Sustainable Development and Transnational Corporations: A New Program at Rollins College Barry Allen, Lee Lines, and Tom Lairson Rollins College, Winter Park, FL   ABSTRACT Rollins College has developed a new model for undergraduate education, establishing a program linking the environmental studies and international business majors. This interdisciplinary minor in Sustainable Development and Transnational Corporations offers students the opportunity to understand and experience firsthand the economic context of environmental issues in the developing world. The primary strength of the program is in its experiential approach, linking each course to a study-abroad practicum in Latin America. INTRODUCTION Rollins College has recently received a major grant to establish an academic program in Sustainable Development and the Environment. This program is a key element in the college's efforts to introduce a more global orientation to its curriculum. The program brings together students from two majors with highly divergent worldviews: Environmental Studies and International Business. The grant also secures, for the first time at Rollins, significant funding for overseas leaning experiences for students who would otherwise be unable to participate. THE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING Founded in 1885, Rollins College was the first institution of higher learning in the State of Florida and remains the state's only comprehensive liberal arts college. Central to the mission of the college is a commitment to prepare students for active citizenship in a global society. Rollins College has historically been in the vanguard of environmental studies. The college has offered an Environmental Studies major since 1970. The Department of Environmental Studies, which was formally established in 1982, is one of the few environmental studies departments in existence among liberal arts colleges nationwide. The importance of departmental status is difficult to overstate. At most colleges and universities, environmental studies is often an "add on" with the curriculum designed around existing faculty "borrowed" from across the campus. At Rollins, the present environmental studies curriculum was designed first and faculty then hired to teach it. This has created a much more intentional program than exists elsewhere. Established in 1998, the mission of the new undergraduate international business major is to prepare students for a world where the daily economic reality is increasingly international. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, with required courses in advanced foreign language, national cultures, international political economy and social responsibility. Although quite new, interest in the program has already surpassed expectations and International Business has joined Environmental Studies as one of the most popular majors at the College. PROGRAM RATIONALE In what ways do transnational corporations contribute to or undermine sustainable development? Posing this question and attempting to answer it by bringing together students from environmental studies and international business creates a unique academic program among comprehensive liberal arts colleges. At most academic institutions, students and faculty in environmental studies have no formal contact with students and faculty in international business. In fact, it is not unusual for these two areas to be viewed in opposition to each other, as if one must be either an advocate for the protection of the earth's environment or for strategies that maximize economic growth. This program includes a set of courses that carefully examine the concept of sustainable development in an increasingly global economy. Central to our approach is the recognition that in order for students to fully understand sustainable development, they must first understand its context. As David Orr points out, "a purely global focus tends to reduce the earth to a set of abstractions that blur what happens to real people in specific settings" (Orr 1994, 161). In moving from abstraction to reality, there is no substitute for firsthand experience. For this reason, the field study practicum is the keystone of this program. PROGRAM GOALS Students who complete this program will gain an understanding of: the basic principles of environmental protection and sustainability; the emergence and consequences of globalization; the increasing role of international cooperation in managing environmental problems; the political economy of transnational corporations; the range of both positive and negative behaviors of transnational corporations in developing countries, and the ability to evaluate the environmental consequences of those behaviors; recent attempts to measure and evaluate sustainable development, including indicators of corporate practice.   STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM This program is unique in that it links campus-based seminars with study-abroad practica. These seminars/practica are preceded by a core of required courses drawn from both Environmental Studies and International Business. The structure of the program is outlined in Table 1.   Table 1 Program Structure: Sustainable Development and Transnational Corporations _______________________________________________________________________   Core Courses (all are required) Introduction to International Business Political Economy of Environmental Issues Transnational Corporations Sustainable Development Seminar/Practicum Courses (two are required) Environment and Development in Central America Practicum Location: Central Highlands of Costa Rica Island Economies and Sustainability in the Caribbean Practicum Location: Dominica Global Production Systems and Sustainable Development Practicum Location: Northern Mexico Sustainable Development in the Amazon Basin Practicum Location: Peruvian Amazon ______________________________________________________________________ The seminars/practica serve as case studies in sustainable development. Each seminar is a semester-length course followed by a two-week practicum. All are focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to being locations in which the participating faculty have considerable experience, all serve as representative case studies to illustrate the wide range of issues in sustainable development. A brief description of each seminar/practicum is outlined below: Seminar: Environment and Development in Central America Studies the need for broad-based sustainable development using Central America as a case study. Considers how widespread deforestation and rapid population growth have combined with other environmental factors to depress living standards throughout the region. Examines why Costa Rica has attained a high level of human development. Explores appropriate models of sustainable development for the region. Practicum: Central Highlands of Costa Rica The Central Highlands of Costa Rica provide an excellent case study in sustainable development. Students observe and analyze models of sustainability in the areas of agriculture, tourism, and ecosystem services. Students also examine a wide range of projects including a large-scale coffee plantation, an organic coffee cooperative, and the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve.   Seminar: Island Economies and Sustainability in the Caribbean Examines the unique economic challenges facing small-island nations. Analyzes the crucial role of natural resource conservation in the development process on Caribbean islands. Explores alternatives to traditional models of development. Practicum: Dominica Dominica is currently experiencing a major transition from an economy based primarily on agricultural exports to a tourism-based economy. This practicum examines the tension between various competing interests and identifies opportunities for achieving broad-based sustainable development. Seminar: Global Production Systems and Sustainable Development Examines the emerging system of global production and its consequences for sustainable development. Considers the global production systems in apparel, autos, and semiconductors. Examines the impact of these production facilities on the social, economic, political and environmental systems of Mexico and Central America. Practicum: Northern Mexico Examines the impact of transnational firms on water quality, public facilities, and housing. Factors linked to corporate responsibility in these areas are studied, including international public pressure, corporate values in the home office, national origin of home office, and local political pressure.   Seminar: Sustainable Development in the Amazon Basin Reviews historic attempts to exploit the rich biological and mineral resources of the Amazon, which failed through an inability to recognize environmental constraints. Discusses new approaches to development that generate income while protecting crucial ecological systems. Examines such efforts in the areas of tourism, agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Practicum: Peruvian Amazon The Peruvian Amazon provides an excellent case study of how governments, non-governmental organizations, and private companies can form partnerships to promote sustainable development. Students work with local naturalist guides and project managers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the ecotourism industry.   CONCLUSION Colleges and universities across the country are exploring ways to educate their students for an increasingly global society. This requires more than just a scattering of unconnected campus-based courses. It requires both a coherent curricular structure and the opportunity for students to experience the world beyond our borders. Organized around the theme of sustainable development and transnational corporations, this program provides one model for achieving this goal. Reference List Orr, D.W. 1994. Earth in Mind. Washington, DC: Island Press.