The concept of sustainability recognizes that the wellbeing of the environment, society and economy are interdependent.
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is a multi-disciplinary, problem-solving approach to creating a social system that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations or the needs of the ecological systems in which humans exist.
By fostering education that encourages responsible and equitable management of our environmental, social and economic resources, the sustainability framework challenges our university to consider the interdependent nature of our lives, the natural environment, our communities and the economy and especially the improvement of these relationships.
This definition was researched and written by UM alumni Jillian Cowart and Kendall McDonald as a part of their 2015 thesis research.