Curriculum development on a 'sustainability' minor using quality function deployment (QFD) techniques

This paper presents a methodology for curriculum development for a proposed minor on 'Sustainability' at a public university in the southeast United States. The minor is intended to reach across different disciplines such as Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Business, Engineering and the Visual Arts. The case is made for a standalone minor in sustainability that encompasses factors such as carbon footprint, limited resources, renewable energy, and the business case for sustainability. It also stresses on the importance of a capstone course that emphasizes hands experience in designing sustainable systems (products or services). Different aspects of a multifaceted issue such as sustainability are addressed using a QFD approach to ensure objectivity and quality of course material as well as instruction.