Mar 29, 2024  
Catalogue 2017-2018 
    
Catalogue 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental Studies Program


Director: Stuart L. Belli;

Steering Committee: Mark W. Andrews (French and Francophone Studies), Pinar Batur (Sociology), April M. Beisaw (Anthropology), Stuart L. Belli (Chemistry), Lynn Christenson (Biology), Mary Ann Cunningham (Geography), Jamie Kelly (Philosophy), Kirsten Menkinga (Earth Science), Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (Hispanic Studies), Margaret Ronsheimb (Biology), Paul Ruud (Economics), Jeffrey R. Walker (Earth Science);

Participating Faculty: Mark W. Andrews (French and Francophone Studies), Peter Antelyes (English), Pinar Batur (Sociology), April Beisaw (Anthropology), Stuart L. Belli (Chemistry), Giovanna Borradori (Philosophy), Lynn Christenson (Biology), Colleen Cohen (Anthropology), Randolph R. Cornelius(Psychology), Mary Ann Cunningham (Geography), Rebecca Edwards (History), Brian J. Godfrey (Geography), Kathleen R. Hartb (French and Francophone Studies), Benjamin Hoa (Economics), E H Rick Jarowa (Religion), Paul Kanea (English), Jamie T. Kelly (Philosophy), John H. Long, Jr. (Biology), Erin McCloskey (Education), Kirsten Menkinga (Earth Science), Leonard Nevarez (Sociology), Joseph Nevins (Geography), Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (Hispanic Studies), Margaret Ronsheimb (Biology), Paul Ruud (Economics), Mark A. Schlessmanb (Biology), Jill Schneiderman (Earth Science), Jodi Schwarz (Biology), Alison Spodek (Chemistry), Peter Stillman (Political Science), Jeffrey R. Walker (Earth Science).

a On leave 2017/18, first semester
b On leave 2017/18, second semester

Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary program that involves the natural and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. It explores the relationships between people and the totality of their environments-natural, built, and social. As part of that exploration, environmental studies concerns itself with the description and analysis of natural systems; with interspecies and species-environment relationships and the institutions, policies and laws that affect those relationships; with aesthetic portrayals of nature and how these portrayals affect human perceptions and behavior toward it; and with ethical issues raised by the human presence in the environment. A component of the program is the Environmental Research Institute (ERI), whose mission is to broaden and enrich the Environmental Studies program by emphasizing and supporting fieldwork, research, and engagement in the community.

Students majoring in Environmental Studies are required to take courses offered by the program, a set of courses within a particular department, and other courses from across the curriculum of the college. Therefore, a student interested in the major should consult with the director of the program as early as possible to plan a coherent course of study. The director, in consultation with the steering committee, assigns an advisor to each student. Advisors are selected from the participating faculty of the program. The steering committee approves each major’s program, and is concerned not only with the formal requirements but also with the inclusion of relevant environmental courses in the student’s chosen areas of study, interconnections among groups of courses, and adequate concentration in the methods of a discipline. Students are admitted to the program by the director, subject to the approval of their program of study by the steering committee. For additional information please consult the program website.

Research studies by Environmental Studies majors are supported by the Environmental Research Institute.

Environmental Studies is a major in which students concentrate in two disciplines or areas of focus (one in the natural sciences). Potential majors are encouraged to take additional introductory courses in the disciplines or areas where their focus may be.

Programs

Major

Correlate Sequence in Sustainability

Courses

Environmental Studies: I. Introductory

Environmental Studies: II. Intermediate

Environmental Studies: III. Advanced