University to offer sustainability major in 2015

• The university created a task force to develop a new sustainability major.

• If approved, the major could be available to students as early as January 2015. 

• Currently, 66 students are working toward a sustainability minor.


If the major is approved, students would have the option of taking one of five tracks: social, environmental, business, build environment or an interdisciplinary. Some classes will have to be created, but a large portion already exist through the minor. Starting next January, students may be able to chose a brand new major — one that looks to help save the planet. 

Sixty-six students are currently enrolled in sustainability minors that were created one and a half years ago, said Bob Koester, chair of the task force created to develop the curriculum and deal with paperwork. 

Before the major can be approved, a group of eight faculty and one student has to agree on the course structure and prepare paperwork to send to the university’s undergraduate education committee and then seek approval from the Indiana Commission of Higher Education. 

Koester said sustainability is becoming more important in the business world.

“Sustainability is a really important topic internationally,” he said. “We’re finding that a lot of corporations, a lot of businesses, a lot of not-for-profits as well as government organizations are looking for people who have an understanding of sustainability and can help moving these organizations forward.”

Koester said other colleges have sustainability degrees, but Ball State’s will be different. Indiana University has a sustainable development degree and Purdue University offers a sustainable agronomic systems degree, both of which don’t include broad topics. 

Alyssa Hofelt, a senior environmental science and sustainability action major, is on the task force. Hofelt created her own sustainability major this fall.

She had started off as undecided, switched to geology then to earth science and finally to general studies before her honors adviser told her she could create her own major and graduate on time.

“I’m really happy with it because as a senior, I was able to pick classes I’ve already taken and contribute them to a major,” Hofelt said. “I advise anyone to do it if they’re undecided or they’re not getting enough out of [their] major.”

Despite her success, Hofelt said she wished the university had designed the sustainability major earlier. 

“As a member on the task force, I got to help establish a curriculum and I’m like, ‘Really? I wanted this class so bad,’” Hofelt said. 

Ali Heald, a senior geology major who is planning to minor in sustainability, said she would have taken the major if it had existed when she came to Ball State. She plans to go to graduate school for sustainability, instead. 

“I like the water aspect, and I want to help get developing countries water and help them sustain the water,” Heald said. “Even looking at classes for the minor, if I would have known about [the major] earlier, I would have taken most of these classes.” 

Haley Swartz, a junior interior design major, decided to take on a sustainability minor to mix with her major.

“I’m an interior design major, so that goes along with it,” she said. “Especially now because interior design is moving toward sustainable practices, like green materials and making things that last.”

She said she wouldn’t have picked up the sustainability major if she had the option, though.

Incoming freshmen won’t be able to pick up the major during the first semester. However, they could start taking core classes and other classes that contribute to the major. 

For Hofelt, sustainability is more than just a major. 

“Sustainability is a way of life,” she said. “With climate change and everything, we really need to incorporate sustainable methods so both humans and environment can move forward together and everything is in balance.”

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