Sure, Good Idea! But Is It Sustainable?

“Is it sustainable?” That’s a question that cuts across all borders, from science and technology, commerce, and planetary security—to governance, futuring, and a multitude of forces impacting humanity.
So, what do we mean by sustainability? Is it simply a rigid adherence to the status quo, or do we construct sustainability on a foundation of foresight, adaptability, and resilience? As we imagine, invent, and innovate our way into the future, strategically considering sustainability could be the critical edge. In three parts, this session zeroes in on the basics of sustainability, a newly adopted sustainability degree program at the University of South Dakota focusing primarily on the environment, and a growing realization that the aims of futures studies and Colleges of Arts and Sciences have a lot in common. Whatever our field, context matters, and an education that is broad and deep may be basic for sustaining a viable future.

Why an education that is broad and deep, a liberal arts education, may be a key to considering how innovations and futures projects can be seen in the broader context of society.

Why futures literacy should be a part of every graduate's portfolio, whatever their discipline for field of endeavor in the for-profit or not-for-profit world.