| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.57 |
| Liaison | Rebecca Collins |
| Submission Date | Dec. 14, 2023 |
Temple University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Caroline
Burkholder Senior Sustainability Manager Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree, or certificate program for undergraduate students?:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies focuses on the department's four themes of globalization, sustainability, social justice and geographic methods that are increasingly central to understanding the serious environmental challenges we face. Environmental Studies students learn geographic theory and methods that examine the complexity of human-environmental interactions; the increasing interconnectedness of the global economy, environment, culture and politics; and the importance of place and context in people's daily lives.
The Environmental Studies gateway courses are designed to develop the theoretical and methodological frameworks and tools necessary to understand the relationships between people and their environment as they interact through local and global connections. In required courses and electives, students examine environmental policy and the role of political institutions; the geography of natural resources; environmental decision-making; natural hazards and risk assessment; environmental ethics and legal issues; health and the environment; environmental justice; food access; etc. The electives give students the opportunity to develop an area of emphasis around their particular interests. Students focus on an individualized research project in their Senior Research Seminar. Each student's program is developed with a departmental advisor to suit individual interests and is designed to maximize educational and career opportunities. We encourage Environmental Studies students to incorporate a semester abroad and/or an internship into their plan of study.
The objective of the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies is to provide students with an understanding of: how space, place, and scale shape the interaction between environment and society; critical thinking skills developed through examining a range of analytical approaches to investigate geographic, urban, and environmental processes; contemporary explanatory frameworks in Geography and Urban Studies such as political ecology, feminist and poststructuralist theory, and development theory; the application of information technology skills to analyze spatial and temporal information, processes, and patterns through integrative research experiences; practical considerations of community and environmental organizational settings at the local and regional scales.
The Environmental Studies major examines the nature, causes and consequences of human interactions with the environment. Students in Environmental Studies are equipped with the intellectual and methodological tools to understand and address the crucial environmental issues of our time: sustainability, health, climate change, food access, natural resource consumption, and environmental justice.
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):
The Department of Earth and Environmental Science provides students the opportunity to study the Earth with a variety of traditional and environmental geology course work. The faculty work closely with students to give a combination of field-based experience and current laboratory and computational techniques.
The department offers the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Students must select one of the following concentrations: Applied Ecology, Climate, Environmental Geochemistry; Hydrology
Students in the Concentration in Climate will be equipped with the scholarly background and intellectual skills to understand a wide range of pressing environmental issues, and they will come to appreciate the physical, economic, political, demographic and ethical factors that define those issues. Our graduates find employment with government environmental agencies, citizens' organizations, consulting firms and corporate environmental affairs departments.
Global climate change is a major challenge of this century. The Environmental Science with concentration in Climate establishes the science and tools used to assess our changing climate and opportunities to mitigate its impacts on human societies and environmental systems. Students completing this concentration will understand the essential attributes of resilient environments, infrastructure, and sustainable resource management.
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):
Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors or concentrations for undergraduate students?:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration:
A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:
University College offers a twelve-credit, four-course interdisciplinary Certificate in Sustainability. This undergraduate certificate provides an opportunity for students to advance their knowledge of sustainability from the orientation of different disciplines, to introduce them to concepts of systems thinking to make them more competitive in a job market that increasingly is requiring sustainability expertise and skills.
Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
The Minor in Sustainable Food Systems offers all Temple University undergraduate students the opportunity to enhance their majors with an interdisciplinary approach to investigate the complexities of food systems that includes horticulture, city planning, and public health. Courses in the minor explore the relationship of farmland preservation, food production practices, and supply alternatives that improve local economies, reduce energy consumption, lower environmental impact, and ensure widespread access to affordable and healthy food. This prepares students to contribute to the overall sustainability of the communities in which they live and work and strengthens students' preparation to work as professionals in environmentally-oriented fields or as citizen activists.
The Minor in Sustainable Food Systems consists of 18 credits, with two required foundation courses and four elective courses. The required courses ensure that students have a strong foundation for the study of food systems including food crops, planning for food systems, and nutrition. The electives allow students to delve deeper into different facets of food systems planning from the perspective of city planning and/or horticulture.
Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The Minor in Ecological Planning and Design offers all Temple University undergraduate students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the concept of ecological planning and design. The minor enhances students' understanding of the impact of development on natural resources and processes while gaining an appreciation of ecologically-sensitive design and development. Students will develop leadership and decision making skills relevant to ensuring that design and development takes into consideration ecological, social, political, economic, and governance factors. This minor prepares students for lifelong contributions to the sustainability of the communities in which they live and work.
Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
Certificate in Environmental Sustainability
Minor in Sustainability Food Systems - Students in the School of Environmental Design as well as students in other colleges, schools, and departments may choose a Minor in Sustainable Food Systems. Through this minor students investigate the complexities of food systems through an interdisciplinary approach that includes horticulture, planning, and public health. Students explore the relationship of farmland preservation, food production practices, and supply alternatives that improve local economies, reduce energy consumption, lower environmental impact, and ensure widespread access to affordable and healthy food. This prepares students to contribute to the overall sustainability of the communities in which they live and work and strengthens students' preparation to work as professionals in environmentally-oriented fields or as citizen activists. Also the minor provides undergraduates with an opportunity to explore the option of graduate studies in planning, horticulture, or related fields.http://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/tyler-art-div/minor-sustainable-food-systems/
The Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems is available to all undergraduate degree students to complete as part of their studies, and is also available to non-degree students. Through this certificate students investigate the complexities of food systems through an interdisciplinary approach that includes horticulture, planning, and public health. Students explore the relationship of farmland preservation, food production practices, and supply alternatives that improve local economies, reduce energy consumption, lower environmental impact, and ensure widespread access to affordable and healthy food. This prepares students to contribute to the overall sustainability of the communities in which they live and work and strengthens students' preparation to work as professionals in environmentally-oriented fields or as citizen activists. Also the certificate provides students with an opportunity to explore the option of further studies in planning, horticulture, or related fields. http://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/tyler-art-div/certificate-sustainable-food-systems/
Minor in Environmental Horticulture -- Students complete courses related to horticultural concepts and practices which allow them to develop an understanding of the science and practice of protecting, restoring, and managing existing and natural landscape resources. http://bulletin.temple.edu/undergraduate/tyler-art-div/landscape-architecture-horticulture/minor-environmental-horticulture/
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Completed in Fall 2023
Completed in Fall 2023
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