U Idaho Launches Grad Prgm in Natural Resources & Env'l Science
The University of Idaho has launched a new Professional Science Master’s program in natural resources and environmental science. The PSM, which is designed for completion in 18 months, combines advanced science and math skills with training in areas like project management, communications, ethics and leadership. Students will enroll in one of nine program tracks related to topics like sustainability science, fire ecology, water resources management and climate change. In addition to this focused science curriculum, students will take a series of transferable skills courses, and complete both an internship and research project to gain hands-on experience applying what they have learned.
U Michigan, Harvard U Profs Awarded for Green Business Curriculum
The University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business has awarded its second annual D. Alfred N. and Lynn Manos Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula. The competition is designed to encourage and support efforts to introduce or substantially upgrade sustainability courses and/or associated coursework into the curriculum of business schools, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Andrew J. Hoffman of the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business and Dr. Michael W. Toffel and Dr. Forest L. Reinhardt of the Harvard University Business School were each noted as Grand Prize winners. Hoffman's course syllabus, “Green Construction & Design,” was selected for the innovative way in which it examines sustainability from the perspectives of design, construction, and environment. Toffel's and Reinhardt's graduate-level course, “Business and the Environment,” was selected because it represents an exemplary case-based curriculum for educating future business leaders on the impact of environmental considerations on business strategy.
Dept of Energy Announces $100M for Smart Grid Workforce Training
U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu has announced that the Department of Energy is announcing award selections for nearly $100 million for 54 smart grid workforce training programs that will help prepare the next generation of workers in the utility and electrical manufacturing industries. These projects will leverage more than $95 million in funding from community colleges, universities, utilities, and manufacturers to develop and implement training programs. The award selections will support two types of workforce training initiatives - developing and enhancing workforce training programs for the electric power sector and smart grid workforce training.
Michigan State U Students Auction Green Evening Gowns
Students from the "Special Topics: Innovative Approaches in Apparel Design" course at Michigan State University have been invited by Avatar producer and director James Cameron and wife Suzy Amis Cameron in Nashville for "Southern Shores," a fundraising fashion show and auction. Students designed and sewed gowns made from repurposed and or eco-friendly materials. For example, one dress, with a value of $2,200, was made from a repurposed cotton-polyester blend, and two other gowns were made from recycled and repurposed plastic bags. In related news, Amis Cameron wore an eco-friendly dress designed by MSU senior Jillian Granz to the Academy Awards as part of the global "Red Carpet Green Dress" competition, which challenges designers age 18 and up to create a dress make from repurposed or recycled materials.
York College Adds Sustainability & Environmental Studies Minor
York College (PA) has announced a new minor in sustainability and environmental studies that will launch this fall. The program will focus on sustaining resources and will teach students to consider how humans can prevent or lessen the negative impact made on natural resources and the environment based on decisions made in their respective fields.
Edgewood College Introduces Grad Certificate in Sustainability
Edgewood College (WI) is pleased to announce its new Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate Program. Participants in the program will join a cohort of working professionals in non-profit, government and corporate management, economic development, planning and design, education, facilities management, public health, and energy and utilities to explore systems thinking, ethical leadership, ecological design, natural capitalism, and sustainability indicators. Students will work with instructors and mentors to apply these concepts to real-world projects in their organizations and communities. The first cohort in the Program will begin coursework in August 2010.
Grand Rapids CC to Offer Wind Farm Safety Certification
Grand Rapids Community College (MI) has signed a licensing agreement with Spain-based Ynfiniti Engineering Services (YES) and United Kingdom-based Safety Technology authorizing GRCC to become the first United States training center to offer the globally recognized YES/ Safety Technology (YST) safety certification program for the wind energy industry. GRCC will serve as the North American training hub for YST program instructors and the Great Lakes hub for individuals seeking certification. GRCC will begin offering the 80-hour certification program in May. Students will learn fall protection, OSHA rules regarding working in confined spaces, and what they need to do to rescue themselves and others if they get in trouble on the site.
Ramapo College Announces MA in Sustainability Studies
Ramapo College of New Jersey has announced a new Master of Arts in Sustainability Studies degree. Beginning in Fall 2010, the College will welcome its first class to the program, which will equip students to work in a diverse range of fields, including planning, policy, and design. Students will learn how to apply sustainability in a variety of institutional, organizational, cultural, commercial, professional, and geographical contexts. The two-year program is based exclusively on evening classes. Prospective students include those from the fields of social science, business, science, engineering, and liberal and fine arts.
Stanford U Students Campaign for Sustainability in the Curriculum
A group of students at Stanford University (CA) have begun a campaign to include sustainability as a topic area in Stanford's "Education for Citizenship" (EC) general education requirement. EC mandates that undergraduates take classes in two of four designated areas: ethical reasoning, global community, American cultures, and gender studies. Students for a Sustainable Stanford (SSS), the group that has helped develop the initiative, is working to develop a proposal and plans to present it to faculty for feedback.
Boston Architectural College Announces Green MLA
The Boston Architectural College (MA) has announced the addition of a Master of Landscape Architecture Program. The five year professional degree and the School of Landscape Architecture will provide outreach and support to the greater Boston area through research programs that focus on emerging design issues in innovative interdisciplinary projects that enhance neighborhood and community sustainability and develop new knowledge that prepares the next generation of design professionals.
Furman U Announces Grad Diploma in Corporate Sustainability
Furman University (SC) has announced plans to offer a new graduate diploma in corporate sustainability starting this fall. The intensive, five-session course, offered by Furman’s Center for Corporate and Professional Development in cooperation with the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, will offer a broad overview of sustainability as well as a detailed review of major practices in sustainability. It will also identify the sustainable business strategies that offer the most effective return on investment and demonstrate how sustainability can become an ongoing strategic business practice.
U Massachusetts Lowell Announces Environmental Health Program
The University of Massachusetts, Lowell has announced plans to offer a new bachelor of science degree in environmental health starting this fall. Students in the program will study the effects of the environment on human health and of human activities on the environment, and ways to address those impacts. The degree program will begin with 10 to 15 students and grow to about 60 over four years, according to the university. It will be open to both first-year students and those transferring from other programs at the university or other institutions.
U Vermont Concludes Sustainability Faculty Fellows Program
The University of Vermont has culminated the first year of its Sustainability Faculty Fellow program, which supports faculty across a range of disciplines who want to infuse sustainability themes and content into their teaching. Throughout the year, fellows met over two lunches during the fall and participated in an intensive two-day seminar in January. They also exchanged emails and posts on the group's dedicated Blackboard site. The Sustainability Faculty Fellows program grew out of AASHE's Sustainability Across the Curriculum Leadership Workshop.
Antioch U New England Launches Green MBA
Antioch University New England has launched a new accelerated MBA in Organizational and Environmental Sustainability. The 12-month program includes consulting projects, field-study trips, and a hands-on internship. The green MBA considers not only sustainable business practices, economics, and finance, but also the natural environment, leadership, systems thinking, and collaboration. The program prepares graduates for a variety of business-related roles while emphasizing organizational and environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
Catholic U Introduces Masters in Nuclear Environmental Protection
The Catholic University of America (DC) has announced plans to offer a new Master of Science in Nuclear Environmental Protection program that will prepare graduates for careers in nuclear power. CUA’s one-year degree program, which can also be completed part time in two to three years, focuses on the nuclear fuel cycle, waste management, and environmental protection. Degree recipients will be trained for jobs related to the new nuclear powers plants now being proposed for construction. The degree program is open to applicants with a science or engineering background, including working professionals in industry or government agencies such as the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Navy’s nuclear program. The program’s courses will be offered in the late afternoon and evening in order to be accessible for working professionals.
Lanier Technical College Students Install Solar Panels
Students from Lanier Technical College's (GA) Entry Level Solar Photovoltaic Installer Program have installed solar panels on a simulated roof located at the institution's new Solar Photovoltaic Installation Training Lab. The lab was made possible by donations from corporate partners.
Antioch U Los Angeles Offers New Masters of Urban Sustainability
Antioch University, Los Angeles (CA) has created a new Master of Arts in Urban Sustainability. Students in the program will study a range of topics including urban ecosystem science, urban planning and policy, activism and advocacy, urban environmental education, program evaluation, conflict resolution and mediation, sustainable practice, and research methods. The 36 credit graduate program will begin in the Fall of 2010.
Lawrence Tech U Announces Green Architectural Engineering Program
Lawrence Technological University (MI) has announced a five-year program that combines a bachelor's and master's degree in architectural engineering. The curriculum of the MS in Architectural Engineering will allow graduates of the program, who will be qualified to become licensed engineers, to be prepared to take leadership roles in the rapidly expanding field of sustainable building design.
U Michigan Launches Sustainability Scholars Program
The University of Michigan Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute has launched the Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars Program. Each year, the program will accept 25 high-performing undergraduate students, who will pursue a 10-credit series of interdisciplinary courses focused on sustainability. After successful completion of the program, students will receive a “Sustainability Scholars” certificate from the Graham Institute to acknowledge their achievement. Upon graduation, they also will receive a special notation on their U-M transcripts designating this scholastic accomplishment. U-M students apply to the program during their sophomore year for participation beginning in their junior year.
U Minnesota Morris Receives Grant for Green Curriculum
The Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace–Alliance for Talent Development (MNREM) initiative has awarded the University of Minnesota, Morris an $85,000 grant to deliver and expand curriculum in biomass gasification technology. As a result, the institution will offer an intensive three-week course to undergraduates and working adults.
Kern CCD Awarded Grant to Train Alternative Energy Technicians
Kern Community College District (CA) has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $2.7 million grant will be used to fund new alternative energy technician training programs. Students will be trained as technicians in wind and two types of solar energy.
Virginia Tech Announces Executive Master of Natural Resources
Virginia Tech has announced a new Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program that focuses on leadership for sustainability. The XMNR program is designed to meet the needs of working professionals interested in career advancement. The accelerated 18-month program includes a series of core and special topics courses that meet one weekend per month culminating in a 10-day international residency. The curriculum emphasizes the development of advanced management and administration skills, typical of M.B.A. and M.P.A. programs, but with a focus on leadership for sustainability. Pre-assessment forms are now being accepted for the first cohort of 15-25 students who will begin the program in September 2010.
Aquinas College Announces Sustainable Business Certificate
Aquinas College (MI) has announced a new certificate in sustainable business. The certificate will teach students about energy conservation, corporate social responsibility, cap and trade, and the triple bottom line. Those that qualify can take the courses for free through the state's no worker left behind program.
Emory U Announces Sustainability Minor
Emory University (GA) has announced plans to launch a sustainability minor this fall. The new minor, which will be an undergraduate program offered through the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts, will require the completion of two core courses and four electives. The courses that count toward the sustainability minor will be interdisciplinary; requirements can be satisfied through several departments, including anthropology and economics. Students minoring in sustainability must also complete a personal portfolio that will showcase a compilation of their projects throughout the program and allow them to reflect on their experiences. In addition, students must participate in a capstone experience, such as field research or study abroad programs.
Pellissippi State CC Offers Renewable Energy Class Series
Pellissippi State Community College (TN) has begun offering new classes in its Green/Renewable Energy Series offered through the College's Business and Community Services Division. The students in these classes come from the Empowerment Zone of Knoxville, an area with high poverty and unemployment rates. The green energy series is funded by an Empowerment Zone grant that the college received from the city of Knoxville.
U Oregon Class Develops Green Urban Renewal Proposals
A University of Oregon class has unveiled six development plans for the City of Gresham, Oregon's urban renewal district's Catalyst Project, also called the Cultural Marketplace. The students' work was presented as part of the Sustainable Cities Initiative, which teams UO graduate students with the City of Gresham to help shape a more sustainable future for the city. A total of 250 students from the university’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts are taking part in the yearlong collaboration.
U Oregon Sustainability Prgm Offers Continuing Ed for Lawyers
The University of Oregon Sustainability Leadership Program has partnered with the UO School of Law Green Business Initiative to create a new professional development opportunity for attorneys and legal staff. Legal practitioners can now access OSB continuing legal education credit in the areas of financial reporting, green building design and operations, ecosystem services, public-private partnerships, and risk analysis. Other areas of professional development may also provide assistance to attorneys and staff in the areas of sustainability planning, team building, procurement, energy efficiency, climate action planning, and transportation strategies.The program stems from the Oregon State Bar Board of Governors' recent approval of the formation of a new Sustainable Futures Section.
U South Florida Launches School of & MA in Global Sustainability
The University of South Florida has launched its School of Global Sustainability and its Masters of Arts in Global Sustainability. The School unites USF’s researchers in water, clean and renewable energy, climate change, coastal environments, human health, and sustainable cities in programs which recognize the worldwide challenges to creating sustainable systems. Its first degree program, a master’s in global sustainability, will initially focus on water with other concentrations being developed in such themes as food security and health, natural environments, gender, ethnicity and class, global citizenry, climate change, coastal wetlands, the history of sustainable communities and megacities. The degree will prepare students to address complex regional, national, and global challenges related to sustainability and the ability to innovate in diverse cultural, geographic, and demographic contexts. The program will allow for the integration of various disciplines such as basic, natural, and social sciences, engineering, health, economics, governance and policy, and issues of diversity.
Green Mountain College Announces Sustainable Ag Major
Green Mountain College (VT) announced the creation of a new Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production major for the fall 2010 semester. The new major will be based at Cerridwen Farm, the College's 22-acre working farm, with office and classroom space at the adjacent Solar Harvest Center. Students will learn about agriculture and food systems presented through the lenses of history, anthropology, the natural sciences, philosophy, business, economics, and art.
U California Berkeley Courses Approved by USGBC
The University of California, Berkeley Extension has been approved by the U.S. Green Building Council as an official Education Provider. Approved offerings include courses in solar, sustainable construction, renewable energy, transportation, clean technology, and sustainability leadership and management. Individuals that take these courses can earn credit towards LEED Professional Credentialing Maintenance.
Salt Lake CC to Offer Associate's in Energy Management
The Utah Board of Regents has approved an Associate of Applied Science Degree in energy management at Salt Lake Community College's Green Academy. The degree will train students on how to install renewable energy technologies, as well as how to take advantage of tax incentives and rebates. The program requires 67 credits, 26 of which are in a specialty area.
U Dayton Announces New Minor in Sustainability
The University of Dayton (OH) has announced a new minor in sustainability, energy, and environment (SEE). The program began accepting students into an introductory course this semester. Although some courses are still under development, the SEE curriculum will emphasize learning across several disciplines to include societal, economic, engineering, science, political, artistic, historical, and ethical perspectives. The 18-credit hour minor will fulfill general education requirements and include a choice of core courses as well as flexibility in research that can be tailored to individual interests.
U Kansas Class Makes Sustainability Campaign Recommendations
A University of Kansas journalism class has developed a university campaign aimed at unifying sustainability efforts on campus. Students conducted more than 30 interviews with KU community members and traveled to Kansas State University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University (NC) to conduct research as well. The class recommended a three-year implementation plan, more involvement in campus events, increased participation from Greek and other student organizations, and unifying the leaders of campus environmental groups.
10 Los Angeles CCs Receive Green Training Scholarship Funds
The Los Angeles Times has published a blog post on the $1 million initiative launched by California community colleges to help train financially-needy students for green jobs. The funds, which were donated by Southern California Edison, a local utility company, will be segmented into $2,000 scholarships for students at 10 area colleges offering education and job training in solar panel installation, water and waste water management, transportation and alternative fuels, biofuels production and farming, green building and energy efficiency, and environmental compliance, such as air quality and pollution prevention. The 10 institutions that will provide the training include: Cerritos College, Cerro Coso Community College, El Camino College, Golden West College, Long Beach City College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Rio Hondo College, San Bernardino Valley College, and Ventura College.
7 Campuses Receive Funding for Master in Developmt Practice Prgms
The Energy Resources Institute University (India), James Cook University (Australia), Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Ireland), Tsinghua University (China), University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), University of Botswana, and the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) have been selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as seven of 10 universities worldwide to receive $900,000 to create a new master’s in development practice (MDP) degree program. The MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the classroom study of economics and management that are the typical focus of most development studies programs. The program’s core curriculum bridges the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and management. It combines classroom study with field experiences in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition.
Dartmouth College to Offer Sustainability Minor
Dartmouth College (NH) will offer a new minor focused around sustainability starting fall 2010. The minor will include classes on the social, economic, and environmental sides of sustainability. Administrators want students that pursue the minor to participate in team inquiry and problem solving projects that require them to work with people from many different disciplines. The minor will incorporate contemporary issues by challenging students with real-world cases and encouraging them to interact with experts. Students involved in the minor will potentially meet with speakers and have the opportunity to travel outside the classroom as a component of their study.
Norwalk CC to Offer Green Building & Technology Certificate
Norwalk Community College (CT) has announced plans to offer a new Building Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (BEST) Certificate program beginning with the Spring 2010 semester. The BEST Certificate Course curriculum is designed for displaced workers and job-changers, as well as those looking to expand their knowledge and skills to become employable in the green energy field. Certificate program courses will include: Building Technology, Blueprint Reading, Alternative and Renewable Energy, Composition, Introduction to Environmental Science, Building Efficiency Auditing, and Sustainable Energy for Residences, Businesses and Environmental Systems. The program is being funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor that was given to Connecticut community colleges to prepare a green collar workforce. Eight sustainable operation certificates will be created as a result of the grant.
Olympic College to Train Energy Auditors
Olympic College (WA) has received a $3.9 million grant in federal funds to help create green jobs. The College will use the funds to train individuals to conduct energy audits and weatherize homes and businesses. There are nearly a dozen other organizations partnering with the College to help carry out this training.
Riverland CC Offers Solar Installer Certificate
Riverland Community College (MN) has begun offering new classes for students interested in solar installation. The new solar installer certificate will train students in the electrician program to specialize in installing, repairing, and evaluating sights for solar panels.
Sweet Briar College Students Build Biodiesel Processing Plant
Two students from Sweet Briar College (CA) have designed and constructed a biodiesel processing plant for their senior capstone project. Dining Services donates approximately 50 gallons of used vegetable oil each month, 95 percent of which will become biodiesel. The 40 gallons of biodiesel produced each month will be mixed with the standard diesel used in physical plant vehicles at a ratio of approximately 20 percent biodiesel to 80 percent conventional diesel. The College is expected to save $120 per month in fuel costs.
U Buffalo Class Designs Local Walking & Biking Plan
A University at Buffalo (NY) graduate-level Urban and Regional Planning class has designed a safe walking and bicycling map and plan for the Williamsville Central School District (WCSD). The plan discusses the reasons for encouraging active commuting, cites existing barriers to walking and makes a series of policy, program and physical recommendations directed to the town and district to help get the students to walk to school. The report notes that at this time, only 7.8 percent of the 7,017 K-8 students in the WCSD walk or bike to school, although 48.8 percent live within a one-mile radius of their schools.
10 Los Angeles CCs Receive Green Training Scholarship Funds
The Los Angeles Times has published a blog post on the $1 million initiative launched by California community colleges to help train financially-needy students for green jobs. The funds, which were donated by Southern California Edison, a local utility company, will be segmented into $2,000 scholarships for students at 10 area colleges offering education and job training in solar panel installation, water and waste water management, transportation and alternative fuels, biofuels production and farming, green building and energy efficiency, and environmental compliance, such as air quality and pollution prevention. The 10 institutions that will provide the training include: Cerritos College, Cerro Coso Community College, El Camino College, Golden West College, Long Beach City College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Rio Hondo College, San Bernardino Valley College, and Ventura College.
Dartmouth College to Offer Sustainability Minor
Dartmouth College (NH) will offer a new minor focused around sustainability starting fall 2010. The minor will include classes on the social, economic, and environmental sides of sustainability. Administrators want students that pursue the minor to participate in team inquiry and problem solving projects that require them to work with people from many different disciplines. The minor will incorporate contemporary issues by challenging students with real-world cases and encouraging them to interact with experts. Students involved in the minor will potentially meet with speakers and have the opportunity to travel outside the classroom as a component of their study.
Norwalk CC to Offer Green Building & Technology Certificate
Norwalk Community College (CT) has announced plans to offer a new Building Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (BEST) Certificate program beginning with the Spring 2010 semester. The BEST Certificate Course curriculum is designed for displaced workers and job-changers, as well as those looking to expand their knowledge and skills to become employable in the green energy field. Certificate program courses will include: Building Technology, Blueprint Reading, Alternative and Renewable Energy, Composition, Introduction to Environmental Science, Building Efficiency Auditing, and Sustainable Energy for Residences, Businesses and Environmental Systems. The program is being funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor that was given to Connecticut community colleges to prepare a green collar workforce. Eight sustainable operation certificates will be created as a result of the grant
2 North Carolina CCs Complete Weatherization Training Pilot Prgms
Central Carolina Community College and Wilson Community College have completed pilot programs to train weatherization crew members at the request of the Weatherization Office and the North Carolina Community College System. Results of the pilots were reviewed, and a draft outline of a new curriculum was developed. "Weatherization Assistance Program Crew Basics" will be offered through North Carolina community colleges' Continuing Education Departments. The program will consist of 24 hours of training over three days in areas such as duct sealing, installing insulation, base-load measurements of electricity and water usage, air sealing, and safety.
Boston Architectural College Expands Offerings in Sustainable Design
Boston Architectural College (MA) Sustainable Design program has announced plans to expand the number of graduate certificates it offers in 2010 in an effort to meet the needs of the groups responsible for planning, designing, creating, and operating the built environment. Four certificates will be available in: sustainable design, community planning and design, sustainable residential design, sustainable building design and construction. All certificates will required that students complete six courses with a minimum of B- cumulative average.
Johns Hopkins U Launches Major and Minor in Sustainability
The Johns Hopkins University (MD) School of Arts and Sciences has created an interdisciplinary major and minor in global environmental change and sustainability. Offered through the Morton K. Blaustein Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the new course of study is part of the Global Change Science Initiative, founded in 2007 with a gift from trustee Lee Meyerhoff Hendler to advance teaching and research in areas of earth science that are pertinent to global environmental change. Though the program, which began with the fall 2009 semester, is based in Earth and Planetary Sciences, it incorporates classes offered through other Krieger School departments, the Whiting School of Engineering, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Subjects include anthropology, biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, history, political science, psychology, physics and sociology, and students can choose one of two concentrations: natural science or social science.
Johns Hopkins U Offers Sustainability-Focused, Post Master's Certificate
Johns Hopkins University (MD) Engineering for Professionals, the part-time graduate program of the University’s Whiting School of Engineering, has begun offering a post-master's study in climate change, energy, and environmental sustainability. The six-course certificate program was developed to help engineers, scientists, and managers design and implement solutions to environmental challenges. The program consists of five core courses and several electives.
