| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 81.82 |
| Liaison | Ryan Ihrke |
| Submission Date | Feb. 23, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Green Mountain College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Thomas
Mauhs-Pugh Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Academic Affairs/Administration |
Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for undergraduate students (I.e. an interdisciplinary academic program that concentrates on sustainability as an integrated concept)?:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
The way humans produce food can intensify problems like global warming, water scarcity and energy shortages. Farming methods can also become part of the solution for a more habitable world. Green Mountain College’s Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems program shows students how to take part in the current food revolution that is transforming farming and how we view food.
In the Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production program, agriculture and food systems are presented through the lenses of history, anthropology, the natural sciences, philosophy, business, economics, and art. The College's Cerridwen Farm serves as an agricultural laboratory right on campus. And the Solar Harvest Center, just a few steps away from the farm, provides office and classroom space for the Farm & Food Project and other regional organizations.
The website URL for the undergraduate degree program:
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
REED is an undergraduate program designed to help students explore the renewable energy and green building fields. This customizable major offers depth of study in renewable energy and ecological design, while allowing students to specialize in a specific area of interest including art, business, and sustainable agriculture.
Benefits include:
- Mentoring by expert GMC faculty and leading practitioners in the EcoDesign and renewable energy fields
- A hands-on curriculum that allows you to combine theoretical knowledge with engagement in real-world solutions
- Preparation for a variety of career and graduate school opportunities in renewable system installation, design/build companies and advocacy organizations.
The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The Environmental Studies program challenges students to examine their views on how humans interact with their natural and social environments. Students learn by doing; Vermont’s diverse ecosystems provide a living laboratory, while local issues engage students in ethics and policy classes. The GMC Block Course and the EcoLeague Consortium offer opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, and students graduate ready to address the complexities of environmental problems today.
Tied integrally to the mission of Green Mountain College, environmental studies is one of the largest and most diverse programs at the school. Nationally prominent environmental philosophers, writers, and policy makers teach courses, granting students access to the scholars who are shaping environmental thought today.
The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
Animal Conservation and Care (BA & BS)
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/animal-conservation-care/
Applied Environmental Science(BS)
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/applied-environmental-science/
Natural Resources Management (BS):
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/natural-resources-management/
Sustainable Business (BS):
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/business/
Wilderness and Outdoor Therapy(BA)
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/wilderness-outdoor-therapy/
Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates for undergraduate students?:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Students who minor in resilient and sustainable communities will learn how to assess community assets and challenges, how to leverage change in a system, and how to mobilize community members around issues of justice, sustainability and resilience.
The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
GMC's program places special emphasis on green chemistry -- a topic that fits well with Green Mountain College's sustainability mission. Green chemistry focuses on the reduction or elimination of the generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products. GMC Professor Sue Sutheimer is a leader in this field - she is a 2010 recipient of the American Chemical Society & Committee on Environmental Improvement Award for Incorporating Sustainability into Chemistry Education. Over the last several years, she has continued her leadership in the field by researching and teaching about energy chemistry, climate change chemistry, and water chemistry.
The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Animal Studies is a new interdisciplinary field that is emerging as a response to the profound impact of human practices on other species and rising concern about animal use and treatment. The study of animals in an interdisciplinary context—the natural and social sciences, the humanities, law and policy, etc.—bears on how students understand themselves and on what policies they will endorse in relation to nonhuman nature.
In addition to biological study of animal behavior and conservation, students in this minor will have an opportunity to explore issues associated with, among others: livestock agriculture, animal rights law, wildlife management, hunting, traditional animal husbandry, animal experimentation, veterinary care, landscape sustainability, threatened biodiversity and invasive species, companion animals, vegetarianism and veganism, animals in entertainment, animals in recreation, activist ethics, the moral standing of animals, animal pain and suffering, animal cognition, culture in animals, bushmeat, and trade in endangered species.
The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors, concentrations and certificates:
Minor in Environmental Education:
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/environmental-education/
Minor in Environmental Policy:
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/environmental-studies/
Minor in Environmental Studies:
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/environmental-studies/
Certificate in Ethics and Social Sustainability
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/certificate-in-ethics-and-social-sustainability/
Minor in Geology
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/geology/
Minor in Managing for Sustainability
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/business/
Certificate in Renewable Energy & Ecological Design:
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/renewable-energy-ecological-design-reed/
Sustainability Skills Certificate
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/sustainability-skills-certification/
Water Resource Management Certificate
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/water-resource-management/
Minor in Wilderness and Outdoor Therapy
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/wilderness-outdoor-therapy/
Minor in Women and Gender Studies
http://www.greenmtn.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors-and-certificates/womens-gender-studies/
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
All programs listed in this inventory are active in the Fall of 2017.
All programs listed in this inventory are active in the Fall of 2017.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.