Sustainability course modules for information systems and interdisciplinary courses

This workshop will demonstrate how the development of curriculum for sustainability can become a strategic opportunity for IS departments. We will discuss our efforts to introduce modules to existing IS courses that target sustainability and energy literacy. Sustainability, first identified as a characteristic of eco-systems, is the capacity to maintain a process indefinitely. The UN Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as the ability to meet "the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainability has gained significant public and government attention, such as global warming, decreasing energy supplies, and increasing food costs. Many colleges and universities have received positive notice for their greening efforts. In many respects, the academy is expected to be a leader in efforts to improve sustainability. We argue the growing emphasis on sustainability is a strategic opportunity for information systems. Many IS themes are highly relevant to sustainability. There are global, social, technical, and cognitive components that all impact on the use of natural resources. Social behaviors must be changed as a result. For example, an individual's energy consumption is directly related to their interaction with technologies that both rely on and control energy use.