Taught by

Communities and organizations have substantial environmental and social impacts at both local and global scales. How do we evaluate the positive and negative values of those impacts? How do we define and assess organizational practices and associated impacts? What should we be measuring and tracking? And how do we use assessments to stimulate and guide positive organizational change?

To understand the theoretical and practical dimensions of these questions, this class will explore a variety of assessment tools designed for corporations and other organizations, communities, and colleges/universities. Students will develop a broad understanding of organizational sustainability and assessment tools, and a deeper understanding of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) developed by AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Higher Education. (Evergreen faculty and staff, along with MES students, helped develop the pilot version of STARS.) Class work will include planning for and beginning the data collection for Evergreen’s first AASHE STARS assessment of organizational sustainability since 2011. Students will have the opportunity to continue this work in subsequent quarters through internships.

Faculty Biographies

Scott Morgan, M.P.A., is the Director of Sustainability at The Evergreen State College. He has a B.S. in Chemistry from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, with an emphasis upon organic chemistry and biochemistry, and a Master of Public Administration from The Evergreen State College. Evergreen’s Office of Sustainability coordinates and guides on campus sustainability efforts as well as institutional collaborations with community-based groups. Scott has worked in agriculture and private industry, founded and managed a small non-profit, taught GED and pre-college classes, and has spent the past few years immersed in the public sector. This diverse set of perspectives informs his recognition that long-term sustainability will require a dynamic harmony between environmental, social, and economic health. He is also actively engaged with the Thurston Climate Action Team, a public/private partnership dedicated to creating a healthy and sustainable future for Thurston County, WA by encouraging, coordinating, and leading action on climate change.

Quarters

Fall Open

Location and Schedule

Campus Location

Olympia

Time Offered

Evening

Advertised Schedule