Curriculum

Whatcom Community College has a sustainability requirement built in to the curriculum.  Students are required to take at least three credits of sustainability-related courses (“s-courses”.) These courses are designed to give students the ability to examine the interrelationships between human activity and the natural environment and how humans deal with these issues. In addition, the viability of social and economic systems may be studied.  At least one credit of course content or time must be devoted to these topics.

See what s-courses are being currently being offered! To find current s-courses, go to “Advanced” at the center top of the screen. At this next page, input the “Quarter” you want to check, then the “Designator” where you will choose “Sustainability (s)”. Then click the “Search” button at the lower left part of the page.

Faculty Resources

Think your course should have an “s” designation (or want to have your course satisfy this designation)? Please contact sustainability@whatcom.edu to set-up time to talk more about your course, your current approaches to teaching sustainability, and new possible paths or directions. We are available to assist you in developing course material and learning activities for including sustainability in any course you teach. 

Curriculum for the bioregion is a great resource to help you integrate sustainability into your courses through activity collection. For examples, including curriculum created by our own WCC faculty, please see the related links box.

Academic Organizations

Whatcom Community College has been a leader in the area of sustainability locally and state-wide. Whatcom has recently been recognized as a 'cool school' by the Sierra Club and made the Princeton Review's list of green schools.  The following organizations are ones that we're affiliated with as a college to better facilitate conversations across academic institutions around issues of sustainability.

AASHE

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is a non-profit membership organization that empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. AASHE enables its members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders.

WAHESC

Whatcom Community College is a founding member of the Washington Higher Education Sustainability Coalition (WAHESC) this statewide group that grew out of our local consortium of colleges in this area.  WCC has been a partner in this organization since inception in 2008.  This organization strives to advance sustainability efforts through facilitating communications, develop the understanding of sustainability, promote partnerships for advancing sustainability, and increase capacity for the practice of sustainability on campuses.