S26 ENVS 363 Syllabus

Welcome to Sustainable Business Management!

I’m excited to teach you!

In this course, you will learn about sustainability in business. We’ll discuss what it is, how it’s relevant to you and your major, and how to evaluate various functioning areas in business. A main goal of this course is for you to learn how to identify challenges and opportunities to incorporate sustainability into business management and practices. Please peruse this website to get all the information you need for class. I will post class updates here, so please bookmark this site.

SEMESTER: spring 2026

COURSE: ENVS 363

DATE AND TIME: THURSDAYS, 6:30-9:00pm

LOCATION: SES 110 [lakeshore campus]

Professor: Sarah Ku [she|her|hers]

Email: sku@luc.edu ***Please EMAIL DIRECTLY*** Do NOT use Sakai

Office: SES building, BVM Hall, 4th floor, Room 417

Student hours: I will be in my office every Wednesday between 2:00-4:00pm for students to drop by, ask questions, hang out, drink kombucha, check out some bugs, etc. This time is specifically dedicated for y’all so leverage them! If you ever want to meet outside of these days/times, please email me to schedule an appointment to meet in-person or via Zoom.

A little bit about me

My teaching philosophy focuses on cooperative, collaborative relationship-building through mentorship, guidance, encouragement, inspiration, and support. I feel that providing a comfortable environment stimulates participation and engagement. Therefore, I design my courses by prioritizing the development of both hard and soft skills to help y’all be successful in life, not just in the classroom. I foster active discussions and critical thinking through sharing my own experiences and cultivating you all to share your experiences as well. I look forward to getting to know each of you!

Why take my class?

Below are some student testimonials that may give you a better idea about my teaching style to see if it matches your learning style.

Employment

Many students are in school in order to get a better job and make more money. The reason I ask you all your goals in class is so that I can design class to help you develop both hard and soft skills to help you reach your goals. Soft skills are important not only for career development but for life in general. I want to help you all succeed in life, no matter where your future takes you. Therefore, the assignments and activities we do in class are designed to help you learn the course content as well as develop soft skills that are important for professional and personal development. If you’d like to use me as a reference and/or for a letter of recommendation for a job, grad school, etc., please communicate with me to give me a heads up. I am happy to help support you all!

Source: Capgemini employees

LOYOLA Land Acknowledgement

I acknowledge that our university resides on the native homelands of the Indigenous people of the Odawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe nations, who joined together into the Council of Three Fires. Along with several other tribes, I know that their lives and livelihoods were destroyed in part by the historical events of displacement, conquest, and dehumanization leading up to the establishment of Chicago and Illinois.

I want to remember and honor what was lost, acknowledge how I directly benefit from other people’s pain and loss, and uplift the fortitude and resilience of Indigenous communities surviving and thriving today. I recognize their continued connection to this region and give thanks to them for allowing us to live, work, and learn on their traditional homelands. I offer my respect to their communities and to all Indigenous people, past, present and future.

Course Description

This course offers an introduction to the emerging field of sustainability in business and the growing focus on the economic, environmental, and social performance of businesses. The course presents scientific, ethical, and business cases for adopting sustainability. This course fulfills an MGMT elective.

Enrollment Prerequisites: ENVS 137 or UCSF 137 or MGMT 201 for Quinlan School of Business students.

Course Methodology

The central theme of this course will be the study and evaluation of sustainability in business environments. The primary teaching tools are lectures, class discussions, videos, speakers, quizzes, and projects (both individual and team). You are expected to read, watch, and listen to the designated material and all other assigned content before class.

Please note that I video record class lectures and post them on this website to improve accessibility. Offering these recordings is done with the understanding and trust that they will not be used in any way against me or students whose classroom comments are recorded.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Understand the dimensions of sustainability

2. Understand economics for sustainability

3. Understand the tools and techniques to apply sustainability in each functional area of the business

Required Text | Materials

• Access to the internet

• Access to software

  • Peerceptiv ($15 from the bookstore for access for the semester)

  • Sakai

  • Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint

  • Adobe Acrobat

  • Zoom

  Tech support: ITSServiceDesk@luc.edu or 773-508-4487

• I will provide links/files to articles, readings, videos, audios, etc. on this website

This syllabus is subject to change based on the needs of this class.

• If you cannot attend class or are late, please communicate with me. Send me a quick email letting me know. If you miss work or are late for a meeting, you may get fired for it. While you’re in school, take the opportunity to practice communication and accountability. I don’t need to know why or need proof of your absence / tardiness. You are allowed up to 2 absences before it starts affecting your grade. If I had to miss class, it would be disrespectful for me to not let you all know. All I ask is for you to give me the same courtesy and respect. College is about preparing you for life. Time management and prioritization are important skills to learn. Plus, you pay money to take this class— don’t waste it!

• You are expected to attend class, come prepared, and participate to maximize your learning. I am here to help you learn and am likewise responsible for coming to class prepared to accomplish the objectives listed in this syllabus.

• You are responsible for any material you miss.

• Be punctual for class. When you are tardy, you miss important course announcements and disrupt the learning process for others. If you do arrive late or must leave early, please do so quietly and respectfully.

• Complete all assignments on time. If you fail to meet deadlines, you will not receive full credit.

• Be courteous and respectful to me and to your fellow students. Put away cell phones and other distractions and be present during class time. If you choose to use a laptop in class, please sit in the back row so that your screen activity does not distract other students. This class is designed to benefit you, so take advantage and engage!

• While I encourage you to participate in class discussions and team activities, I understand that students absorb knowledge in various ways. I intentionally provide content through a variety of outlets (e.g., reading, videos, audios, activities) to be inclusive of different learning styles. I will regularly solicit your feedback to better provide knowledge and content in ways that work for you.

• I will treat you all with respect, courtesy, and empathy. I ask that you treat me and each other the same way. Bullying and all forms of harassment will not be tolerated. Please reach out to me if you feel that you are a subject of any form of bullying or harassment, whether it occurs in our classroom or elsewhere. 

• You may eat in class as long as you are quiet, not disruptive, and you clean up after yourself. I may bring food for you all during the semester. Please let me know if you have any allergies or concerns and please don’t sue me for sharing food in good faith.

• Ask questions and have fun!

INCLUSIVITY

Addressing one another by using appropriate names and gender pronouns honors and affirms individuals of all gender identities and gender expressions. Misgendering and heteronormative language excludes the experiences of individuals whose identities may not fit the gender binary, and/or who may not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.

If you wish, please share your pronouns with me and the class when you introduce yourself. If you do not wish to be called by the name that appears in the Loyola system, please let me know. My goal is to create inclusive and affirming environments for all students.

If you feel comfortable, please also share any other concerns with me that relate to how you learn and how you are feeling in class. I cannot guarantee that our classroom will feel like a safe space to you. But I promise to try my best to make everyone feel included, heard, and valued to facilitate a safe and comfortable environment.

Please also reach out to the Student Accessibility Center (SAC) and Wellness Center to leverage their resources. All clickable links on this webpage are both a maroon color and also underlined in case colors are difficult to differentiate.

Video recordings of class can be found in Sakai > ENVS 363 > Resources folder

Description
If you want to share your project through powerpoint, make a video, draw out a model, make a diorama (do y’all know what that is?), share the components through song, do a theatrical skit, whatever you choose, it’s up to you! Try and think about what your strengths are but also consider your audience. See what you can do to impress your classmates! While this is not a marketing class, marketing is a key component of business. How you present and frame information (to your coworkers, to your customers, outside of work to various people in your life) highly influences how the information is received. So, try to be creative and think about how you can share information in an interesting, compelling, and captivating way. The length of time required for this presentation may vary depending on how many students are in the class so I will let you know when things simmer down and I have a more definitive number to work with. It will likely be very short (lighting speed, only 3 min!) so you won’t be able to cram all the information you learned. Pick out the things you think are the most important so that we can get a quick snapshot of the company and what you learned.

Purpose
This assignment is designed to evaluate the learning outcomes and facilitate communication, critical thinking, and accountability. While such a short amount of time can be super stressful to communicate a lot of information, developing how to judiciously share valuable information quickly is a great skill to learn! Whether you find yourself interviewing for a job, running a business, partying with friends, asking for donor dollars, hanging at home with family, or campaigning for local office, concisely relaying important information takes a lot of practice. That’s why we’re doing it in class to help you prepare for whatever future you choose!

Grading
I will grade these based on completion and adherence to the time limit of 3 min to present with 2 min for Q&A. 

Due dates
Presentations will be in class on 4/23.

Description | Format
You will work in teams to come up with a sustainable business idea. To help you get some practice with formulating an idea and being able to share it, your team will create two deliverables: an executive summary and a video pitch. While I know many of you may have no interest in ever starting up a business, this project provides a good look at different considerations that are required in business. See below for details:

Executive Summary

Audience = Investors
An executive summary provides a broad overview of your idea for easy reference for investors to evaluate whether your business is worth investing in. Be mindful of this audience when you present the information. Investors are going to be interested in different things than your consumers! Consider the different business areas we’ve been discussing throughout the semester. Feel free to ask me for clarification / elaboration if you’re feeling stuck or have some questions.

• Business Opportunity
  What problem are you solving? What challenges and pain points will you resolve for consumers?

• Company Description
  What does your company do? What challenge(s) does your company solve?

• Team
  Who is involved in this endeavor? Who is on your team, what will their roles be, and why are you the right people to build this business?

• Industry Analysis
  Who are your competitors? What are some key factors related to being successful in your industry?

• Competitive Advantage
  What distinguishes you from these competitors?

• Target Market
  Who makes up your target audience? Describe them and their needs. Estimate the number of people who make up your potential consumer base.

• Implementation Timeline
  Briefly describe how you will roll out the business. What phases will be involved?

• Financials

  • Budget forecast - What will you need money for?

    • Fixed costs (e.g., incorporation costs, insurance, building rent)

    • Variable costs (e.g., equipment, software development)

    • How will employees be compensated? (e.g., salary, hourly, equity, benefits)

  • How will you obtain the money to pay for these expenses? (e.g., investors, grants, self-funded, crowdsource)

Video Pitch

Audience = Consumers
The point of a video pitch is like an elevator pitch— How can you quickly grab someone’s attention with an interesting and memorable idea? The point is not to include everything from the executive summary; you already did that! Plus, your audience for this deliverable will be consumers, not investors. Think about commercials and advertisements that effectively pulled you in and try to emulate the same strategies and techniques. Wanna use TikTok? Great! Is someone in your group good at drawing/animation? Go for it! Be creative and have fun with this! Make sure you clearly present your business concept and what makes your idea unique. Think SharkTank / commercial advertisements for this video!

3-min time limit! Your team will receive a 10 pt penalty if you go over or under this time frame.

• Hook
  The business idea was engaging and compelling

• Clarity
  The details of the business idea were well presented and clear

• Delivery
  The business idea was creative and delivered with confidence

• Presentation
  The business idea was presented with visuals were helpful and easy to understand

Grading

• Executive Summary (80 pts)

  • Business Opportunity (10 pts)

  • Company Description (10 pts)

  • Team (10 pts)

  • Industry Analysis (10 pts)

  • Competitive Advantage (10 pts)

  • Target Market (10 pts)

  • Implementation Timeline (10 pts)

  • Financials (10 pts)

• Video pitch  (80 pts)

  • Hook (20 pts)

  • Clarity (20 pts)

  • Delivery (20 pts)

  • Presentation (20 pts)

• Team member feedback (40 pts)
  You will evaluate each other in order to practice giving and receiving feedback and also to hold each other accountable in your work as a team. Complete on Peerceptiv.

Resources:

• Wellness Center

• Student Accessibility Center

• Coordinated Assistance & Resource Education (CARE)

• Ethics Hotline - Phone: 885.603.6988

• Sakai support

• Library - Subject specialist: http://libraries.luc.edu/specialists 

• Writing Center

• Technology support - 773-508-4487; helpdesk@luc.edu

• Center for Tutoring and Academic Excellence

• Loyola Bookstore

• Financial Aid

Peerceptiv

Peerceptiv is an online peer assessment tool that allows you to give and receive feedback on class assignments. Purchasing access to this platform is in place of having y’all buy a textbook. With Peerceptiv, each of you act as the teacher, analyzing your classmates work and helping them improve, while improving your own work. The reviewing process is blind, meaning you won’t know who is reviewing your work. 

• You will learn content more thoroughly when you examine the work of others

• When you use a rubric to review others, you gain a deeper understanding of the rubric and the requirements for a good assignment

• You will get more feedback and get it more quickly through peer review versus only having the instructor review

• By providing feedback to your peers, you will improve your communication skills

• Research has shown that students who provide feedback improve their own writing more than students who merely write

• You will learn through the process of reviewing your peers’ work; you learn by teaching and giving feedback

In a job, your work will likely be reviewed by coworkers and/or supervisors. You may also be in positions to provide feedback to others. Developing communication and constructive criticism skills will help you develop both professionally and personally.

• Student email support
  support@peerceptiv.com
  We answer emails to this address on nights and weekends, and feel free to tell students to email with any technical questions.

• Student Videos

• Student Help Articles

COURSE CODE: f59a6cf1-d2fe-4e19-8ab9-36481ddf7657

Purchase Peerceptiv ($13.50 through the Loyola Bookstore). If you have issues, please email me an explanation and/or a screenshot so I can get this fixed!

To join class in Peerceptiv:
> Log in
> Click “Join Course” button
> Course code: f59a6cf1-d2fe-4e19-8ab9-36481ddf7657

SAKAI

You are expected to be proficient in the use of Sakai. Sakai is the learning management system (LMS) that will be used for your online course. Specifically, you should be able to:

• Read, upload, and download files

• Read and send e-mail messages

• Read and post messages on the discussion board

• Hold chat room discussions

If you are unfamiliar with Sakai, a good place to start is: https://www.luc.edu/its/itrs/teachingwithtechnology/sakai/. Please refer to this website for log-in instructions if you are new to Sakai. You are expected to check Sakai daily for any changes, updates, and announcements. You are responsible for accessing and downloading all files needed. IT support and/or Sakai experts (not me) are responsible for assisting you with any problems related to Sakai. If you have any problems downloading or viewing files of any type or size from Sakai, please use the resources listed below:

• Accessibility issues
  https://www.luc.edu/sac/accessibilityguidelines/sakaiaccessibility/

• Sakai support
  sakai@luc.edu 

• Technology support
  773-508-4487
  helpdesk@luc.edu
  LUC.edu/its

Feedback

Even though I’m leaving academia, I still care about providing an effective and valuable experience for you. I plan on continuing to be an educator in more informal / unconventional settings and I can’t improve my teaching without knowing what’s working and what’s not. I will solicit feedback from you all mid-semester, but feel free to share your feedback with me at any point in the semester. Liked something we did in class or a topic we discussed? Let me know! Did you feel like I missed an opportunity to go over something? Tell me so I can be sure to include it the next week! Did I say something wrong or inappropriate or hurtful? I may not realize it unless you share how it made you feel. This is an anonymous submission form to offer protection if there is anything that you don’t feel comfortable sharing to my face. So please help me improve by sharing feedback with me. Please be sure to focus on things that are specific and changeable! I greatly appreciate your time and constructive comments. Please also feel free to share your thoughts publicly about me as an educator on RateMyProfessor.

Tentative Schedule

Disclaimer: This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. However, deviations may be necessary and all elements are subject to change on short notice. This schedule is subject to change at any time, but I will do my best to provide ample communication when changes occur. You are responsible for checking this website for updates.

Week 1: Introductions, Syllabus

01/15
Thursday

In-class topics

• Introductions

• Syllabus and course overview

• Get to know each other

• ACTIVITY: In-class reflection

• ACTIVITY: Brainstorming for team project

Deliverables due

• Purchase Peerceptiv ($13.50 through the Loyola Bookstore)
  If you have issues, please email me an explanation and/or a screenshot so I can get this fixed!

• Perceptive course code: f59a6cf1-d2fe-4e19-8ab9-36481ddf7657

In-class topics

• What is sustainable business management?

• What is the purpose of business?

• Shareholders vs. stakeholders

• Business foundations (Western and non-Western)

• Different perspectives and priorities

• ACTIVITY: Brainstorming for team project

Deliverables due

• Watch video: Ray C. Anderson TED talk (2009)

• Read article: “Billionaire Philanthropy: Why Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, And Elon Musk Have It Wrong“

• Watch video: Cooperative business

• Purchase Peerceptiv ($13.50 through the Loyola Bookstore)
  If you have issues, please email me an explanation and/or a screenshot so I can get this fixed!

• Perceptive course code: f59a6cf1-d2fe-4e19-8ab9-36481ddf7657

In-class topics

• Quiz 1 on week 2 topics + deliverables due

• Wicked problems

• Triple bottom line

• Stakeholder capitalism

• ACTIVITY: Brainstorming for team project

Deliverables due

• Watch video on Triple Bottom Line

• Read NYT article on Stakeholder Capitalism
  ( Loyola provides unlimited access to NYTimes.com:
  http://libraries.luc.edu/nytimes )

• Purchase Peerceptiv - If you have issues, please email me an explanation and/or a screenshot so I can get this fixed!

• Perceptive course code: TBD

In-class topics

• Quiz 2 on week 3 topics + deliverables due

• Economic dimension

• Environmental dimension

• Social dimension

• ACTIVITY: Oranges

Deliverables due

• Read article: Grassroots efforts take on ‘food apartheid’ in Chicago’s South Side

• Read article on Auto Workers Strike

In-class topics

• Quiz 3 on week 4 topics + deliverables due

• Measurements

• ESGs

• Frameworks (GRI, IRF and SASB: Updated guidance on reporting frameworks)

• Greenwashing

Deliverables due

• Read article: Why sustainable business needs better ESG ratings

• Read article: An unregulated ESG rating system reveals its flaws

• Read article: PwC Survey: More Than Half of Boards Lack a Strong Understanding of ESG Strategy or Risks

In-class topics

• Quiz 4 on week 5 topics + deliverables due

• Degrowth

• Tips for gathering information for individual project

Deliverables due

• Read article: Degrowth Can Support Business Sustainability

• Individual project Intro section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (2/22) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Quiz 5 on week 6 topics + deliverables due

• Operations

• Production

• Waste management

• ACTIVITY: Giving and receiving feedback

  • Watch video: Giving great feedback

  • Watch video: Constructive Feedback for Managers

  • Additional reading: Giving and Receiving Feedback

• Share mid-semester feedback HERE

  • What should Dr. Ku START doing?

  • What should Dr. Ku STOP doing?

  • What should Dr. Ku KEEP doing?

Deliverables due

• Read article: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of reusable and single-use coffee cups

• Watch video: How People Profit Off India’s Garbage

• Take quiz: Chicago recycling quiz

• Individual project Operations section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (3/8) in Peerceptiv

• Feedback on 3 classmates due by 11:59pm on THURSDAY (3/12) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Quiz 6 on week 7 topics + deliverables due

• Business financing

• ACTIVITY: Collective / Community financing

Deliverables due

• Watch video: Sustainable Finance

• Read article: Patagonia financial business model shift (2022)

• Read article: Patagonia update (2023)

• Individual project Finance section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (3/15) in Peerceptiv

• Feedback on 3 classmates due by 11:59pm on THURSDAY (3/19) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Quiz 7 on week 9 topics + deliverables due

• Types of insurance

• Types of incorporation

• Risk management

• Read article: How an Innovative Insurance Product Helps Clients Weather Climate Change

• Read article: 5 Ways Businesses Contribute to Conflict — and How They Can Contribute to Peace

• Individual project Risk Management section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (3/22) in Peerceptiv

• Feedback on 3 classmates due by 11:59pm on THURSDAY (3/26) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Quiz 8 on week 10 topics + deliverables due

• Evolution of the employee

• Well-being, boundaries, flex-time, corporate culture / norms

• Employee power

• CEO-employee pay ratios

Deliverables due

• Read article: 7 Reasons You Should Pay Employees Above-Average Salaries

• Read article: Want sustainable change? Convince your staff

• Individual project Risk Management section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (3/29) in Peerceptiv

• Feedback on 3 classmates due by 11:59pm on THURSDAY (4/2) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Quiz 9 on week 11 topics + deliverables due

• Sustainable marketing

• Greenwashing

• Examples of marketing campaigns

Deliverables due

• Read article: Sustainable Marketing

• Individual project Marketing section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (4/12) in Peerceptiv

• Feedback on 3 classmates due by 11:59pm on THURSDAY (4/16) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Quiz 10 on week 13 topics + deliverables due

• Show and tell

• ACTIVITY: Futures game

• Team time

Deliverables due

• Read article: Sustainable Business Must Be People-Centered

• Individual project Analysis section due by 11:59pm on SUNDAY (4/19) in Peerceptiv

• Feedback on 3 classmates due by 11:59pm on THURSDAY (4/23) in Peerceptiv

In-class topics

• Presentations

• Reflections

• Class recap

• Class picture :)

Deliverables due

• Upload any visuals you want to use for your presentation to this GoogleDoc

• Executive Summary

  • Submit in Peerceptiv by 11:59pm CT on Sunday, 4/26

  • Feedback due by 11:59pm CT on Thursday, 4/30

• Video pitch

  • Submit in Peerceptiv by 11:59pm CT on Sunday, 4/26

  • Feedback due by 11:59pm CT on Thursday, 4/30

• Team member evaluation

  • Submit in Peerceptiv by 11:59pm CT on Thursday, 4/30