U Notre Dame Creates Required Sustainability Seminar
The University of Notre Dame has created a mandatory seminar for first-year students titled "Contemporary Topics." The material, in comic strip and video format, is designed to engage students in sustainable energy and resource use topics through humor.
Arizona State U Creates Social Justice Graduate Degree
Arizona State University has created a new master's degree in social justice and human rights. The program will offer a non-governmental organization management track and a research track to prepare students for agency careers and doctoral programs in social sciences and law.
U California Davis Extension Launches Sustainability Curriculum
The University of California, Davis Extension has launched a new sustainability studies certificate program. The multidisciplinary collaboration combines aspects of green building, sustainable design and energy. Students will have the ability to take just one course, pursue a whole certificate or choose from a number of courses within a variety of programs.
Dickinson College Receives Grant for Environmental Asian Studies
Dickinson College (PA) has received a $50,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment program. The program encourages innovative approaches to Asian studies through the lens of the environment and sustainable development. The college will use sustainability as a unifying theme to incorporate Asian content into academic courses and research.
Rochester Inst. of Tech Starts Global Sustainability Ed Exchange
The Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has announced plans to share its model of sustainability education with institutions in five developing countries. By sharing curricula and supporting faculty exchanges and mentorships, the university aims to educate a global generation of scientists, engineers and businesspeople who can help find solutions to climate change, pollution and growing energy consumption.
Wellesley College Spearheads Inter-Campus Sustainability Cert.
Wellesley College has received a $55,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to lead a collaboration among fellow Massachusetts institutions Babson College and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering to launch an inter-campus certificate program in sustainability. The new program will include courses relating to human impact on the environment across the liberal arts and sciences, business and engineering curricula that will be offered on all three campuses.
San Diego State U Launches Sustainable Surf Tourism Program
San Diego State University (CA) has debuted a new nonprofit Center for Surf Research and sustainable surf tourism curriculum. The center will engage with the surf industry to create a research agenda, disseminate specialist knowledge and shape responsible global citizens.
Marylhurst U Debuts New Sustainable Business Programs
Marylhurst University (OR) has launched a new online undergraduate degree in sustainable business and online post-baccalaureate and post-graduate certificates in sustainable business. Students will gain relevant knowledge that is transferable to careers that implement sustainability across all business practices.
U New Hampshire Launches Corporate Sustainability Certificate
In partnership with New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, the University of New Hampshire has launched a professional certificate in corporate sustainability. The program will make its debut in October and is directed toward mid-level and senior professionals seeking to increase knowledge and functional skills in the practices and principles of corporate sustainability.
U Washington Introduces Green IT Certificate
The University of Washington's Professional & Continuing Education program has launched a new green IT certificate. The first course covers the basics of green computing and overall sustainability, the second focuses on managing the transition to green IT and the final course requires students to develop a compelling green IT roadmap for an enterprise.
Truman State U Offers Online Certificate Course in Sustainability
Truman State University (MO) has launched an online graduate certificate in sustainability and environmental studies. Designed in an interdisciplinary fashion, the coursework includes biology, political science, economics, geography and business perspectives.
Winona State U Creates Sustainability Minor
Winona State University (MN) has launched a minor in sustainability with the intention of connecting the study of sustainability with other academic areas. The new minor is the university’s first academic commitment to sustainability.
Washington State U Faculty Project Promotes Sustainability
Washington State University has created the Palouse Project, an initiative that brings together faculty from across campus to raise interest in sustainability education. The project will encourage faculty to apply locally inspired lessons to their classes and hold a monthly series, open to the community, that will feature interdisciplinary conversations about sustainability related to research and teaching.
Jefferson CC Offers Renewable Energy Management Certificate
Jefferson Community College (KY) has launched a renewable energy management certificate. The program is designed to serve students who want to enter into the alternative energy field and begin searching for employment options through the use of wind turbines and solar panels. The courses will also be offered to professionals who would like to further their growth in the renewable energy field. Five wind turbines and a solar panel have been installed on campus for the program.
New River CC Offers Solar Power Certification
New River Community College (VA) has been approved to offer the North American Board of Energy Practitioners Photovoltaic Entry Level Exam and will be able to offer solar power certification. The exam certifies basic knowledge for the application, design, installation and operation of grid-tied and stand-alone solar power systems. The exam will be an advantage for students participating in the college’s alternative energy career studies certificate. Within the certificate program, students study subjects such as electricity, industrial safety, wind turbine technology and photovoltaic energy systems. These subjects address many of the primary learning objectives for the exam.
Oakland U Creates Energy Management Program
Oakland University’s (CA) School of Business Management and School of Engineering and Computer Sciences have partnered to create an energy management certificate program that focuses on innovative means of reducing energy costs. Students in the six-week course will learn to better understand energy usage, implement cost- and energy-saving strategies, apply sustainable principles and practices, and acquire practical skills to evaluate efficient energy choices. The program is geared toward engineers and technicians; facility, maintenance and energy managers; design professionals; green sales representatives; architects, contractors and subcontractors; and any business professional or individual interested or involved in the green energy field.
U Alaska Fairbanks to Create Living Laboratory
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has announced plans for a Sustainable Village, a dormitory that will serve as a living laboratory for students to study renewable energy, graywater recycling and elements of hyper-efficient design. In partnership with the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, the first phase of the project will house 16 students who will also serve as researchers. The 60-acre village will emphasize local building materials and environmentally sound land use. A community garden, shared open space and network of footpaths will be integrated among the buildings. Village rental fees are expected to pay off the university's initial $1 million investment.
AP Reports on Growth of Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum
Graduate students studying sustainable and organic agriculture shouldn't have trouble finding jobs as the agriculture industry replaces aging farmers and farmers increasingly look to diversify their operations, according to a recent article by the Associated Press. A growing number of universities are offering courses, certificates or degree programs focused on organic and sustainable agriculture including Washington State University's online organic agriculture certificate and the University of California, Davis' new agriculture and food systems program debuting this fall. The article also mentions that some schools have shifted their focus from organic to sustainable agriculture, which takes into account global issues that are becoming increasingly important as food and agriculture is central to issues revolving around the environment, hunger and treatment of workers.
Southern Maine CC Debuts Sustainability Center, Curriculum
Southern Maine Community College is preparing to open the doors of its new Sustainability and Energy Alternatives Center. The center will be home to a new one-year building science and sustainability curriculum program for students and community members that includes energy auditing, building science, residential weatherization, renewable energy and introductory sustainability courses. The center, which received a $375,000 grant from Efficiency Maine and $100,000 from MaineHousing, will begin offering classes this fall.
U California Davis to Offer Sustainable Ag, Food Systems Degree
The University of California, Davis has announced that it will offer a new interdisciplinary sustainable agriculture and food systems major. The major will be designed to help students acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to develop and work in more ecologically, economically and socially viable food and farming systems.
Kennebec Valley CC Opens Solar Tech Training Lab
Kennebec Valley Community College (ME) has opened a new solar heating and cooling lab on campus. The lab will be home to a solar technology training program to prepare participants from other community colleges, career and technical education centers, apprenticeship programs and private companies to be solar technology trainers. After the 40-hour course, the trainers will return to their respective areas and prepare their students for careers as solar energy installers. The U.S. Department of Energy chose the college as one of nine regional resource and training sites across the nation.
Illinois Central College to Provide Green Building Training
Illinois Central College has announced plans to offer a 12-week training course for green building professionals. The training will provide a comprehensive look at the design, construction and operation of green buildings and communities. Emphasis will be placed on the categories developed by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program including sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design. The training is sponsored by the Green Workforce Alliance. Funding for the training is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Santa Clara U Debuts Sustainable Energy Graduate Program
Santa Clara University’s (CA) School of Engineering has announced a new graduate degree in sustainable energy. Debuting this fall, the interdisciplinary program’s coursework will focus on societal responses to environmental problems, allowing graduate students to later pursue careers in energy management, smart grids, and energy generation and distribution. The program places a heavy reliance on project-based learning, case analyses and industrial practices. The master’s degree program is open to all students who have completed their bachelor’s in any engineering discipline.
U Maine Offers Renewable Energy Curriculum
The University of Maine has announced three new undergraduate minors in renewable energy. The renewable energy engineering minor will focus on the design and implementation of both existing and emerging technologies. The renewable energy science and technology minor will focus on electricity production, climate change and life cycle analysis, providing students with a foundation in renewable energy science, both in terms of generation and lasting environmental impacts. The renewable energy economics and policy minor will focus on the financial, ethical, political and legal considerations that constrain or enhance energy decisions, providing a conceptual understanding of energy science and detailed exposure to the varied impacts of energy systems. The College of Engineering is also designing a Master of Science in renewable energy engineering and the environment for deployment in fall 2012.
San Diego State U Students Assess Sustainability in the Dominican
San Diego State University students recently traveled to the Dominican Republic to complete research for a sustainability evaluation of the Punta Cana region as part of a four-week study abroad program on sustainable development. The students are developing a sustainability evaluation that will create benchmarks based on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and will be used to assess development in the region as the region applies for the United Nations Global Cities Compact Certification.
U Delaware Class Installs Green Roof
A University of Delaware professor and a group of chemical engineering students have created a green roof as a solution to their classroom building’s hot temperature. The idea bloomed on an especially hot day in 2008, when the temperature was 86 degrees inside and the construction outside was too noisy to open the window. The class treated it as an engineering problem and came up with a green roof as the solution. The roof contains 14,000 square feet of small sedums planted in trays with 4 to 8 inches of soil. The plants act as a natural heat shield, absorbing and deflecting the sun’s radiation. Recent temperature readings revealed that the plants cause the peak temperature of the roof to occur later in the day.
U Toledo Creates New Green Chemistry School
The University of Toledo (OH) has announced the creation of a new school that will teach students about green chemistry and engineering. The School for Green Chemistry and Engineering will focus on the need for sustainability with the design of products that use renewable raw materials and environmentally safe processes. The university is positioning itself to be a leader in teaching, researching and applying green chemistry and biomimicry, which is green chemistry and engineering that uses natural raw materials and processes that mimic nature and produce zero waste.
Otago Polytechnic Offers Graduate Degree in Sustainable Practice
Otago Polytechnic's (New Zealand) Centre for Sustainable Practices has begun offering a new graduate diploma in sustainable practice. The program offers students hands-on learning experience with the chance to participate in the development of projects with local businesses. The university also offers a certificate in sustainable practice.
UK Students See Sustainability Curriculum as Essential
A new research report by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) reveals that freshman students believe their university should be responsible for actively incorporating and promoting sustainable development to prepare students for the workforce. The online survey of more than 5,760 first-year students in the United Kingdom shows that more than 80 percent of respondents believe sustainability skills are important to their future employers and that employers anticipate a need to employ staff with these skills. The survey also revealed that 65 percent of respondents believe that sustainability skills should be delivered throughout the curriculum rather than through a separate module and 63 percent are prepared to sacrifice £1,000 in salary to work for a sustainably aware company. With increasing tuition fees on the horizon, the report aims to provide higher education institutions with timely information on the expectations of current students and give insight into students' decision-making processes on where to study. The research highlights a range of recommendations targeting administrations, academic staff, government officials, student union representatives and funding councils.
College of the Canyons to Debut Solar Energy Certificate
College of the Canyons (CA) has announced plans to offer solar and other alternative energy courses this fall. The college’s solar energy technician certificate program will include "Introduction to Energy Technology," "Solar Photovoltaic Systems" and "Solar Thermal Systems." College officials are currently in the process of developing additional solar technology and energy program options in the areas of photovoltaic sales and customer service, weatherization and energy-efficient technology, energy code compliance and energy auditing.
Lewis U Offers Renewable Energy Training to Teachers
With a $160,000 grant from the state, Lewis University (IL) recently held a two-week workshop on green and renewable energy for teachers. The workshop combines lectures, videos, field trips, computer exercises, hands-on experiments and ongoing self-guided action research projects. The goal is for the first-year participants to serve as mentors regarding renewable energy education to others in their schools.
Molloy College Offers Green Building Design Training
Molloy College (NY) has announced that it will offer green building and design training programs. The college has teamed up with Forever Green Training and Sustainable Design to offer courses that will prepare students for LEED accreditation. The new offerings include two LEED Green Associate Plus certificate programs and a Principles of Sustainable Design.
Wilfrid Laurier U, Ghana Partner for Curriculum Exchange
In an effort to strengthen its academic program in the areas of global citizenship and social justice, Wilfrid Laurier University (ON) has announced a teleconferencing curriculum initiative with Ghana. Part of the university's Global Studies and Human Rights and Human Diversity departments, the initiative will deliver courses jointly to students from the university and Ghana's Ashesi University via video conferencing. Twenty-three Wilfrid Laurier students will also receive funding for internships in Ghana, and four graduate students from Ghana's University of Cape Coast will receive internships to study at Wilfrid Laurier. The program is funded by a $264,000 four-year grant through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada through its Students for Development program.
Gwinnett Technical College Offers New Green Programs
Gwinnett Technical College (GA) has begun offering a variety of courses, seminars and workshops on energy conservation, sustainability and green building practices for business professionals in construction and related fields. The college will also offer the nationally recognized Building Operator Certification course that promotes the use of energy management resources to improve a facility’s energy efficiency. The institution was also recently honored with the Green Reach Award for its efforts to provide a sustainability-focused curriculum.
Penn State U Hazelton Offers Alternative Energy Degree
Pennsylvania State University, Hazelton has announced that it will offer a bachelor's degree in general engineering with an alternative energy and power generation track. The program will prepare students to design wind turbines, make buildings and businesses more efficient energy consumers, and perfect systems to receive power from nature. The curriculum will focus on design, research, manufacturing and technical sales for new energy industries.
Macomb CC, Dept. of Energy Partner for Electric Vehicle Training
As a complement to the Obama Administration's recent launch of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, Macomb Community College (MI) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a series of new manufacturing job training partnerships. The college will use the National Training and Education Resource, an open-source integration platform that brings together information technologies to support education, training and workforce development, to enhance several of its electric vehicle oriented courses.
Mercyhurst College Launches New Sustainability Programs
Mercyhurst College (PA) has announced the launch of a new Bachelor of Arts degree and post-baccalaureate certificate in sustainability studies. Since 2006, the college has offered a sustainability studies minor and a concentration in sustainability studies within the chemistry and biology departments. Interest among students prompted the college’s decision to convert it to a new major with its own requirements.
U North Texas Debuts Sustainable Tourism Graduate Program
The University of North Texas' School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management has partnered with CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) in Costa Rica for a joint master's degree program in international sustainable tourism. The degree offers students an interdisciplinary perspective on sustainability and tourism with one year of study in each country. It is designed to prepare students for management and leadership positions in ecotourism and sustainable tourism, balancing environmental, economic and socio-cultural benefits and concerns.
Central Arizona College Debuts Renewable Energy Associate Degree
With funding from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Community-Based Job Training Alternative Energy Grant, Central Arizona College has debuted a renewable energy program. The college offers a renewable energy technician associate degree that is transferable to all three of Arizona’s state universities. The program focuses on interdisciplinary and outreach learning approaches to train students to develop the skills required to succeed in high growth industries. The college also offers solar energy and biofuel technician certificates.
Owens CC to Offer Urban Agriculture and Sustainability Program
Owens Community College (OH) has announced that it will offer a new urban agriculture and sustainability certificate program. The program will require 26 credit hours of coursework including plant science, soil science, greenhouse management, urban livestock and animal husbandry, organic gardening and food systems management, harvest and post-harvest technology, and urban horticulture and sustainability. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in various experiential learning laboratory projects at Toledo GROW’s Oneida Greenhouse.
Santa Clara U Creates Department of Environmental Studies
Santa Clara University (CA) has approved the creation of the Department of Environmental Studies and Sciences. As a part of creating the new department, the university will also transform the environmental studies companion major into a stand-alone major with coursework that focuses on societal responses to environmental problems. The curriculum includes environmental law, policy, economics and sustainable development.
Wake Technical CC Students Install Solar Hot Water System
Students in Wake Technical Community College’s (NC) solar thermal training class have installed a solar hot water system in a specially outfitted trailer on campus. The project is part of the Green Building Training Program, designed to ready technicians and small business owners with the knowledge and skills to market themselves in the growing green economy. Solar thermal is one of four short-term “green” training classes being offered through a partnership with the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability.
The New School Debuts Enviro Policy & Sustainable Mgmt Program
The New School's (NY) Milano Management and Urban Policy school will offer a new Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management graduate program starting in fall 2011. Offered on a part-time or full-time basis, the program is designed to prepare graduates for roles as planners, managers, policy analysts and consultants in defining environmental policy and giving support to institutions that seek to enhance their sustainability performance.
CNBC Highlights Green Job Training at Community Colleges
More than $500 million of stimulus money for education is targeted for green job training, says recent CNBC article “Hype Aside, ‘Green Jobs’ Are For Real.” The article highlights the growing "green" industry and the efforts of higher education institutions to meet the challenge of training students for “green-collar” jobs. Programs at Columbia Gorge Community College (OR), St. Phillip’s Community College (TX) and Lane Community College (OR) are featured for their alignment with the Sustainable Education and Economic Development Center, which helps community colleges develop green job training programs.
Concordia U Launches Sustainable Investment Certificate
Created in response to the growing interest in sustainable investment approaches, Concordia University's (QC) John Molson School of Business has launched a sustainable investment professional certificate. The program is designed to provide professionals in the finance, investment and corporate world with a unique set of skills, knowledge and analytical thinking.
Living Routes Earns Innovation in Sustainability Award
Living Routes, a program that partners with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst to run ecovillage-based programs around the world, has received the first annual Innovation in Sustainability Award from international education and experiential travel resource GoAbroad. Presented at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Conference and Expo this month, the awards acknowledge institutions, organizations and individuals who are creating initiatives to move the field of international education forward and going beyond the conventional. Highlighted Living Routes efforts included co-founding the Green Passport Program, pioneering virtual tabling at study abroad fairs and advocating for "carbon consciousness" in the field of international education.
Northern Wake Tech CC Offers Free Solar Installation Course
Northern Wake Technical Community College (NC) has partnered with the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability to offer a free solar photovoltaic installer course as part of the Green Building Training Series. The curriculum for the course is based on the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Solar Photovoltaic Installer job task analysis. Students should gain a thorough understanding of the tools used to complete site evaluations, perform necessary measurements and calculations, and specify balance of system components. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant.
Clackamas CC Students Will Construct Wind Turbines
Clackamas Community College (OR) has announced the creation of the Homebuilt Wind Turbine workshop that focuses on the mechanical and electronic processes of making a wind turbine. Students will have the opportunity to construct and assemble a wind turbine from scratch using everyday hand tools. Turbines constructed by students will generate approximately 20-kilowatts of electricity a day. The workshop’s $350 fee will go to creating a 12-foot wind turbine on campus.
Indiana U Announces Sustainability Course Development Fellowships
Two Sustainability Course Development Fellowships have been awarded to Indiana University Bloomington faculty. This year’s recipients will receive $8,000 to provide support for newly developed courses in sustainability. The two courses are “Exploring the Challenges of Sustainability: Ecology & Society” and “Sustainability Law & Policy.” The fellowship represents an instructional component of a broad-based initiative originally developed by the university’s Task Force on Campus Sustainability. It is intended to provide support for individual faculty members interested in expanding their teaching into topics related to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
