Our mission is to provide a broad-based, interdisciplinary education for students interested in the identification, study and solution of problems affecting the natural world. By integrating perspectives from the humanities, social and biophysical sciences in the best liberal arts tradition, our curriculum is designed to produce not only ethical and capable environmental professionals but environmentally literate, responsible citizens. Our emphasis on experiential learning, internship opportunities, communication skills, and teamwork creates an environment in which critical thinking and leadership skills are fostered that will serve students well in the workplace or the pursuit of advanced degrees. We are committed to attracting faculty members with a passion for teaching and to support them in the scholarly and research endeavors that keep them current and vibrant in the classroom. Our goal is to serve as a resource of environmental expertise for both campus and community and to create lasting partnerships.
Student Learning Goals
Students successfully completing courses in the Department of Environmental Studies will be able to:
Goal 1. Interdisciplinary Analysis and Action. Evaluate, interpret, and apply evidence from the social and biophysical sciences to make reasoned and informed judgements about environmental issues.
Goal 2. Clear Communication. Accurately and appropriately describe and interpret environmental phenomena in oral, written, and visual communications to varied audiences.
Goal 3. Analytical Competency. Collect, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data using common computational tools and statistical analysis.
Goal 4: Systems Thinking. Understand the interrelatedness of complex human and natural systems and the consequences of actions across spatial and temporal scales.
Goal 5: Ethical Decision Making. Describe and evaluate the ethical implications of past or proposed human actions that affect the environment, such as actions that disproportionately affect poor and marginalized human communities, non-human species populations, or impair ecosystem functions and services; recommend alternative approaches, as appropriate.