Sustainability Curriculum
The College recognizes the importance of sustainability literacy, which according to the United Nations is “the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that allow individuals to become deeply committed to building a sustainable future and assisting in making informed and effective decisions to this end.”
Sustainability literacy is promoted via two course designations. The first is the Sustainability Designated (SD) course list, which highlights courses that have adopted a moderate-to-strong emphasis on sustainability content. The second course designation is the SUS prefix, which identifies courses that were created with a specific and central focus on sustainability. Sustainability course designations are intended to meet student and community needs and interests, and to create a more just and equitable world. Many SD and SUS courses also fulfill general and discipline studies requirements (e.g., health, cultural literacy, social sciences, and science lab). Click on the links below for detailed course descriptions.
- BI 142, Introduction to Marine Biology (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- FOR 208, Soils: Sustainable Ecosystems (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- FOR 260, Conservation of Natural Resources (3 credits)
- G 163, Field Geology: Rivers, Lakes, and Spring of Central Oregon (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- G 201, Geology I, The Dynamic Earth (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- G 202, Geology II, Earth's Surface (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- G 203, Geology III, Earth History (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- OL 111, Introduction to Outdoor Leadership (3 credits)
- PHE 228, Health and Social Justice (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Health, Cultural Literacy, and Social Science)
- PHE 268, Sustainable Food and Nutrition (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Health and Social Science)
- SOC 228, Sociology of the Environment (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Social Science)
- SUS 101, Introduction to Sustainability (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Social Science)
- SUS 102, Introduction to Environmental Science and Sustainability (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- SUS 103, Physical Science of Climate Change (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Science Lab)
- SUS 210, Creating a More Sustainable Society (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Social Science)
- SUS 220, Sustainable Food and Agriculture (4 credits, fulfills requirements for Social Science)
- SUS 280, Co-op Work Experience (1 credit = 30 hours; Clothing Connection, etc.)
- SUS 298, Independent Study (1 credit = 30 hours)
Faculty information
- Faculty Information (FAQs)
- Sustainability Designated Course Application
- For more information, please contact Owen Murphy at omurphy@cocc.edu or (541) 383-7766.