilities. In the related core courses required for the Sloan Sustainability Certificate, we've explored the development and implementation of strategies for sustainable organizations. You've also had the opportunity to work on in-progress sustainability projects in S-Lab, and you have the concepts and methods of systems dynamics, and the background in global climate change.

The Professional Seminar in Sustainability has four major goals.

• First, you will be exposed to a wide variety of professionals from organizations actively pursuing sustainability in operations, products, strategy and other areas.
• Second, you will have the opportunity to discuss and analyze the experiences of these professionals through detailed discussions and interactions with these leaders in the field - especially considering how the reality of their practice may (or may not) follow theory.
• Third, you will have an opportunity to examine trends in sustainability initiatives within social, economic, political, and environmental contexts in depth.
• Finally, you and your team will have the opportunity to assemble "briefing materials" that can make the case for sustainability to a specific organization (of your choosing) that seeks to become more sustainable.

We have invited sustainability leaders to present to the Proseminar from many different industries and organizations, and the focus of their sustainability activities differs significantly.

Readings

To ensure that the sessions are effective and useful for both you and the guests, you will be expected to read background materials we will provide prior to each session.

Attendance

This course is a required core course for the Sloan Sustainability Certificate, and therefore students will be required to pass this course to obtain the certificate. All students are expected to attend all sessions.

Grading

Your grade will be based on your team's project report, your active and thoughtful participation in discussions, and your attendance.