Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Delivery
Asynchronous Online: Learning takes place online and asynchronously within a course site, typically hosted in a learning management system (LMS).
Course Prerequisites
Admitted to the Sustainability Engineering program
Course Materials
- Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective, Edited by Rebecca Henderson, Ranjay Gulati, and Michael Tushman. Ch. 1, Oxford 2015.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
- PLO-1A. Explain cutting-edge scientific approaches relevant to assess the sustainability of human operations.
- PLO-2A: Explain how local solutions could have a global impact in terms of sustainability.
- PLO-2B. Apply systems thinking to address the challenges related to sustainability
- PLO-3A. Identify and qualify how future uncertainties can impact the sustainability of a project economically,
environmentally and socially - PLO-3B. Make Decisions. Make decisions and solve problems based on qualitative assessment.
-
PLO-4A. Communicate. Effectively communicate to a variety of stakeholder groups in different settings via a variety of media, including written,
verbal and visual forms.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) Alignment
| CLO | Description | PLO |
|---|---|---|
| A | Evaluate an organization to determine its operating model and how characteristics of the operational model support, inhibit or are indifferent to the prevailing global linear economy. Identify why and the extent to which the linear economic and consumption model has created negative environmental impacts. | 2B |
| B | Identify how the network of stakeholder groups influences the optimal operational approach, and achieve social license to operate strategy in each of the three economic operating model types. | 2A |
| C | Evaluate sustainability reporting models and their advantages and disadvantages for each operating model and economic model. | 3B |
| D | Identify factors necessary to create and maintain social license to operate. | 4A |
| E | Evaluate requirements necessary for a company to transform its sustainability performance and whether or not it’s appropriate. | 1A |
| F | Understand how creating cultures of trust and belonging protect human capital, your employees and contractors, drive or destroy value and create or sabotage opportunities for businesses. |
3B, 4A |
Grades
Breakdown.
| Activity | Description | Points/Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial Presentation | Attendance at Live Session and participation in-class exercises or make up assignment | 10% |
| Homework: Discussion Board | Case study exercises are assigned to support discussion | 20% |
| Group Debates | Two group debates are assigned | 30% |
| Mid-Term Group Report and Presentations | Two group presentations are assigned | 15% |
| Final Group Report and Presentations | End of semester group presentation | 21% |
| Peer Reviews of individual contribution | For the final group report and presentation, your group mates will evaluate your contribution quality, reliability, and professional communication skills. | 4% |
| Total | 100 |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Tutorial Participation (In-class activities during Live Session)
An in-class activity will be assigned during the weekly Live Session. Students who cannot attend the session, and complete the make-up assignment will not be penalized. For the make-up assignment, Students are expected to watch the recording and complete a make-up assignment. The purpose of this activity is to give students practice in using the knowledge learned, and prepare for the Final Exam.
Homework Assignments- Discussion Boards
Discussion Board Homework assignments, are designed to stimulate critical thinking about the elements necessary to generate sustainable businesses that can maintain a social license to operate. Students and faculty will be able to provide feedback on your posts.
Group Debates
The discussion board assignments will lay the foundation for the topics that will be debated during the 2 debate sessions.
Group Written Report and Presentations
Students will be allocated to one of 4 groups. For the first assignment you will work together to evaluate a company for its sustainability strategy and management of social license to operate via publicly available reports such as newspaper and journal articles, quarterly financial updates, annual and sustainability reports.
For the second assignment you will propose a sustainability strategy that encompasses direction on people, profit and planet (environmental), that will create and maintain a social license to operate.
Course Policies
Communication
There is ample opportunity within our course for academic debate, disagreement, compromise, and for us to change our minds. In order for this to be a productive dialogue, I ask that we all:
- Recognize that we are entering into this space with different experiences and understandings.
- Use reasoned arguments that are supported by reputable resources.
- Practice truly listening to one another.
- Ask questions for clarification.
- Provide and receive feedback with grace.
- Respect the privacy of those sharing. We are all learning together, and we must take from here what we have learned. Please respect that people may share how the topics in this course have impacted their personal lives and also that people may make mistakes while they learn.
- If something is said or done in these dialogues that prohibits you from being able to participate in this class, I ask that you reach out to me directly. You may also choose to use other resources on campus, such as reporting through the 24-Hour Reporting Hotline (call at 844-428-6531). This hotline can be used to report bias, discrimination, physical or mental harassment or misconduct by OU community members.
You may contact me via email if you have any questions. I normally check my email in the evenings and will reply as soon as I can, within the following 24 hours Monday-Friday. I seldom check my email over the weekend, so I will probably reply on Monday the emails I receive during the weekend.
To create an adequate learning space, I ask you to be respectful of your instructor, teaching assistant, and classmates. Our interactions should be conducted in a professional yet amicable manner.
Feedback
You can expect to receive feedback and grades one week after every assignment.
Late Policy
I understand that many of us may be faced with unforeseen circumstances that can prevent us from completing our work on time or attending every session. Our late work and attendance policy exists, however, because your participation is crucial not only to your success but also to contributing to the success of your peers who can learn from what you bring to the classroom.
Plagiarism
The overall goal of this course is your learning. To demonstrate that you have reached this goal, the work you turn in needs to be your own. This includes putting written work into your own words and citing your sources, as appropriate to avoid plagiarism. Penalties for serious offenses include a zero on the assignment and egregious offenses can even result in expulsion from the university, so it is important to understand expectations. The most serious offenses can often be avoided by citing sources—when in doubt, cite it! As part of our work together we will talk about how to accurately and responsibly cite sources, both to avoid plagiarism and to strengthen your arguments.
Plagiarism as defined by the OU Integrity Office includes:
- Copying words and presenting them as your own writing.
- Copying words, even if you give the source, unless you also indicate that the copied words are a direct quotation.
- Copying words and then changing them a little, even if you give the source.
- Even if you express it in your own words, it is plagiarism to use someone else’s idea as your own.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|