1. Abstract
North Carolina State University (NCSU)
recently completed a revision of its Environmen-
tal Sciences Academic Program and embedded
environmental sciences across the university.
Environmental sciences now include themes of
energy, environment, and sustainability. The
goal of the program revision was to develop an
administrative structure, courses, and curricula
that engaged all the academic departments. The
success of the new program is seen in the popu-
larity of the environmental science courses (with
enrollment of more than 2,000 each semester)
and the growing number of environmental sci-
ence majors. We present this Program Profile
as a case study to help others as they consider
embedding academic programs that advance
sustainability within their institutions.
Introduction
Ideally, academic programs that deal with the
themes of energy, environment, and sustain-
ability are embedded into the framework of
institutions in higher education. Embedded
programs have unique, positive characteristics
including a connection to institutional strate-
gic planning; a commitment from executive
officers, deans, faculty members, staff mem-
bers, and students; and programming of such
scope and size as to positively reflect the entire
character of the institution.
Embedded environmental academic programs
can exist at a range of levels, with low levels
more closely resembling “bolted on” program-
ming. Bolted on environmental programs typi-
cally reside as a concentration or theme added
to an academic department that is part of a col-
lege within a large university structure. Such
environmental programs often lack institu-
tional support from the central administration,
have little critical mass, have a weak foundation
for support, and take a disadvantaged position
relative to programs for traditional degrees in
science, engineering, business, social sciences,
or humanities.
One approach to developing embedded aca-
demic programs dealing with energy, environ-
ment, and sustainability within an academic
institution is to revise existing ones. In the
mid-1990s, academic programs to address sus-
tainability often developed as environmental
science and environmental studies programs.
Today, some of these programs differ little from
their first inception and are stagnant. For many
institutions, there is now an opportunity to
revise these programs.
Since the topics and issues in the fields of
energy, environment, and sustainability are
evolving more rapidly relative to other dis-
ciplines, there is impetus for curricular and
course review. Such inspections may show
that bolted on environmental programs tucked
away in departmental structures may now lack
courses that include contemporary, interdisci-
plinary content dealing with climate change,
sustainable water use, food production, renew-
able energy, environmental health, and many
other topics.
Embedding Sustainability:
A Case Study
There is a new, emerging environmental agenda
for advancing sustainability.1
The new agenda
connects the themes of energy, environment,
and sustainability across many courses and
academic units, allowing students from all aca-
demic majors to understand how their careers
and personal lives will connect to a rapidly
changing world.
The North Carolina State University (NCSU)
administration, faculty members, and students
Program Profile
Embedding Environmental Academic Programs
in Higher Education: Rebuilding Environmental
Sciences at North Carolina State University
William E. Winner, PhD1
and Erin Champion2
1
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources,
2
Environmental Sciences Academic Program, North
Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ideally, academic
programs that deal
with the themes of
energy, environment,
and sustainability are
embedded into
the framework of
institutions in higher
education.
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. • Vol. 6 No. 6 • December 2013 • DOI: 10.1089/sus.2013.9829 Sustainability 327

2. committed to rebuild the existing bachelor
of science (BS) degree and minor in environ-
mental sciences (ES). Although the university
offered an ES degree, it was fragmented, con-
sisting of small pieces that were bolted on as
concentrations of the curriculum within sev-
eral academic departments. The challenge was
to revise the ES degree, connect it to other pro-
gram elements, and to embed it into the fabric
of the university.
The ES degree and minor were initially
launched in the mid-1990s, but by 2010
enrollments and faculty participation declined.
The original version of the BS degree in envi-
ronmental sciences had seven concentrations:
ecology, economic policy, air quality, watershed
hydrology, environmental soil science, geol-
ogy, and environmental statistics. The seven
concentrations were managed in five academic
departments in three colleges. Students chose
a concentration, and applied for admission to
the managing department. Problems included
lack of integration between the concentrations,
a lack of core courses with fundamental con-
cepts in environmental sciences, and a lack of
interdisciplinary approaches to instruction.
Embedding a previously bolted on academic
program, especially in the areas of energy, envi-
ronment, and sustainability poses institutional
challenges. Some will advocate for simply
eliminating the program if there is insufficient
critical mass and activity from faculty mem-
bers and students. Still others will advocate for
continuing the program in the current form, or
improving it with incremental changes.
At NCSU, all of the academic deans have strong
interests in environmental science topics and
expressed a desire to link their departments to
other academic units, thereby creating a net-
work of academic resources for environmental
science. Therefore, discussions and planning
at NCSU centered on creating an environ-
mental science academic program that re-
flected the widespread strengths of faculty
members found in all 10 of the academic col-
leges. The vision for an academic program
reflecting the expertise, standards, and respon-
sibility of the university led to a decision to
undertake a transformational reorganization.
Executive officers, deans, faculty members, and
students recognized lesser efforts would not
yield essential, large-scale changes consistent
with the missions of a large, public university.
Critical to the effort is that NCSU is a Land
Grant, Forestry Grant, Sea Grant, and Space
Grant University, with comprehensive pro-
grams in engineering, agriculture, forestry and
natural resources, physical and mathematical
The vision for an
academic program
reflecting the expertise
of the university led
to a decision to
undertake a
transformational
reorganization.
sciences, design, textiles, social sciences and
humanities, education, business, and veterinary
medicine. All of the leadership agreed the uni-
versity must have a viable academic program
dealing with energy, environment, and sustain-
ability, and that such a program was integral to
the institutional mission and values.
Undertaking a transformational revision also
requiredanhonestself-evaluation,andrecogni-
tion that faculty member participation and stu-
dent enrollments in the existing environmental
program did not justify continuing the current
ES program. The evaluation also showed that
minor adjustments could not bring the level of
improvements necessary to achieve academic
programming consistent with the institutional
standards, history, character, and the expecta-
tion of a leading role in national discussions to
advance scholarship on energy, environment,
and sustainability.
The effort to rebuild the environmental science
program engaged all elements of the univer-
sity, resulting in a rebirth of interest exceeding
expectations. The outcome was that new cours-
es, a revised curriculum, and a modest addi-
tion of administrative support quickly engaged
students, faculty members, and the administra-
tion.
The following is a review of the process for
rebuilding the BS degree in Environmental
Sciences, and the outcomes from the effort. The
effective rebuilding of existing, interdisciplin-
ary academic programs can lead to changes
that stimulate academic activities in theme
areas that include energy, environment, and
sustainability, and better prepare students for
bringing the new environmental agenda to
their personal lives and careers.
The Process of Rebuilding
Guidelines for Rebuilding. Transforming the
Environmental Sciences Academic Program
into a valuable strategic element required
guidelines to frame the effort:
328 Sustainability MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. • Vol. 6 No. 6 • December 2013 • DOI: 10.1089/sus.2013.9829
Program Profile
Identify a leader. The provost appointed a
single person to lead the discussions nec-
essary to revise the academic program in
environmental sciences. The person desig-
nated had the authority to schedule meet-
ings with all those on campus and the uni-
versity partners, and reported directly to
the provost’s office.
Take time. There was no time line for com-
pleting the work. People and committees
took the time necessary to schedule meet-
ings, write and edit documents, and sched-
1.
2.

3. The Approval Process. The approval process
for creating a new curriculum and courses
can take several years, especially if the trans-
formational efforts have any resistance. Get-
ting proposals for new curricula and courses,
with supplemental documents, in front of large
committees that meet on monthly intervals
takes constant attention to calendars and work-
load management. The process of creating a
new, strictly disciplinary degree, such as the BS
degree in chemistry, is much faster and easier
than for interdisciplinary degrees. Interdisci-
plinary degrees take more time simply because
so many more academic units are involved in
the approval process. Finally, seeking approv-
al for a new degree requires not only internal
approval, but often requires outside reviews
and approval at the state system level.
The approval process for revising an existing
degree is generally easier than approving a new
degree. Revising existing degrees and creating
new courses are internal processes within most
universities. Even so, the internal approval
process can take several years, especially for
interdisciplinary programs.
At NCSU, the internal approval process for
revising an existing degree requires writing a
proposal that provides justification, explains
the curricular elements of the new degree, and
describes the expected learning outcomes for
the revised degree. The proposal is sent to all
those managing academic units affected by the
revised degree for consultation and comment.
Following consultations, a series of commit-
tees, the nature and structure differing among
colleges and universities, must approve the pro-
posal for curricular revisions.
Proposals for new courses to add to the revised
BS degree in environmental sciences typically
go through the same process as the curricu-
lum revision proposal. Any courses proposed
for the general education program must also
describe the expected learning outcomes and
clear additional, internal committee structures.
The NCSU Experience
The Vision and Missions. The vision was to re-
build and embed the Environmental Sciences
Academic Program within the university, and
for the program to emerge as a national and
global leader for scholarship in the fields of
energy, environment, and sustainability. The
planning focused on two, specific missions:
The vision was to
rebuild and embed the
environmental sciences
academic program
within the university,
and for the program to
emerge as a national
and global leader for
scholarship in the fields
of energy, environment,
and sustainability.
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. • Vol. 6 No. 6 • December 2013 • DOI: 10.1089/sus.2013.9829 Sustainability 329
3.
4.
5.
ule interactions with critical university
committees that typically have standing
meeting dates and times.
Talk with everyone. The effort to rebuild
the curriculum for the BS degree in Envi-
ronmental Sciences included talking with
all the stakeholders. The opening question
for meetings and discussions was, What
would you like to see in the ideal envi-
ronmental sciences academic program at
NCSU? Conversations involved the chan-
cellor and all executive officers. There
were multiple meetings with each of the 10
academic deans and many of the associate
deans. Key faculty members met to de-
velop ideas, and all interested faculty mem-
bers could attend any number of scheduled,
publicized open meetings. University and
high school students attended open meet-
ings and provided new ideas. The meetings
revealed that the topic of environmental
sciences was on the minds of many, and
that there were strong opinions about how
such a program should be structured and
managed.
Fit the history and culture of the univer-
sity. North Carolina State University is a
large public university with about 34,000
students. The university is classified as a
Carnegie Research University with very
high research activity and is a member of
the Association of Public and Land-Grant
Universities. Historically, the university
provides all qualified students with access
to higher education and provides teach-
ing, research, and extension courses to
strengthen the state and its economy. The
university includes 10 academic colleges
that historically operated with indepen-
dence, but are now moving toward more
integrated functions across all institutional
missions.
Respect existing academic programs.
There are many academic programs at
NCSU directly and indirectly related to the
themes within environmental sciences. For
example, the university offers BS degrees in
natural resources, environmental technol-
ogy, environmental engineering, and many
others. An important consideration was to
ensure that the BS degree in environmen-
tal sciences would be distinct from any
existing curriculum and not simply repeat
programming already provided with exist-
ing degrees. The expectation was that the
rebuilt ES degree would add to the criti-
cal mass of faculty members and students
engaged in academic programming in the
environmental arena.
Build an academic home, including a major
and a minor, for students who seek focused
studies in environmental sciences.
1.

4. The ES degree at
NCSU is designed to
be a rigorous science
degree requiring two
courses each in
calculus, physics,
biology, and
chemistry.
The Curricula. The BS degree in environmen-
tal sciences addresses two common misconcep-
tions about such degrees: 1.) ES degrees are not
rigorous science degrees, and 2.) that ES stu-
dents lack educational depth.
The ES degree at NCSU is designed to be a
rigorous science degree requiring two courses
each in calculus, physics, biology, and chemis-
try. In addition, there are social science course
requirements in political science and econom-
ics. There is no degree on campus that requires
more basic science than the ES degree.
Program Profile
330 Sustainability MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. • Vol. 6 No. 6 • December 2013 • DOI: 10.1089/sus.2013.9829
To accomplish the missions, the program
required 1.) a reporting line and budget, 2.) a
physical home, 3.) a faculty, 4.) a rebuilt cur-
riculum for the BS degree in environmental sci-
ences, 5.) a rebuilt curriculum for the environ-
mental sciences minor, 6.) an environmental
sciences core course sequence, 7.) supplemen-
tary courses in environmental sciences, and
8.) interfaces with university offices including
admissions, registration and records, advis-
ing, disability programs, athletic programs,
recruiting and orientation programs, and many
others.
The Reporting Line. The ES academic pro-
gram was structured as a free-standing, inter-
disciplinary academic program and was not
located in any of the 10 academic colleges. As
such, students in the environmental sciences
academic program can draw from the best aca-
demic offerings from all the academic units,
and all deans and faculty members can partici-
pate in programmatic activities. Students from
any of the academic colleges also have access
to ES courses. The ES academic program is
located in the Division of Academic and
Student Affairs.
Funding from the program comes directly
from the provost’s office. Funds pay for staffing
the office, operating expenses, compensation
for release time for those who teach in the ES
curriculum, an academic advisor, and support
for graduate teaching assistants. Funds used
to buy release time for instruction flow back to
colleges and departments, and are therefore not
lost from college revenues.
The Program Elements and Home. Elements
of the environmental sciences academic pro-
gram include:
Increase the literacy of the student body in
the areas of energy, environment, and sus-
tainability.
2.
The BS degree in environmental sciences.
Students can complete the degree with 120
credits, the minimum necessary for an un-
dergraduate degree at NCSU.
The minor in environmental sciences.
Students can complete the minor with 15
credits of course work (see Courses in the
new Curricula sidebar).
The ES faculty. A self-selected group of
faculty members support the program with
teaching, committee work, and mentoring
of students. These faculty members keep
their full-time appointments in their home
departments that assign space, make pro-
1.
2.
3.
motion and tenure decisions, and deter-
mine research activities.
An Environmental Sciences Academic
Program Director. The director is nomi-
nated by the provost and approved by the
Dean’s Council.
One administrative support staff mem-
ber. Administrative support is necessary
to assist the program director with budget
reporting, travel, scheduling, and other
activities.
An ES advisor. Advising by a person
experienced in an array of environmental
disciplines is important as students sort
through courses to prepare for focused
studies in specific areas of environmental
science. The advisor plays a crucial role
helping students identify focused areas of
study, arranging internship and research
opportunities, helping with scholarship
applications, organizing foreign study
opportunities, and helping students
apply for jobs and post-graduate educa-
tional programs.
An office. The ES academic program is not
an academic department, but still needs a
home office for faculty members and stu-
dents.
Environmental science courses. ES core
courses and blanket numbered courses
are an essential part of the program and
require constant revision to stay current
(see Courses in the new Curricula sidebar).
Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs).
Consistent with the mission to improve the
environmental literacy of the student body,
enrollment in ES courses grew to nearly
2,000 students per semester. GTAs were
added to support the additional enroll-
ments.
Budget. Funds from the provost’s office
cover salaries and operating expenses.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

5. Embedding the ES
Academic Program
into the NCSU
infrastructure resulted in
large enrollments.
MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. • Vol. 6 No. 6 • December 2013 • DOI: 10.1089/sus.2013.9829 Sustainability 331
Courses in the New Curricula
The ES academic program includes revised curricula
for both the BS degree in environmental sciences
and the minor in environmental science. Environ-
mental science core courses are key elements of
both the ES major and minor and provide discussion
of key concepts, case studies, and interdisciplinary
perspectives for students.
ES Core Course Sequence (12 cr)
ES 100 Introduction to Environmental Science
ES 200 Climate Change and Sustainability
ES 300 Energy and Environment
ES 400 Analysis of Environmental Issues
Additional ES Courses
ES 295 Special Topics
ES 495 Special Topics
ES 496 Internship
ES 497 Professional Development
ES 498 Research
ES 499 Undergraduate Thesis
Students in the major must take the full sequence,
and students in the minor must take the first three
courses in the sequence. The first three ES core
courses are in the general education program
course lists.
The curriculum for the BS degree in environmental
sciences includes 120 credits of coursework, the
minimum necessary for an undergraduate degree.
ES Curriculum (120 cr)
General Education Courses (28 cr)
ES Core Course Sequence (12 cr)
Natural Science Courses (14 cr)
Social Science Courses (6 cr)
Earth System Courses (11 cr)
Communication Skills Courses (6 cr)
Analytical Skills Courses (6 cr)
Advised Electives (9 cr)
Free Electives (10 cr)
Focal Area Courses (15 cr)
External Learning Experience (3 cr)
The ES degree also requires students to acquire
some accomplished level of skill in a focal area.
The focal area gives each ES student a sense of
academic identity within the realm of envi-
ronmental science. The focal area is also the
student’s bridge to a career or to post-graduate
education. ES advising and mentoring helps
students understand the importance of the
focal area in creating professional opportuni-
ties.
An ES student can satisfy a focal area require-
ment by completing any relevant minor on
campus. The idea that students can complete a
major in ES and a minor, within 120 credits, is
attractive to many students. Students can also
propose 15 credits of course work that form a
cohesive body of study in theme areas where
the university does not offer a minor (such as
sustainable energy).
The approach of developing focal areas around
both existing minors and proposed themes
provides more flexibility to curricula than does
the approach of creating tracks or concentra-
tions. The use of minors to satisfy focal area
requirements allows students to use existing
academic tools and to network with ES stu-
dents across all academic units.
The concept of focal areas available from all col-
leges greatly expands the scope of studies for ES
students. Some ES students will choose a mi-
nor in law and justice, business administration,
soil science, or biology, to prepare, respectively,
for law school, an MBA program, or pursuing a
graduate degree in ecology.
Students who create personalized focal areas
can develop cohesive bodies of study in areas
where NCSU does not offer a minor, such as
sustainable energy, environmental education,
and hydrology. Such focal areas allow students
to seek careers and post-graduate education
in a wide range of fields such as industries in
renewable energy fields, teaching K-12, or
water resources. In addition, the use of self-
defined focal areas provides guidance for
developing new, interdisciplinary minors.
The creation of ES tracks and concentrations
is a commonly used approach to structure ES
degrees, and provides a level of comfort
because the structure is organized. However,
creating tracks or concentrations invariably
limit student course choices to incomplete
course lists and invariably creates conflicts
about what the tracks should be and which
courses should be on the various lists.
Students can complete the required External
Learning Experience with an internship, pro-
fessional development activity, research, or an
undergraduate thesis. The goal is for students
to move out of the classroom, to engage pro-
fessional environmental scientists, and to learn
more about opportunities for professional
development.
Enrollments. Embedding the ES Academic
Program into the NCSU infrastructure resulted
in large enrollments. Within three years with
the new ES curricula, the number of students

6. Program Profile
332 Sustainability MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC. • Vol. 6 No. 6 • December 2013 • DOI: 10.1089/sus.2013.9829
Rebuilding the
Environmental
Sciences Academic
Program at
NCSU required a
transformational
approach that
embeds the
themes of energy,
environment, and
sustainability as a
core academic
value for the
institution.
in the major has grown to 175 students, and
to 120 students in the minor. Enrollment in
the ES courses is nearly 1,800 students each
semester. Enrollment in the major, minor, and
related courses is still growing.
Much of the initial enrollment was from stu-
dents who changed majors. A key is that by
allowing 10 free electives and nine advised elec-
tives, students can transfer into the ES degree
and many of the courses already taken count
towards the BS degree in Environmental Sci-
ence. As the ES Academic Program became
visible, the growth is now from students who
apply as entering freshmen.
Conclusion
Rebuilding the Environmental Sciences Aca-
demic Program at NCSU required a transfor-
mational approach that embeds the themes of
energy, environment, and sustainability as a
core academic value for the institution. Keys
to the curricula include academic rigor and
focal areas that ensure students who complete
the BS degree in environmental sciences have a
rigorous science background, can link concepts
between disciplines, and have a self-selected
area of study and skills that define their aca-
demic identity. Students from such a program
will find careers in all segments of the pub-
lic and private sectors, and participate in the
process of advancing sustainability with their
careers and personal lives.
References
1. Winner W, Champion E. Sustain J. Record
2012; 5(4): 248-254.
Address correspondence to:
William E. Winner, PhD
Director, Environmental Science
Academic Program
Professor, Department of Forestry
and Environmental Resources
Room 2231 Jordan Hall
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27609
E-mail: wewinner@ncsu.edu