Sustainability Teaching
Learning Objectives
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Learning Objective #1: Students will demonstrate systems thinking by explaining how society, the economy, and the natural environment interrelate and influence one another holistically. |
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Learning Objective #2: Students will critically reflect on their values and those of stakeholders while navigating value differences in sustainability-focused decisions. |
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Learning Objective #3: Students will apply systems thinking to develop business strategies to address sustainability challenges and will critically evaluate the impact of those strategies at internal, local, national, and global levels. |
Robins School Sustainability Courses
ACCT 359 - International Perspectives: Sustainability Initiatives and Reporting
This half-unit course explores the evolving global landscape of sustainability reporting, focusing on recent SEC, ISSB, and EU developments while reflecting on South Africa’s early adoption of ESG standards. Students gain critical insight into how businesses disclose environmental and social impacts, engage with professionals shaping these standards, and analyze the link between sustainability efforts and financial reporting. A highlight of the course is a spring break field trip in Cape Town, South Africa, where students visit companies implementing sustainable business practices and global accounting firms to explore ESG reporting in action.
This interdisciplinary course examines the complex and evolving challenges of human development in the Global South through an economic lens, with a strong emphasis on sustainability. Students examine key development issues such as globalization, industrialization, income inequality, agriculture, and the environmental dimensions of economic growth. Incorporating economics, history, geography, political science, and anthropology, the course encourages critical thinking about how institutions, policy, and culture shape sustainable development. Students develop the skills to analyze trade-offs and long-term impacts, preparing them to think ethically and effectively about economic solutions in a diverse global context.
This course evaluates environmental challenges through the lens of economic theory, centering on pollution, externalities, and the valuation of ecosystem services. Students explore tools for ecological decision-making, such as benefit-cost analysis and non-market valuation, and study policy approaches to pollution control, including market-based solutions and regulatory frameworks. The course concludes with a discussion on environmental justice and sustainable development. Emphasizing analytical reasoning and graphical analysis, students gain the skills to critically evaluate environmental policies and consider their economic and social effects.
This course explores the economics of cities, focusing on urban land markets, density, infrastructure, housing, and transportation. Students examine how cities grow and function, and how economic theory can inform urban planning and public policy. With topics including agglomeration, inequality, gentrification, and sustainability in the city, the course equips students to critically assess the economic and environmental trade-offs of urban development. Through empirical analysis and policy evaluation, students gain insight into how urban environments can support more equitable and sustainable communities.
This course assesses the relationship between economic activity and the environment, using economic theory to analyze causes of environmental degradation and evaluate policy solutions. Students explore key issues such as pollution, climate change, and resource overuse, focusing on tools like environmental taxes, permit markets, and valuation of non-market goods. Topics also include the management of renewable and nonrenewable resources, uncertainty, and private information in policy design. The course equips students to think critically about sustainability and propose economically sound, market-based strategies for environmental protection.
This course examines the strategic role of environmental sustainability in business, positioning it as both an urgent imperative and a powerful driver of innovation. Students investigate how global ecological, social, and economic mega-trends reshape business environments and how companies respond through corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable development, and social entrepreneurship. The course introduces practical tools and frameworks for integrating sustainability into business models, operations, and stakeholder relationships. Students also analyze their own environmental footprints and learn how businesses can participate in creating sustainable value across sectors and industries.
This experiential course immerses students in real-world consulting projects with small and medium-sized businesses in Richmond and beyond, emphasizing the application of business knowledge to challenges that intersect with sustainability and inclusive growth. Students strengthen their skills in project management, strategic communication, and team collaboration while supporting clients in developing solutions that respond to evolving social, environmental, and market demands. Through structured reflection, milestone tracking, and direct client engagement, the course cultivates a strong sense of accountability and positions students as thoughtful, sustainability-minded representatives of the University and the Robins School of Business.
Sustainability Minor at the University of Richmond
Beyond the courses explicitly focused on sustainability, the RSB faculty actively integrate sustainability topics across at least 41 courses spanning across various business disciplines, which include 38 undergraduate and three MBA classes.
According to the 2024 Sustainability Teaching survey, RSB faculty incorporate at least one or two pillars of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—into their courses. Notably, at least 12 faculty integrate all three pillars at once.
Faculty incorporate sustainability into their coursework using a diverse range of teaching methods, a few of which are outlined below:
| Teaching Methods |
| Integration of sustainability within broader course discussions |
| Case studies focused on sustainability |
| Specific units or modules dedicated to a sustainability topic |
| Ethical dilemas focused on sustainability |
| Sustainability-focused assignments |
| Guest speakers or panels on sustainability |
| Experiential projects with sustainability themes (e.g. consulting, service learning) |
| Field trips |
| Simulations |