This presentation is part of the 2015 RCE Conference of the Americas, 9-12 August 2015, Grand Rapids, USA

1. Bachelor of Science in Freshwater Science
and Sustainability
Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City
Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program,
Kalamazoo
Extended University
Programs
Providing
Continuing
Education and
Professional
Development

2. Why Freshwater?
Foundation for all life yet most of the BLUE
PLANET unavailable to land-based or
freshwater ecosystems
Great Lakes
system contains
20% of earth’s
total surface
water.

3. Global Distribution of Water Scarcity
2.4 billion people live in highly water stressed areas
Why Freshwater?
Why Freshwater?

4. Indicators of Unsustainable Choices
• Dams, Diversions & Excessive Extractions
• Chronic over-pumping of groundwater
• Run-off and Pollution
• Status of freshwater organisms/ecosystems
Why Sustainability?
Why Sustainability?

5. “ . . . the public should determine the trade-off between
[groundwater] use and the changes to the environment and
set a threshold for what level of change becomes
undesirable.”
Sustainability requires water resource
professionals trained in the humanities and the
social, economic and ecological sciences.
“Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our
children’s lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal
measure of how we live on the land” – Luna Leopold
Why Sustainability?
Alley et al.1999.
Sustainability of
Groundwater Resources.
United States
Geological Survey.

6. Western Michigan University has had a regional location in
Traverse City in 1996.
Existing Associate Degree in Freshwater Studies at
Northwestern Michigan College since 2009
Existing Coursework and Interdisciplinary Faculty Expertise
at WMU in Kalamazoo
Why Freshwater
Sustainability at
WMU & NMC?
SENSE of PLACE

7. Summer & Fall 2012
• WMU Curriculum Committee Formed
• Open invitations to all faculty; 15-20 active faculty participants from Biology,
Environmental Studies, Economics, Geography, Geosciences and the
Management and Marketing Faculty of the Haworth College of Business
• Multiple internal meetings held; ad-hoc communications with NMC
conducted; employment projections examined; benchmark of other
“sustainability” programs developed; goals statement drafted; curriculum
drafted
Winter 2013
• Detailed discussion of program goals and curriculum between NMC and
WMU
Summer & Fall 2013
• Final Curricular Proposal Presented & Approved for Fall 2014 Start
• Housed in the Environmental & Sustainability Studies Program
Administrative &
Curricular Process
Administrative &
Curricular Process

8. Strong Administrative Support
• Associate Provost for Extended University
Programs; College of Arts & Sciences; Haworth
College of Business
• Buyouts, Summer Salary, Investment in New
Faculty Positions
Strong Faculty Support
• Nexus of Engaged Experts with Shared Goal
Created Community
• Interdisciplinary Future of Research & Teaching
Program
Incentives
Program
Incentives

9. Two year program in “Freshwater Studies” at NMC
Including Introductory Courses in Sciences, Mathematics,
Economics
Freshwater Core
Two more years in online/hybrid format from WMU
Sustainability Core
Introduction to Sustainability
Partnership between NMC and WMU
FIRST EVER
B.S. in Freshwater Science and Sustainability

10. Society
Environmental Policy
Ethnicity/Multiculturalism
Ethics in Engineering and Technology
Major Environmental Writings
Sustainability
Core
Economics/Business
Environmental Economics
Sustainable Marketing
Sustainable Accounting
Sustainable Operations
Environment
Environmental Systems and Cycles
Environmental Ecology
Conservation and Environmental Management
Sustainability
Core

11. Required
Freshwater Ecology
Human Impact on Great Lakes Ecosystem
Water Resources Management
Freshwater Policy
Freshwater Core
Freshwater Core
Sample Elective Choices
Fish Biology
Surface Water Hydrology
Principles of Hydrogeology
Environmental Impact Assessment

12. Summary of
Key Features
• Uniqueness
• Sense of Place
• Partnerships
• Interdisciplinary
• Sustainability Core
• Online/hybrid Delivery

13. • First Year Completed!
• 30 students, mostly non-traditional from a
range of backgrounds
• Non-linear degree progress
• Ongoing Curricular Modifications
• Solidification of Curriculum Committee
• Creation of External Advisory Board
• Assessment
• Potential Graduate Program
Status & Future
Challenges
Status & Future
Challenges

14. Questions?