Applications of Sustainability & Social Innovation

Overview

Course description

This seminar-based course will expose students to the various areas in the workforce within which sustainability and social innovation theory and research are applied. Students will gain experience and competence through service-learning opportunities with community agencies or research organizations.

Course content

Key elements in sustainability and social innovation studies in relation to policy/governance in both the public and private sectors
Review of employable skills relevant to desired career path and realities related to the changing nature of work
Winning positions: networking, interpreting job postings, effective application and interview techniques, learning from setbacks
Working effectively within organizations
Forming ethical relationships with communities
Applying sustainability and social innovation theory into practice
Connecting between community engagement, civic responsibility, and the public good

Learning activities

All students will be assigned a project or practicum within an organization, to provide them with applied experience within their program.

Additionally, the course may incorporate some of the following methods to accomplish its objectives:

Lectures
Group discussions
Research/interview assignments
Guided portfolio curation
Policy brief
Public presentation

Means of assessment

Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a letter-graded course.

An example of an evaluation scheme may be:

Journal Reflections - 10%

Employment Portfolio - 15%

Informational Interview/Report -15%

Practicum/Project Evaluation - 40%

Policy Brief/Presentation - 20%

Total - 100%

Learning outcomes

Acquire experience in a professional setting by working within organizations and teams to support problem-solving related to sustainability and social innovation.
Contribute to local governments, community organizations, or businesses, through collaborative or independent project work.
Establish professional networking contacts in the fields of sustainability, policy and governance, and social change.
Demonstrate accountability and professional behaviour, dress, and communication appropriate to a work setting.
Develop a portfolio or résumé to capture and articulate competencies developed in formal course work and prior employment.
Connect theory to practice in various fields of work in the sectors of sustainability and social innovation.
Engage in critical analysis of the roots of social problems related to service-learning placement, including the historical origins of contemporary crises and societal barriers to resolving these problems.
Demonstrate self-evaluation by identifying areas of strength and improvement and developing a plan for further development in key competencies identified by potential employers, including personal goals relevant to work experience.
Present reflections on how engagement with community has led to personal growth both in one’s understanding of social problems related to sustainability and social innovation and in one’s skills to address those problems.
Articulate a vision of a more just and sustainable society and investigate actions that would help to realize that vision.

Textbook materials

Selections from textbooks and/or other learning resources may be used in addition to customized reading lists developed jointly by instructors, practicum supervisors, and students.

Requisites

Prerequisites

Acceptance into BA SASI program or permission of instructor

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

September 2027 (Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution	Transfer details for HUMS 3420
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.