Business and Sustainability

The School of Business and Economics at Seattle Pacific University has committed itself to "another way of doing business". One way the School manifests this vision is in its graduate level course, Business and Stewardship: Global Sustainability.

Taught by Dr. Randy Franz, the course seeks to explore the role of business in addressing global economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The course is cross listed with the School of Theology and incorporates Christian theological understandings of creation care, stewardship, justice, human well-being, and restoration.

After having the opportunity to visit the class during one of its sessions, I can say that the class is truly unique. I don't know of another place you can have a conversation about product life cycles with  both future business leaders and theologians!

The students' eclectic backgrounds combined with the interdisciplinary nature of the class make for a dynamic and collaborative learning environment. The class period I sat in on included discussion about new technology, cradle to cradle design and triple bottom lines.

It is exciting to see a class that brings future leaders from both business and theology together to tackle issues regarding sustainability and business. This kind of cross-disciplinary collaboration is crucial in addressing complex issues surrounding sustainability.

This class isn't the only way SPU's School of Business and Economics is broaching topics of sustainability and business. The School is introducing a new M.A. program in Social and Sustainable Management, an 11 month intensive program focused on sustainable business practices. The program is designed for recent graduates with non-business degrees, and will launch in the fall.