News

This fall, Portland State University will offer "Implementing Sustainability"- a professional certificate program that provides working professionals an understanding of the opportunities and challenges in implementing sustainability strategies in business, government and non-profit organizations.

This multidisciplinary program blends the best of academia with community experts and provides the key concepts, tools and resources required to start or enhance an organization's sustainability program and to maximize benefits such as cost savings. Through hands-on activities, participants apply key concepts to real-world problems and actual situations within their organizations. The participants will also connect with vital community resources for continued learning as they gain critical insights into developing a successful sustainability program.

"This course was a powerful enrichment to my learning about sustainability. Every course was rigorous and also fun and engaging", said Jeanne Longley, a 2003 program participant.

The certificate consists of four core courses and two electives that integrate the three elements of sustainability - environment, community and economy-with systems theory, organizational change and adaptive management. The courses are taught by Portland State faculty from business administration, environmental sciences, economics, public administration, and urban studies and planning, and by practicing experts in the region from Nike, Orb Design, AXIS Performance Advisors, NW Energy Education Institute, CH2M Hill and others.

The fee for this program is $1,500 for full certificate (six classes) or $275 per individual class (including breakfast, lunch and materials). For more information, contact Jennifer Allen, associate program director, at jhallen@pdx.edu or at 503-725-8546.

Portland State University is dedicated to promoting and implementing sustainable practices demonstrated through new course offerings on sustainability, "green" capital construction of new student housing and a new engineering facility, operations policies, public forums and community outreach projects. Instruction and research into sustainable practices occurs across the spectrum of programs at Portland State University, involving business, economics, environmental sciences, education, urban studies and planning, public administration, community health, geography and others. For more information on sustainability and Portland State University visit www.sustain.pdx.edu.

Certificate Program Core Courses
Understanding Sustainability - October 1, 2004
This course introduces key issues and concepts vital to understanding the interconnected realms of the environment, the social community and the economy.

Building the Business Case for Pursuing Sustainability - October 15, 2004
This course provides an understanding of how to articulate bottom-line business benefits, as well as the costs and risks of pursuing sustainability as a strategy.

Strategies for Getting Started: Managing the Change Process - October 29, 2004
Participants will learn how to apply organizational change concepts and theory to tailor an implementation plan to fit their organization's readiness, culture, history and current priorities.
Systems for Managing Sustainability: Metrics, Measures, and Indicators - November 12, 2004 Participants will learn how to create the basics of a management system as well as how to develop metrics, measures and indicators to track results.

Certificate Program Electives
Green Design - November 19, 2004.
Participants will explore sustainable design principles and also learn the step-by-step process for creating an ecologically sustainable design.

Sustainability and Marketing - December 3, 2004.
Participants will expand their understanding of marketing strategy and develop concepts for environmental marketing in their organizations.

Energy and Climate Management - December 10, 2004.
Participants will learn about state-of-the-art energy conservation practices and technologies as well as what's over the horizon in renewable energy and changes in the energy system.

Sustainability in Government - December 17, 2004.
Explores the challenges in implementing sustainability within government and identifies strategies for facilitating sustainable programs and initiatives under public and political circumstances.

# # #