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How does the proposed Business Sustainability Minor fit with the Environmental Studies Minor?
The proposed CBA minor in Business Sustainability shares a common hope and concern with UW-L’s Environmental
Studies minor. In the deepest sense possible, each of these minors has been informed by the same higher goals for
sustainable human existence and the environment as the other. Plus, both efforts see themselves as being fundamentally
interdisciplinary in their approaches to their respective subject matters. Because of this, both minors make an explicit and
conscious effort to include in the design and content of their various courses the best in contemporary thinking from the
natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities.
Yet, despite these inherent commonalities, these two minors are also different. They draw on two different target
audiences and on two different defining frames.
The proposed CBA minor in Business Sustainability is targeted explicitly for business majors and frames all of its courses
around a broadened understanding of business; that is, around a view of business that not only sees the purpose of
business as the building and enhancing of life but also one that embraces as its defining ethos the dynamic and sustainable
integration of the environment, society and the economy.
Alternatively, the Environmental Studies minor seeks to draw students from all of UW-L’s colleges—not just the CBA—
while framing its inquiry from the perspective of the environment. Of course, while “the environment” is a critical concern
for understanding any issue in business sustainability, beginning one’s inquiry from this perspective does, indeed,
represent a different cognitive frame and a different paradigm from that assumed in the Business Sustainability minor. (Of
course, one can make too much of this difference; but one can also make too little of it.)
At the same time, an additional complicating factor for business students is the fact that the Environmental Studies minor
requires 24-credit hours to complete. This is different from the Business Sustainability minor which only requires 18
credits to complete. As a result, enrolling in the Environmental Studies minor is equivalent to declaring a double-major for
a CBA student, since each major within the CBA presently requires 24-credits. The only exception to this is the
Accountancy major, which requires 28-credits. (It should be noted that all of this is in addition to the 45 credits of core
courses also required of all CBA students.)
To date, and despite the growing popularity of the Environmental Studies minor across campus, as well as the growing
interest among CBA students in business sustainability, very few business students have actually enrolled in the
Environmental Studies minor. In fact, per both Keith Beyer and Wayne “Buzz” Bocher in Environmental Studies (February
19, 2013), there have only ever been two business students enrolled at any one time in that minor. Unfortunately, this is
not something we in the CBA expect to fundamentally change in the foreseeable future.
Still, despite these differences, the CBA sees our proposed minor as a natural complement to the already-existing
Environmental Studies minor. Indeed, we look forward to significant levels of cooperation and joint efforts in the future
with the Environmental Studies minor and welcome that opportunity.
Accordingly, our proposed minor should not in any way create problems of access or availability for Environmental Studies
minors. Yes, by definition, Business Sustainability minors will be able to take two elective courses outside the CBA as part
of their minor. But the range of possible electives—which will only likely expand, not decline—is such, and the expected
number of Business Sustainability minors will be such, that it is difficult to imagine wherein the problems of access and
availability would arise.
Yet, to assure that such problems will not arise, the faculty advisers involved with the Business Sustainability minor will
make it their concern to actively work to prevent this problem from occurring. That is, they will actively guide students
within the minor away from gravitating to all the same available courses outside the CBA.
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In short, we trust and hope that not only will our proposed minor address an import and growing need for our CBA
students, while also helping to evolve the CBA curriculum as a whole, but will also provide a natural and constructive
complement to today’s existing Environmental Studies minor.
Possible overlap and double counting of electives with Environmental Studies Minor:
In those very rare instances where a CBA student might also be an Environmental Studies minor, the CBA does not have
a problem with double-counting elective credits for both minors. However, if the Environmental Studies minor wishes to
prohibit such double-counting for its minors, then that is certainly its prerogative.
As presently proposed, if a CBA student with a declared CBA Business Sustainability minor opted to take ECO 346 (as
their required CBA elective) and then also took ENV 201 and 303 as their two, optional, non-CBA electives, they would
still only have taken nine of the required 24-credits for the Environmental Studies minor. Thus, they would still need to
take an additional nine credits of required coursework to complete the Business Sustainability minor; and an additional
15-credits of required coursework to complete the Environmental Studies minor.
Which other academic departments have you consulted with and provide written documentation.
1. Email from Rob Tyser, Biology
On Thu, Apr 26, 2012 at 11:46 AM, Anderson, Donna <danderson3@uwlax.edu> wrote:
Hello all!
I received a note of support from Rob Tyser, which appears below. I have cc'ed him on this email just to be sure I have
stated his position correctly. Thank you, Rob.
Given how busy things are now, I haven't had a chance to think this through and thus don't have any concerns to express
about the Sustainability minor. If I had specific concerns, I would have mentioned them to you, especially given our
recent conversations about sustainability initiatives.
In fact, I urge you continue moving your ideas forward and tweaking them a bit if necessary. Perhaps concerns that
Keith has about potential overlap [with Environmental Studies minor] can be addressed in ways that support both
minors. It would be really nice to offer both of these minors to our students.
Hope this helps a bit. Please do not hesitate to stop by or give me a callRob
2. Email from Keith Beyer, Environmental Studies
On Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 2:24 PM, Keith Beyer <kbeyer@uwlax.edu> wrote:
Hi Donna,
Thanks for talking with me today. I very much appreciate your candid comments regarding the environmental studies
program and our minor. I reflected for some time on your comments and the differences between your proposed minor
and the environmental studies minor. I went back and read again the learning objectives for your minor and those we
have for the environmental studies minor. (We have learning goals for the minors in our program, and more specific
content requirements for our ENV 201 course, which is a gen ed course.) I agree that your goals are different from ours.
Yours are clearly more focused on the business aspect of sustainability while ours are very broad and general. This has
caused me to re-think how I view your proposal.
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I had a good meeting with Steve Tippins, the summary of which is I am still a bit concerned about students being able to
double minor (potentially) with students only taking six credits different between the two minors, but I believe this is an
issue for the UCC and Registrar to decide. If it is acceptable to have two minors with that level of overlap, then I do not
oppose it. Steve asked how I would characterize my position regarding your proposed minor, my response was
"indifferent."
I just wanted to follow up with you since (upon reflection) my thinking regarding your proposed minor is different than
when our conversation ended.
Thank you again for our conversation and your candid opinions/observations
Keith
Keith Beyer
Professor of Chemistry
Director, Environmental Studies Program
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
3. Email from Cecilia Marique, Chair, Political Science/Public Administration
May 1, 2012 at 8:52 AM, Marnique, Celia cmanrique@uwlax.eduwrote:
Maggie and Donnba (I am assuming Anderson!):
Jo Arney and I have talked about the Sustainability Minor since her course POL 318 Environmental Politics and
Policymaking is directly affected by it.
We see no problems in including our course in the minor.
As with the others who have expressed their opinion I think once you iron out the kinks involved (double dipping, etc.) it
will benefit our students interested in going along the path.
I therefore encourage you to move and plan further for the minor.
I hope this helps.
Cecilia
Cecilia G. Manrique, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Political Science/Public Administration
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse, WI 54601
4. Email from Al Gedicks, Sociology
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On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 11:45 AM, Gedicks, Al <agedicks@uwlax.edu> wrote:
Hi Donna,
Thank you for sending a copy of your proposal for a Minor in Sustainable Business. The proposal demonstrates a lot of
careful planning and consultation. The response from both faculty and students demonstrates a solid base of support for
the minor because these issues are of increasing importance in business and a global economy.
I teach two sociology courses that are listed as potential courses for the minor and am pleased that business students
will be able to learn how issues of Indigenous rights and human rights affect the ability of corporations to conduct their
operations in many parts of the world.
I would urge the CBA faculty to support moving this proposal forward to the University UCC for further discussion.
Al Gedicks, Professor of Sociology
5. Email from Kim Vogt, Sociology
On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 1:09 PM, Vogt, Kimberly <kvogt@uwlax.edu> wrote:
Hi Donna,
The department of Sociology and Archaeology supports the proposal to plan the sustainability minor.
Kimberly A. Vogt, Ph.D. Professor of
Sociology and Chair Department of
Sociology and Archaeology
435 Wimberly Hall
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
608-785-8458
kvogt@uwlax.edu
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