Education for Sustainable Human and Environmental Systems
From Theory to Practice
Routledge Studies in Sustainability Series

The goal of Sustainable Human and Environmental Systems (SHES) education is to prepare students to facilitate social learning in communities that builds knowledge of, capacity for, and commitment to sustainability to facilitate the emergence of sustainable societies.

The SHES approach to sustainability education relies on complexity-based systems thinking that transcends disciplinary boundaries. This book provides a comprehensive guide to the SHES approach, including its rationale and theoretical foundation, its pedagogy and practical applications in curricula, and ways to support the approach through institutional administration.

This book will be of great interest to academics and students of education, environmental sciences and studies, sustainability and sustainable development, natural resource management, conservation, environmental policy, environmental planning, and related fields in higher education. Educators can use this book as a guide to SHES pedagogy, curriculum design, sustainability, environmental studies, sustainable development, and sustainable well-being. Administrators will find the book useful in establishing, evaluating, staffing, and promoting programs based on the SHES approach.

Preface: Innovation of the SHES Approach Will Focht, Paul A. Barresi, and Michael A. Reiter

Part I: Foundations Editor: Will Focht

1. Why Education for Sustainable Human and Environmental Systems? Will Focht and David V. J. Bell

2. Sustainability: Systems Thinking in Complex Situations Martin J. Bunch, Ricardo Ramírez, and Karen Morrison

3. Viability of Complex Systems: A Holistic Conceptual Framework David Mallery and Martin J. Bunch

4. The Social Learning Challenge Karen Morrison, Will Focht, and Martin J. Bunch

5. The SHES Approach to Sustainability Education Will Focht and Paul A. Barresi

6. Ethical Analysis of Stakeholder Values in Revealing Complexity Steven A. Kolmes, Michael L. Humphreys, and Sara K. Kolmes

Part II: Pedagogy Editors: Paul A. Barresi and Richard C. Smardon

7. Operationalizing the Vision: From Foundations to Pedagogy and Practice Paul A. Barresi

8. Essential Learning Outcomes Richard C. Smardon, Paul A. Barresi and Michael A. Reiter

9. Course Design: An Example of an Undergraduate Course Kimberly Reiter

10. Course Design: Examples of Graduate Courses Richard C. Smardon, Michael A. Reiter, and Michael L. Humphreys

11. Program Design: Degree, Certificate, and Other Programs Richard C. Smardon

12. Institution-Wide Design: Sustainability Education across the Curriculum and Beyond Paul A. Barresi, Richard C. Smardon, and Valerie A. Luzadis

Part III: Administration Editors: Michael A. Reiter and Richard C. Smardon

13. Program Evaluation and Assessment Richard C. Smardon and Michael A. Reiter

14. Supporting Sustainable Human and Environmental Systems Faculty Stephanie Pfirman, Richard C. Smardon, and Michael A. Reiter

15. Supporting Curriculum and Program Design Michael A. Reiter and Richard C. Smardon

16. Model Structures for Institutional Support and Recognition Stephen S. Mulkey, Richard C. Smardon, and Michael A. Reiter

Realizing the Vision: Reflections and Implications Richard C. Smardon, Michael A. Reiter, Paul A. Barresi, and Will Focht

Will Focht is Associate Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA

Michael A. Reiter is Professor of Environmental Science at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA

Paul A. Barresi is Professor of Political Science and Environmental Law at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

Richard C. Smardon is a SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York, USA