HISTORY OF THE MINOR
The Minor was initiated by a group of ten undergraduate students from the first offering of the Global Sustainability course in Fall 2009. They wanted to continue their sustainability studies through a focused academic program, but one did not exist at the University of Virginia at that time. During the subsequent semester they researched what the university presently offered in coursework, gained faculty support, and held information sessions with the student body. CLAS student Kate Colwell developed the final report. Students discussed their proposal with Milton Adams, Vice Provost for Academic Programs, who suggested the School of Architecture as a good home for the Minor given the School’s sustainability focus.
The School of Architecture agreed to support a more detailed study of the proposal and a multi-school Governing Board was formed in September 2010. Chaired by Architecture Prof. Phoebe Crisman, the founding Governing Board included: Mark White, McIntire School of Commerce; Paxton Marshall, School of Engineering & Applied Science; Rachel Most, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; Hank Shugart, College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences; Rebecca Kneedler, Curry School of Education; Doris Glick, School of Nursing; and Carla Jones, Student Representative. The Governing Board completed their proposal for a new interdisciplinary Minor in Global Sustainability in December 2010. After approval by the School of Architecture Dean and faculty, the Minor was approved by the Provost and Faculty Senate in February 2011. At that point the Minor became available to the student body and the first three students graduated with a Minor In Global Sustainability in May 2011.