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Sustainability and the General Education Curriculum:
Adding Sustainability Education to an Ethics Class

Every semester, I teach multiple sections of a required general education class (PHIL 104: Introduction to Ethics). I have recently started incorporating service-learning experiences into the class. Student feedback and assessment indicates the students enjoy the service learning and it enhances their educational experience. Prior to the 2024 Valley & Ridge faculty workshop I did not address ethical aspects of environmental issues or sustainability in the class. During the workshop my project focused on updating the general education ethics class to include learning about sustainability. During the Valley & Ridge faculty workshop, I learned about classroom activities related to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. My project included updating my ethics class to include multiple activities relating to these goals and identifying local service learning opportunities for the students that relate to sustainability.

During the beginning of the semester the class will learn about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals using the UN website resources. Then, students will voluntarily get into small groups based on the goals and will spend the rest of the semester analyzing how the goal they selected relates to the ethical theory or case study being discussed. During the semester, students will participate in 10 hours of service learning activities and will reflect on the service learning, the ethical theories we have learned, and the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals they selected. The goal of my project is to increase student awareness of sustainability and allow students to participate in service learning opportunities (on campus and within the local community) that reinforce their classroom learning and provide meaningful reflection about sustainability and their role in working toward be better future.