Sustainable Enterprise Curricula at George Washington University

1
Sustainable Enterprise Curricula at George
Washington University

• Mark Starik
• George Washington University
• School of Business Public Management
• 2003 WRI BELL Conference, Ft. Lauderdale

2
Outline of Presentation

• Background information on GW SBPM
• Early record of GW sustainability programs
• 1990s evolution of events, actors, entities
• Current sustainability assessments
• Comparisons to other universities/b-schools
• Possible lessons learned shared futures

3
Background Information on George Washington
University

• Centered in Foggy Bottom-Washington DC
• Foiled/rescued Pres. Washingtons bequest
• Columbian College 1821 GWU 1904
• Multiple campuses in region 90 buildings
• 23,000 students 9K UG, 11K GR, 1.5K ND
• All 50 states 140 countries represented
• AS, Med, Law, Engr, Educ, BPM, Intl.

4
Early Record of GW Sustainability Programs

• Environ. Science program mid-1970s
• Environ. Health/Law/Engr. 1980s
• Business/Public Mgmt/Educ. 1960s-policy
• Most BPM/Educ. was/is social, not environ.
• No natural resources-oriented schools
• East Coast, metropolitan/ultra-urban setting

5
1990s Evolution of Events, Actors, and Entities

• Early 1990s environmental certificates
• 1991-1996 Green University initiation,
  collaboration, innovation, devolution,
  regrouping, continuation
• 1997 BELL _at_ GW Green Dorm/Lights
• Strat. Envir. Mgt., Environ. Ethics/Policy
• Continuation of social sustainability courses

6
Current Curriculum Sustainability Assessment

• Less centralization with more activities
• More centers, institutes, initiatives, programs
• MBA Fields EPM, NPOM, SMPP
• More courses, projects, guests, events
• More student groups, multi-school partnering
• Building on the past, looking to the future

7
Comparisons to Other Universities

• Our 4-way IJSHE Article on 4 Universities
• Compared GW, USC, Tufts, Brown - 8Ss
• Shared values/style Visibility Levels
• Strategy/structure Participation Reach
• Skills/systems Breadth Depth
• Stakeholders/success Metrics Modesty

8
Comparisons of GW SBPM to Other Business Schools

• From relative pioneer to tenuous leadership
• Slow increase in environmental scholarship
• Rapid increases in global nonprofit areas
• 3 advantages public mgmt., tourism, DC
• Challenge I maintaining while losing one
• Challenge II maintaining while others gain

9
Possible Lessons Learned Future Developments

• Centralization/decentralization dance
• Persistence luck possibilities
• Several open faculty positions w/potential
• Accountants see the governance light?
• Global Compact, Net Impact, Etc.
• Your suggestions are welcome!