The document summarizes North Carolina State University's process of revising and embedding its Environmental Sciences Academic Program across the entire university. Key points:
- NCSU committed to rebuilding its existing environmental sciences BS degree and minor, which had become fragmented and declined in enrollment.
- The revision engaged all academic departments and colleges, and established environmental sciences themes of energy, environment and sustainability across many courses.
- This transformed the program from a "bolted on" minor to an embedded program reflecting the university's expertise, and engaged students, faculty and administration, successfully reinvigorating the program.
This document outlines the development of teaching materials for the Geodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) project. It discusses:
1. The goals of developing materials to teach geoscience literacy and quantitative skills through the application of geodesy data to societal issues like climate change and natural hazards.
2. The process of aligning these materials with established frameworks for geoscience literacy, developing learning goals and objectives, designing assessments, and testing the materials through classroom pilots and revisions.
3. The collaboration between GETSI and the Interdisciplinary Teaching of Geoscience consortium to develop open educational resources using their proven model for transforming undergraduate geoscience education.
The study investigated how participants of the Rivers to Reefs teacher workshop integrated environmental topics into their classrooms. The researchers interviewed 8 past participants. They found that teachers integrated minimal environmental topics or lessons due to feeling obligated to strictly follow science standards and emphasis on standardized tests. Teachers also had difficulty connecting the coastal workshop experience to their local classrooms. Perceived barriers included lack of time, restrictions on field trips, and teaching outside the traditional classroom. The results suggest workshops need to provide clearer connections between content and classroom instruction to maximize environmental education integration.
This document discusses how academic environmental programs need to evolve to address a new environmental agenda. It outlines the origins of the old environmental agenda in the 1960s-70s based on legislation and issues around pollution. However, a new agenda has emerged considering humanity's growing impact on global systems through climate change, sustainability, and biodiversity loss. The document argues interdisciplinary environmental programs must integrate themes like energy, health, and enterprise to prepare students for careers across many fields and help rebuild economies. Updating programs requires understanding both the old agenda, humanity's now profound role in environmental change, and trends reflecting needs to explore complex new issues.
This document outlines the development of teaching materials focused on geoscience literacy and societal issues through the use of geodesy data and tools. It discusses:
- The InTeGrate curriculum model which aims to improve geoscience understanding and build workforce skills through contextualized learning.
- The development of open educational resources covering topics like climate change, natural hazards, and resource issues using quantitative geodesy data and skills.
- Guiding principles for the materials including addressing societal challenges, developing interdisciplinary skills, engaging authentic geodesy methods, and improving quantitative/scientific reasoning abilities.
- A process for designing modules that aligns learning goals, objectives, assessments, resources and instructional strategies to
This document provides an overview of the GETSI-Integrate curriculum development model. It discusses the goals of developing teaching materials focused on geoscience grand challenges using geodesy data. The model is guided by literacy documents and aligns goals, materials, and assessments. Materials will be developed by teams, tested in classrooms, revised, and published to improve geoscience understanding and address sustainability issues.
The document summarizes the introduction of GIS certificate programs in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Northeastern Illinois University in 2009. It provides details on the programs, including that there is an undergraduate and graduate certificate program. Students in the graduate program must have an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 2.75. All students in either program must complete three core GIS courses and two electives. Since the programs' inception in 2009, 55 students have been admitted and 8 have completed certificates. The department chair notes that the programs have contributed to the doubling in size of the department since 2002.
3. Environmental education integration in teaching geographyLittle Daisy
The document discusses environmental education (EE) integration methods in geography courses in Bac Lieu Province. It describes how EE is being implemented through academic curricula, reports of special topics, extracurricular activities, and field trips. Teachers work with facilitators to incorporate EE into geography lessons according to Ministry of Education and Training guidelines. Students learn about and conduct research on the local environment. The goal is to raise environmental awareness and encourage sustainable practices.
This document outlines the methodology for a study on provisions and practices for making students aware of climate change. It includes an introduction, purpose, research questions, literature review, theoretical framework, methodology, data collection and analysis, findings, and conclusions. The study uses qualitative methods like interviews with teachers and students at two schools in Bhaktapur, Nepal. Key findings include that climate change education is insufficient in textbooks, teachers lack training, and students' understanding comes primarily from lectures and textbooks. The conclusions state that more information is needed in course materials and teachers require additional support to effectively teach about climate change.
This document outlines the development of teaching materials for the Geodesy Tools for Societal Issues (GETSI) project. It discusses:
1. The goals of developing materials to teach geoscience literacy and quantitative skills through the application of geodesy data to societal issues like climate change and natural hazards.
2. The process of aligning these materials with established frameworks for geoscience literacy, developing learning goals and objectives, designing assessments, and testing the materials through classroom pilots and revisions.
3. The collaboration between GETSI and the Interdisciplinary Teaching of Geoscience consortium to develop open educational resources using their proven model for transforming undergraduate geoscience education.
The study investigated how participants of the Rivers to Reefs teacher workshop integrated environmental topics into their classrooms. The researchers interviewed 8 past participants. They found that teachers integrated minimal environmental topics or lessons due to feeling obligated to strictly follow science standards and emphasis on standardized tests. Teachers also had difficulty connecting the coastal workshop experience to their local classrooms. Perceived barriers included lack of time, restrictions on field trips, and teaching outside the traditional classroom. The results suggest workshops need to provide clearer connections between content and classroom instruction to maximize environmental education integration.
This document discusses how academic environmental programs need to evolve to address a new environmental agenda. It outlines the origins of the old environmental agenda in the 1960s-70s based on legislation and issues around pollution. However, a new agenda has emerged considering humanity's growing impact on global systems through climate change, sustainability, and biodiversity loss. The document argues interdisciplinary environmental programs must integrate themes like energy, health, and enterprise to prepare students for careers across many fields and help rebuild economies. Updating programs requires understanding both the old agenda, humanity's now profound role in environmental change, and trends reflecting needs to explore complex new issues.
This document outlines the development of teaching materials focused on geoscience literacy and societal issues through the use of geodesy data and tools. It discusses:
- The InTeGrate curriculum model which aims to improve geoscience understanding and build workforce skills through contextualized learning.
- The development of open educational resources covering topics like climate change, natural hazards, and resource issues using quantitative geodesy data and skills.
- Guiding principles for the materials including addressing societal challenges, developing interdisciplinary skills, engaging authentic geodesy methods, and improving quantitative/scientific reasoning abilities.
- A process for designing modules that aligns learning goals, objectives, assessments, resources and instructional strategies to
This document provides an overview of the GETSI-Integrate curriculum development model. It discusses the goals of developing teaching materials focused on geoscience grand challenges using geodesy data. The model is guided by literacy documents and aligns goals, materials, and assessments. Materials will be developed by teams, tested in classrooms, revised, and published to improve geoscience understanding and address sustainability issues.
The document summarizes the introduction of GIS certificate programs in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies at Northeastern Illinois University in 2009. It provides details on the programs, including that there is an undergraduate and graduate certificate program. Students in the graduate program must have an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 2.75. All students in either program must complete three core GIS courses and two electives. Since the programs' inception in 2009, 55 students have been admitted and 8 have completed certificates. The department chair notes that the programs have contributed to the doubling in size of the department since 2002.
3. Environmental education integration in teaching geographyLittle Daisy
The document discusses environmental education (EE) integration methods in geography courses in Bac Lieu Province. It describes how EE is being implemented through academic curricula, reports of special topics, extracurricular activities, and field trips. Teachers work with facilitators to incorporate EE into geography lessons according to Ministry of Education and Training guidelines. Students learn about and conduct research on the local environment. The goal is to raise environmental awareness and encourage sustainable practices.
This document outlines the methodology for a study on provisions and practices for making students aware of climate change. It includes an introduction, purpose, research questions, literature review, theoretical framework, methodology, data collection and analysis, findings, and conclusions. The study uses qualitative methods like interviews with teachers and students at two schools in Bhaktapur, Nepal. Key findings include that climate change education is insufficient in textbooks, teachers lack training, and students' understanding comes primarily from lectures and textbooks. The conclusions state that more information is needed in course materials and teachers require additional support to effectively teach about climate change.
The document outlines initiatives at the University of Goroka in Papua New Guinea to support conservation. It discusses the Rural Conservation Fund's (RCF) background working on biodiversity projects and conservation education. It also describes the Diploma in Environment and Conservation Studies program, including its 2-year course design involving practical experience and the types of graduates anticipated to work as community liaisons, educators, or officers. Lessons learned are about challenges in identifying needs and designing courses to address them.
This document outlines the scope and goals of curriculum developed by the InTeGrate project, which is funded by the NSF to increase geoscience literacy. The curriculum targets introductory geoscience courses, interdisciplinary courses, courses for non-geoscience majors, and teacher preparation courses. The materials are designed to develop literacy, emphasize the scientific process, and build interdisciplinary problem-solving skills connecting Earth science to societal issues. The curriculum aligns with literacy frameworks and addresses challenges like energy, water, natural hazards, and climate change through modules and courses.
This document summarizes a workshop on integrating sustainability into geoscience courses. The workshop's goals are:
1) Identify possible points to integrate sustainability and geoscience course content.
2) Formulate a plan to integrate sustainability into at least one assignment in a course.
3) Support participants in achieving personal learning outcomes.
The workshop uses an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together experts from various fields including geosciences, biology, history, and sustainability studies. Participants will design integrative sustainability assignments that combine a "big idea" in their discipline with a sustainability context or concept.
This document summarizes presentations from a sustainability conference featuring case studies from universities in Mexico, the US, and Spain. It discusses how the universities have incorporated sustainability into their operations, curriculum, research, and community outreach. For example, the University of Alcala de Henares in Spain created a Council for Sustainability and integrated sustainability programs, majors and research. San Diego State University has a Center for Regional Sustainability that facilitates collaboration and a sustainability-focused undergraduate program. The conclusion calls for universities to promote sustainability awareness, review their own operations and impact, and integrate the concepts into the curriculum.
This document is a draft sustainability strategy for a university. It outlines 10 sustainability goals, including making the university a model sustainable community, achieving economic viability, enhancing the environment, reducing waste and emissions, using resources efficiently, maximizing infrastructure utilization, embedding sustainability into policies and governance, increasing awareness and participation, and fostering an inclusive campus community. It discusses the purpose, scope, and definition of sustainability in the context of the university.
The Sustainability Strategy - University of British ColumbiaEric832w
This document provides an overview of the University of British Columbia's (UBC) sustainability strategy for 2006-2010. The strategy was created in response to UBC's sustainable development policy and aims to improve social, economic, and environmental performance. It outlines goals, objectives, and action plans across three pillars: social, economic, and ecological. Some key commitments include reducing energy and water use, increasing sustainable transportation options for students/staff, ensuring ethical purchasing, and integrating sustainability into teaching/research. The strategy reflects UBC's dedication to being a leader in campus sustainability.
Anticipatory Learning for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience cenafrica
This document summarizes a research paper about anticipatory learning for climate change adaptation and resilience. It discusses two main challenges: understanding adaptation as a process, rather than just responding to impacts, and developing better tools for anticipatory learning to facilitate adaptation in the face of uncertainty. The document outlines a framework for iterative learning processes and adaptive decision making that incorporates memory, monitoring changes, scenario planning, and measuring anticipatory capacity to enhance resilience. The overall goal is to promote learning and adaptation before impacts occur, rather than just learning from shocks.
The effectiveness of experience and nature-based learning activities in enhan...Innspub Net
This study investigated the effectiveness of experience and nature-based learning activities in enhancing college students’ environmental attitude. It employed pre-test-post-test experimental research design. The participants were the class of fifty-three college students of a higher education institution in Region 2, Philippines. Seven learning activities were employed by the researcher namely pamphlets making, environmental-themed movie poster making, collage making, miniature plant exhibit, vegetable gardening, community clean-up service, recycled art crafts making, and tree planting drive. In like manner, the pre-attitude score and post-attitude scores in the standardize environmental attitude inventory test were compared and the significant differences were determined using paired sample t-test. Results of the study revealed that the different experience-based learning activities were generally rated interesting. Moreover, it was also revealed that the different learning activities significantly increased the environmental attitude of the students towards nature enjoyment, support for interventions and conservation policies environmental movement activism, conservation motivated by anthropocentric concern, confidence in science and technology, environmental threat, altering nature, personal conservation behavior, human dominance over nature, human utilization of nature, and ecocentric concern. This implies that allowing students to be exposed to the different environmental learning activities where direct learning experience is involved significantly increased students environmental construct.
Increasing students’ environmental attitude through Visual and Performance Ar...INNS PUBNET
Visual and performance arts are effective media of communicating environmental and ecological issues. The need for effective communication to increase collective action and environmental attitude of students is the most pressing in the context of deteriorating environment. To assess the effectiveness of visual and performance arts as media of increasing environmental attitude of students, this study was conducted. It employed experimental research design. The participants of the study were the randomly sampled college students taking up MAPEH courses in one campus of a state university in region 02, Philippines. Result of the study showed that employing visual and performance arts learning activities are interesting. Ultimately, the used of visual and performance arts learning activities significantly increased the environmental attitude of students along attitude towards nature enjoyment, support for conservation policies, human utilization of nature, and attitude towards personal conservation behavior. Allowing the students to be exposed to the different environmental-based visual and performance arts learning activities where their direct learning experience is involved significantly increased their environmental construct. Further, the results reveal that both visual and performance-based learning activities developed positive environmental attitudes, greater environmental awareness, increased knowledge and understanding of nature, and are more likely to participate in environmental stewardship activities.
The document summarizes evaluations of the Pilot GCSE Geography course in the UK. It finds that both students and teachers have responded very positively to the course's content, which covers fewer topics in more depth compared to other GCSE courses. The learning and teaching on the Pilot course also differs significantly from other courses, employing varied pedagogies like fieldwork, research tasks, and technology integration. While the new approach posed some initial risks and concerns, over time issues with students' skills have been addressed. Overall, the evaluations show the Pilot GCSE has created opportunities for deeper learning compared to other GCSE courses in Geography.
This document summarizes a case study conducted by students at Francis Marion University to increase recycling on campus. The students designed an experiment comparing recycling rates in student apartments that received recycling bins only, bins and recycling education, or no bins. Results showed apartments receiving bins recycled significantly more waste over time, diverting about 1/3 of the waste stream from landfills. While education did not statistically increase recycling amounts, the overall waste stream was reduced. Presenting results at conferences provided positive student feedback and recommendations to expand recycling university-wide. Challenges included bin contamination and limited physical plant support. Overall, the study demonstrated students will recycle given the opportunity.
Curricular initiiatives in india after ncf 2005 by by Garima Tandongarimatandon10
This document discusses several initiatives taken in India to improve science curriculum after the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005. It describes the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), which are premier institutions for science education and research. It also discusses the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and its programs. Additionally, it summarizes Project Eklavya, an initiative to increase access to private schools for disadvantaged children, and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), which developed an influential 5E instructional model for science lessons.
The document discusses a program called "Growing Tall Poppies" developed by researchers at the University of Melbourne in partnership with Santa Maria College, a girls' school. The program aims to increase the number of girls studying physics in secondary school and continuing into Years 11 and 12. A longitudinal study found that the program significantly increased both the number of girls choosing Year 11 physics and retaining into Year 12 physics. The program is focused on engaging students with current research projects in an authentic science environment. It promotes science learning through relevance, cross-disciplinary links, and involvement in real research with scientists.
This document outlines several ways to integrate environmental education into school systems and non-formal education programs. It discusses integrating EE into existing subject areas, having it as a separate subject, and having environmental sciences as a discipline. It provides examples of how EE can be incorporated into various subjects like communication arts, mathematics, science, and values education. The roles of teachers, students, and whole-school responsibilities are also described.
This document summarizes a white paper from the ASC-HELM Committee at Adams State University about infusing physical activity into classrooms and meetings to boost learning and productivity. The committee proposes incorporating 3-8 minute "Brain Booster" physical activity breaks into meetings and classes. Research shows physical activity improves cognitive functioning, concentration, memory, and academic achievement. The committee believes these short activity breaks would increase student engagement and achievement as well as employee health and productivity without being an extensive exercise program. They aim to promote a culture of wellness at ASU through these fun, easy-to-implement physical activity breaks.
This curriculum vitae summarizes Julio G. Soto's career. He has over 30 years of experience in academia, including as a professor of biology, director of multiple research and education programs, and administrator. He has secured over $4 million in grant funding, published numerous papers, and served on national review panels.
Environmental sanitation is fundamental to health and development in schools because having healthy school environments sets schools on track for conducive and active learning. Many schools are experiencing poor environmental sanitation. The objective of this research is to review students’ perception of environmental sanitation. The method used is review of academic articles, textbooks, internet materials, thesis, journals and publicly available materials on environmental sanitation. This enabled the researchers to capture other authors view on students’ perception of environmental sanitation. Results of the review based on the convergent views of previous authors, showed that there was poor environmental sanitation practices in schools. It is therefore recommended that: (1) there is need for environmental awareness among students on the importance of environmental sanitation; (2) Provision of waste bins at strategic points, especially in all classroom buildings; (3) Inclusion of environmental education in school curriculum at all levels of the educational system; and conducting environmental sanitation on Tuesdays and Thursdays in schools on regular basis.
A presentation to the Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop at Saint Mary's University, May 12, 2010
Prepared and Presented by: Dr. Cathy Conrad, Geography, Teaching Scholar 2010-2011
This document discusses integrating green chemistry principles into a chemistry teaching methods course for prospective science teachers at the University Sains Malaysia. The goals were to educate future teachers about sustainability issues and influence their environmental values and behaviors. Student teachers participated in green chemistry experiments and assessments found they developed more pro-environmental attitudes and commitments to sustainability actions. The study demonstrated that educational interventions can successfully encourage positive environmental values and skills for participating in sustainability efforts.
El documento describe las infecciones cutáneas bacterianas más comunes como el impétigo, la foliculitis, el forúnculo y la celulitis/erisipela. Explica su microbiología, factores de riesgo, manifestaciones clínicas, diagnóstico y tratamiento. En general, se recomiendan tratamientos tópicos para infecciones leves y sistémicos como la cloxacilina, cefalexina o clindamicina para casos más graves o extendidos. Para la celulitis/erisipela, la duración estándar
Mario Suárez Ibujés.- Hoja de Vida septiembre 2014Mario Suárez
Este documento contiene la hoja de vida de Mario Orlando Suárez Ibujés. Detalla su información personal, formación académica que incluye títulos obtenidos en primaria, secundaria, universitaria y posgrado, experiencia docente en varias instituciones educativas, cursos y capacitaciones recibidas, publicaciones escritas como libros y artículos, y obras artísticas registradas.
The document outlines initiatives at the University of Goroka in Papua New Guinea to support conservation. It discusses the Rural Conservation Fund's (RCF) background working on biodiversity projects and conservation education. It also describes the Diploma in Environment and Conservation Studies program, including its 2-year course design involving practical experience and the types of graduates anticipated to work as community liaisons, educators, or officers. Lessons learned are about challenges in identifying needs and designing courses to address them.
This document outlines the scope and goals of curriculum developed by the InTeGrate project, which is funded by the NSF to increase geoscience literacy. The curriculum targets introductory geoscience courses, interdisciplinary courses, courses for non-geoscience majors, and teacher preparation courses. The materials are designed to develop literacy, emphasize the scientific process, and build interdisciplinary problem-solving skills connecting Earth science to societal issues. The curriculum aligns with literacy frameworks and addresses challenges like energy, water, natural hazards, and climate change through modules and courses.
This document summarizes a workshop on integrating sustainability into geoscience courses. The workshop's goals are:
1) Identify possible points to integrate sustainability and geoscience course content.
2) Formulate a plan to integrate sustainability into at least one assignment in a course.
3) Support participants in achieving personal learning outcomes.
The workshop uses an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together experts from various fields including geosciences, biology, history, and sustainability studies. Participants will design integrative sustainability assignments that combine a "big idea" in their discipline with a sustainability context or concept.
This document summarizes presentations from a sustainability conference featuring case studies from universities in Mexico, the US, and Spain. It discusses how the universities have incorporated sustainability into their operations, curriculum, research, and community outreach. For example, the University of Alcala de Henares in Spain created a Council for Sustainability and integrated sustainability programs, majors and research. San Diego State University has a Center for Regional Sustainability that facilitates collaboration and a sustainability-focused undergraduate program. The conclusion calls for universities to promote sustainability awareness, review their own operations and impact, and integrate the concepts into the curriculum.
This document is a draft sustainability strategy for a university. It outlines 10 sustainability goals, including making the university a model sustainable community, achieving economic viability, enhancing the environment, reducing waste and emissions, using resources efficiently, maximizing infrastructure utilization, embedding sustainability into policies and governance, increasing awareness and participation, and fostering an inclusive campus community. It discusses the purpose, scope, and definition of sustainability in the context of the university.
The Sustainability Strategy - University of British ColumbiaEric832w
This document provides an overview of the University of British Columbia's (UBC) sustainability strategy for 2006-2010. The strategy was created in response to UBC's sustainable development policy and aims to improve social, economic, and environmental performance. It outlines goals, objectives, and action plans across three pillars: social, economic, and ecological. Some key commitments include reducing energy and water use, increasing sustainable transportation options for students/staff, ensuring ethical purchasing, and integrating sustainability into teaching/research. The strategy reflects UBC's dedication to being a leader in campus sustainability.
Anticipatory Learning for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience cenafrica
This document summarizes a research paper about anticipatory learning for climate change adaptation and resilience. It discusses two main challenges: understanding adaptation as a process, rather than just responding to impacts, and developing better tools for anticipatory learning to facilitate adaptation in the face of uncertainty. The document outlines a framework for iterative learning processes and adaptive decision making that incorporates memory, monitoring changes, scenario planning, and measuring anticipatory capacity to enhance resilience. The overall goal is to promote learning and adaptation before impacts occur, rather than just learning from shocks.
The effectiveness of experience and nature-based learning activities in enhan...Innspub Net
This study investigated the effectiveness of experience and nature-based learning activities in enhancing college students’ environmental attitude. It employed pre-test-post-test experimental research design. The participants were the class of fifty-three college students of a higher education institution in Region 2, Philippines. Seven learning activities were employed by the researcher namely pamphlets making, environmental-themed movie poster making, collage making, miniature plant exhibit, vegetable gardening, community clean-up service, recycled art crafts making, and tree planting drive. In like manner, the pre-attitude score and post-attitude scores in the standardize environmental attitude inventory test were compared and the significant differences were determined using paired sample t-test. Results of the study revealed that the different experience-based learning activities were generally rated interesting. Moreover, it was also revealed that the different learning activities significantly increased the environmental attitude of the students towards nature enjoyment, support for interventions and conservation policies environmental movement activism, conservation motivated by anthropocentric concern, confidence in science and technology, environmental threat, altering nature, personal conservation behavior, human dominance over nature, human utilization of nature, and ecocentric concern. This implies that allowing students to be exposed to the different environmental learning activities where direct learning experience is involved significantly increased students environmental construct.
Increasing students’ environmental attitude through Visual and Performance Ar...INNS PUBNET
Visual and performance arts are effective media of communicating environmental and ecological issues. The need for effective communication to increase collective action and environmental attitude of students is the most pressing in the context of deteriorating environment. To assess the effectiveness of visual and performance arts as media of increasing environmental attitude of students, this study was conducted. It employed experimental research design. The participants of the study were the randomly sampled college students taking up MAPEH courses in one campus of a state university in region 02, Philippines. Result of the study showed that employing visual and performance arts learning activities are interesting. Ultimately, the used of visual and performance arts learning activities significantly increased the environmental attitude of students along attitude towards nature enjoyment, support for conservation policies, human utilization of nature, and attitude towards personal conservation behavior. Allowing the students to be exposed to the different environmental-based visual and performance arts learning activities where their direct learning experience is involved significantly increased their environmental construct. Further, the results reveal that both visual and performance-based learning activities developed positive environmental attitudes, greater environmental awareness, increased knowledge and understanding of nature, and are more likely to participate in environmental stewardship activities.
The document summarizes evaluations of the Pilot GCSE Geography course in the UK. It finds that both students and teachers have responded very positively to the course's content, which covers fewer topics in more depth compared to other GCSE courses. The learning and teaching on the Pilot course also differs significantly from other courses, employing varied pedagogies like fieldwork, research tasks, and technology integration. While the new approach posed some initial risks and concerns, over time issues with students' skills have been addressed. Overall, the evaluations show the Pilot GCSE has created opportunities for deeper learning compared to other GCSE courses in Geography.
This document summarizes a case study conducted by students at Francis Marion University to increase recycling on campus. The students designed an experiment comparing recycling rates in student apartments that received recycling bins only, bins and recycling education, or no bins. Results showed apartments receiving bins recycled significantly more waste over time, diverting about 1/3 of the waste stream from landfills. While education did not statistically increase recycling amounts, the overall waste stream was reduced. Presenting results at conferences provided positive student feedback and recommendations to expand recycling university-wide. Challenges included bin contamination and limited physical plant support. Overall, the study demonstrated students will recycle given the opportunity.
Curricular initiiatives in india after ncf 2005 by by Garima Tandongarimatandon10
This document discusses several initiatives taken in India to improve science curriculum after the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005. It describes the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs), which are premier institutions for science education and research. It also discusses the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and its programs. Additionally, it summarizes Project Eklavya, an initiative to increase access to private schools for disadvantaged children, and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), which developed an influential 5E instructional model for science lessons.
The document discusses a program called "Growing Tall Poppies" developed by researchers at the University of Melbourne in partnership with Santa Maria College, a girls' school. The program aims to increase the number of girls studying physics in secondary school and continuing into Years 11 and 12. A longitudinal study found that the program significantly increased both the number of girls choosing Year 11 physics and retaining into Year 12 physics. The program is focused on engaging students with current research projects in an authentic science environment. It promotes science learning through relevance, cross-disciplinary links, and involvement in real research with scientists.
This document outlines several ways to integrate environmental education into school systems and non-formal education programs. It discusses integrating EE into existing subject areas, having it as a separate subject, and having environmental sciences as a discipline. It provides examples of how EE can be incorporated into various subjects like communication arts, mathematics, science, and values education. The roles of teachers, students, and whole-school responsibilities are also described.
This document summarizes a white paper from the ASC-HELM Committee at Adams State University about infusing physical activity into classrooms and meetings to boost learning and productivity. The committee proposes incorporating 3-8 minute "Brain Booster" physical activity breaks into meetings and classes. Research shows physical activity improves cognitive functioning, concentration, memory, and academic achievement. The committee believes these short activity breaks would increase student engagement and achievement as well as employee health and productivity without being an extensive exercise program. They aim to promote a culture of wellness at ASU through these fun, easy-to-implement physical activity breaks.
This curriculum vitae summarizes Julio G. Soto's career. He has over 30 years of experience in academia, including as a professor of biology, director of multiple research and education programs, and administrator. He has secured over $4 million in grant funding, published numerous papers, and served on national review panels.
Environmental sanitation is fundamental to health and development in schools because having healthy school environments sets schools on track for conducive and active learning. Many schools are experiencing poor environmental sanitation. The objective of this research is to review students’ perception of environmental sanitation. The method used is review of academic articles, textbooks, internet materials, thesis, journals and publicly available materials on environmental sanitation. This enabled the researchers to capture other authors view on students’ perception of environmental sanitation. Results of the review based on the convergent views of previous authors, showed that there was poor environmental sanitation practices in schools. It is therefore recommended that: (1) there is need for environmental awareness among students on the importance of environmental sanitation; (2) Provision of waste bins at strategic points, especially in all classroom buildings; (3) Inclusion of environmental education in school curriculum at all levels of the educational system; and conducting environmental sanitation on Tuesdays and Thursdays in schools on regular basis.
A presentation to the Sustainability Across the Curriculum Workshop at Saint Mary's University, May 12, 2010
Prepared and Presented by: Dr. Cathy Conrad, Geography, Teaching Scholar 2010-2011
This document discusses integrating green chemistry principles into a chemistry teaching methods course for prospective science teachers at the University Sains Malaysia. The goals were to educate future teachers about sustainability issues and influence their environmental values and behaviors. Student teachers participated in green chemistry experiments and assessments found they developed more pro-environmental attitudes and commitments to sustainability actions. The study demonstrated that educational interventions can successfully encourage positive environmental values and skills for participating in sustainability efforts.
El documento describe las infecciones cutáneas bacterianas más comunes como el impétigo, la foliculitis, el forúnculo y la celulitis/erisipela. Explica su microbiología, factores de riesgo, manifestaciones clínicas, diagnóstico y tratamiento. En general, se recomiendan tratamientos tópicos para infecciones leves y sistémicos como la cloxacilina, cefalexina o clindamicina para casos más graves o extendidos. Para la celulitis/erisipela, la duración estándar
Mario Suárez Ibujés.- Hoja de Vida septiembre 2014Mario Suárez
Este documento contiene la hoja de vida de Mario Orlando Suárez Ibujés. Detalla su información personal, formación académica que incluye títulos obtenidos en primaria, secundaria, universitaria y posgrado, experiencia docente en varias instituciones educativas, cursos y capacitaciones recibidas, publicaciones escritas como libros y artículos, y obras artísticas registradas.
Singapore has developed a world-class education system through deliberate policies to establish a high-quality teacher workforce, including carefully selecting top students for teaching, providing rigorous training programs, offering competitive salaries, and implementing systems for continuous professional development and career growth. Key elements of their success include recruiting prospective teachers from the top graduates, training all teachers at the National Institute of Education, annually evaluating teachers' performance and compensation, and identifying and developing talent through distinct career paths for teachers and school leaders. By investing in developing and supporting teachers at every stage of their careers, Singapore has created a system with low attrition and consistently high-performing teachers and principals.
This document examines China's role in global steel markets and Noble Group's strategy for supplying China. It summarizes that:
1) China's steel production and domestic consumption peaked in the 2010s and is expected to stabilize, though steel consumption will still grow 6-7% annually as housing cools.
2) China has historically imported and exported steel but is now consistently a net exporter, exporting around 7-15% of production. Scrap recycling and electric arc furnaces could significantly reduce iron ore imports if adopted at global averages.
3) Noble Group's strategy is to build integrated supply pipelines, source from low-cost producers, add value at each step, and supply a range of raw materials to
Diane Shelton is a student at Full Sail University studying design. She has always had a passion for design and taught herself programs like Illustrator. She works as a designer, mother, leader, and mentor. Her goals are to continue learning and growing as a designer, with her main passion being creative and spiritual fulfillment. She provides her contact information for anyone interested in learning more.
Este documento resume los diferentes tipos de trastornos alimenticios como la anorexia, la bulimia, la obesidad, la vigorexia y la ortorexia. Describe los síntomas, causas y tratamientos de cada uno, incluyendo el miedo a engordar, los episodios de voracidad y purga, la obsesión por la musculatura o los alimentos saludables, y cómo afectan a la salud física y mental de las personas.
Advanced Static Concepts manufactures compact air handling units starting at 1,000 CFM to resolve issues with low airflow and high static pressure in HVAC applications. The units are designed to provide the flexibility of larger units and meet stringent air quality standards using extruded aluminum construction and insulation panels. Advanced Static Concepts serves markets including semiconductor, laboratories, hospitals, and food processing with engineered solutions for complex static issues in low airflow applications.
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Abdul Basit is seeking a position that allows him to utilize his skills and expertise. He has a B.A. in Mass Communication from Sargodha University and worked in several travel industry roles, currently as a Ticketing Office Manager. He has over 5 years of experience in airline ticketing and international routing on systems like Sabre, Abacus, and Amadeus. His skills include domestic and international ticketing, routing, handling pressure, and creating complex low-fare routes. References are available upon request.
Lucy created a magazine in Photoshop. She changed the background color and added a photo of Steph, resizing and editing it. Next, she added cover lines in colors matching the theme and aligned the text professionally. Her masthead "xo" was added in the top left along with additional text below. Then she added her main cover line "Roxy rocks" in a chosen font. To complete it, she included a resized barcode from online, made a colored circle "puff" with additional text, and added the price above the barcode.
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This document discusses e-discovery, which refers to the process of identifying, preserving, collecting, processing, reviewing, analyzing and producing electronically stored information for use as evidence in legal cases. It outlines the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) process, which includes identification, preservation, collection, processing, review, analysis and production of electronic data. Terminology used in e-discovery such as ESI, custodian, metadata and legal hold are also defined.
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Running head RECOMMENDATIONS, STRATEGIES AND STANDARDS 6.docxjeanettehully
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2014 Integration Award, University of WashingtonISCN_Secretariat
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Incorporating Careers Education as interdisciplinary UnitShaheen Darr
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Hello Colleagues
Please find attached Group Bruner's presentation which looks at the changing trends in HE. It touches on the trends seen internationally. To look at the Pacific region, the group identified changing trends observed specifically at USP. Each group member than gave a brief overview of the changing trend and its implication in their respective courses.
Cheers.....
Bruner Group
This document summarizes sustainability initiatives at various California universities. It discusses recognition and inclusion of faculty expertise in sustainability, curriculum development focused on sustainability topics, co-curricular and degree programs, research partnerships, and campus-level commitments to sustainability through strategic plans and declarations.
This document summarizes sustainability initiatives at various California universities. It discusses recognition and inclusion of faculty expertise in sustainability, integrating sustainability into curriculum through new courses and modifications, co-curricular programs, degree programs in sustainability, campus-level research on sustainability issues, and high-level campus commitments to sustainability through strategic plans and declarations.
Education
Advanced Technologies and
Data Management Practices in
Environmental Science: Lessons
from Academia
REBECCA R. HERNANDEZ, MATTHEW S. MAYERNIK, MICHELLE L. MURPHY-MARISCAL, AND MICHAEL F. ALLEN
Environmental scientists are increasing their capitalization on advancements in technology, computation, and data management. However, the
extent ofthat capitalization is unknown. We analyzed the survey responses of 434 graduate students to evaluate the understanding and use of
such advances in the environmental sciences. Two-thirds of the students had not taken courses related to information science and the analysis of
complex data. Seventy-four percent of the students reported no skill in programming languages or computational applications. Of the students
who had completed research projects, 26% had created metadata for research data sets, and 29% had archived their data so that it was available
online. One-third of these students used an environmental sensor. The results differed according to the students' research status, degree type, and
university type. Changes may be necessary in the curricula of university programs that seek to prepare environmental scientists for this techno-
logically advanced and data-intensive age.
Keywords: data life cycle, data repository, education, environmental sensors, eScience
With the advent of recent technological and computationaladvances, scientists are using increasing numbers of
in situ environmental sensors, model simulations, crowd-
sourcing tasks, and embedded networked systems that
enable environmental studies to incorporate various spatio-
temporal scales and to produce utiprecedented amounts
of data (Porter et al. 2005, Benson et aL 2010). Such tech-
nologies and an increasing interest in synthesis studies of
environmental phenomena have made data valuable beyond
their immediate use (Peters et al. 2008). The flood of data
that digital technologies produce (Hey and Trefethen 2003)
underscores the urgency of a rapid adoption of pertinent
skills and best practices by environmental scientists in the
proper management of data sets. Studies in which such
preparedness in the environmental sciences is evaluated
are absent; however, academic institutions may play a role
in imparting the relevant knowledge and skills to the next
generation of scientists.
As electronic devices become smaller and cheaper and
as complementary computer power grows and applications
increase in efficiency, scientists at all career stages are finding
technology useful for addressing topics from global epidem-
ics to climate change. Such integration has transformed
both the experimental techniques and the solitary working
platforms known by predecessors in the field in the not-so-
distant past (Nature 2003). But the use of technology and
interdisciplinary collaborations often necessitates analytical
tools for the integration and analysis of large and hetero-
geneous data sets. In a survey of a distributed seminar course
fo.
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