Environmental Studies Minor
Environmental Studies Minor
Curriculum Committee
- Richard Lehtinen, Chair
- Daniel Bourne
- Susan Clayton
- Matthew Mariola
- Melissa Schultz
Issues related to the natural environment require a uniquely interdisciplinary focus to understand the way in which technological advances and human behavior affect fundamental ecological processes, what political and psychological tactics may be harnessed to address the problem, and how nature is discussed, described, and experienced. The field of environmental studies provides the opportunity to integrate multiple disciplinary perspectives in order to think about and understand environmental issues. The program at Wooster will encourage students to engage with environmental issues both inside and outside the classroom, and at both local and global levels.
Environmental studies minors will be knowledgeable about core scientific concepts that allow them to understand ecological processes and change; be able to understand different ways of assessing the value of the natural environment and be comfortable with different means of examining and communicating about the environment; and be familiar with the ways in which social institutions contribute to environmental problems and may be utilized for solutions to those problems. They should also understand their own roles as actors within the human-environment relationship. The environmental studies minor will complement a major in a traditional department so that students will combine a detailed understanding of the knowledge and methods within a discipline with a focus on a particular topic.
Students with an environmental studies minor will complete their I.S. project within their major department. However, they are encouraged to include an environmental component to their I.S. when possible, and the environmental studies faculty will endeavor to help them to do so.
Minor in Environmental Studies consists of 6 courses:
- one approved course in natural sciences
- one approved course in history or social science
- one approved course in arts or humanities
- Environmental Studies 200
- any other two approved courses
Special Notes
- No more than one course within a student’s major discipline may be counted toward the environmental studies minor.
- In departments with multiple versions of a particular course, only the sections specified in parentheses after the course listing will count toward the environmental studies minor.
Environmental Studies Course Descriptions
ENVS 110. SCIENCE, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Despite an ever-expanding body of scientific research about critical environmental problems facing global society, the level of knowledge evident in the public discourse remains quite low. This course will introduce students to a number of complex environmental issues and controversies and teach them the skills necessary to understand, interpret, and translate these issues into a form fit for consumption by a general audience. An underlying theme will be the idea that complex environmental problems have social/political causes as well as technological/biophysical ones. [W]
ENVS 200. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND ACTION
This course will present a multidisciplinary perspective on environmental topics by examining at least one issue of global significance and one of more local importance from the perspectives of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Students will apply fundamental concepts from various disciplines to understand, formulate and evaluate solutions to environmental issues. Prerequisite: at least one Natural Science course from the cross-listed courses accepted for ENVS credit, and one course from the list in either Social Sciences or Humanities. Annually.
ENVS 205. ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE ENVIRONMENT
This course will explore what we mean by the concept of “entrepreneurship”, and apply this definition to three broad areas of society that have come to define the environmental challenges of the new century: the production of food, the production of energy, and the disposal of wastes. For each of these three areas we will look at (a) the nature of the challenge; (b) what role entrepreneurial activity might play in meeting the challenge; and (c) some case studies of entrepreneurship in action to solve these social needs. As a final project, students will produce a project or business plan to address an environmental challenge of their choosing.
ENVS 220. FROM FARM TO TABLE:UNDERSTANDING THE FOOD SYSTEM
Food production and consumption interfaces with disciplines from biology and chemistry to political economy, sociology, and business management. The aim of this course is to introduce students to this analysis of the food system and get them thinking critically about where our food comes from, where it goes, and how to make the entire system more sustainable. Readings, class discussions, and short gardening workshops will all be directed towards devising a long-term plan for the College’s campus garden that incorporates ecological food production methods, land use considerations, labor requirements, marketing of the end product, and the wider question of the role that food production can play on a liberal arts campus. [HSS]
ENVS 230. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: THEORY AND PRACTICE
Agroecology is the “science of sustainable agriculture.” It serves as the scientific basis for devising more natural, less environmentally harmful farming practices that build soil fertility and plant resilience while maintaining adequate production levels. The goal of this course is to introduce students to a broad suite of sustainable agriculture principles and practices and to investigate the scientific basis for those practices. Students will learn agroecology by actually practicing it in the field during lab sessions. Some labs will also be devoted to visiting local farms and research sites. We will also discuss some of the social, historical and political context for understanding how sustainable agriculture fits into the overall system of food production and the farm sector in the U.S. Includes lab. (1.25 course credits) [HSS]
ENVS 310. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This course will explore the intersection of development and sustainability. We will begin with a historical understanding of the idea of sustainable development, then shift to a more applied and experiential focus. In the latter portion of the course we will look at sustainable development from the point of view of meeting the basic needs of a population - food, water, shelter, energy - in a sustainable manner. The experiential component will feature a number of hands-on activities and class projects.
ENVS 407, 408. INTERNSHIP
In consultation with a faculty member associated with the program, students may arrange academic credit for supervised work in an applied setting that is relevant to topics in environmental studies. Placement may be on- or off-campus. Examples of on-campus internships might include work through the physical plant, exploring energy use on campus; through campus grounds, investigating aspects of campus plantings and land use; or through campus dining services, examining ways to promote local foods, reduce energy use, reduce food waste, or develop a composting program. In addition to the work, an internship will include an appropriate set of academic readings and written assignments, developed in consultation with the supervising faculty member, that will allow the student to reflect critically on his or her experience. (.5 - 1.0 credit) S/NC course. Prerequisite: prior consultation with the faculty member and permission of the chair of Environmental Studies. Annually. Fall and Spring.
Courses in other departments that are cross-listed with Environmental Studies
(see individual departments for course descriptions)
Natural Science
Biology
- BIOL100. Topics in Biology (Human Ecology) [MNS]
- BIOL200. Foundations of Biology [MNS]
- BIOL202. Gateway to Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology (1.25 course credits) Prerequisite: C- or better in BIOL200. [W, Q, MNS]
- BIOL350. Population and Community Ecology (1.25 course credits) Prerequisite: C- or better in BIOL202 or permission of the instructor.
- BIOL352. Behavioral Ecology (1.25 course credits) Prerequisite: C- or better in BIOL202 or PSYC 323, or permission of the instructor.
- BIOL356. Conservation Biology (1.25 course credits) Prerequisite: C- or better in BIOL202, and C- or better in one 300-level class in ecology or organismal biology prior to enrolling.
Chemistry
- CHEM101. Chemistry and the World in Which we Live (The Environment) [Q, MNS]
- CHEM110. Introductory Chemistry (Section on Environment) [Q, MNS]
- CHEM216. Environmental Chemistry (Suggested previous course: GEOL110) Prerequisite: CHEM 120, C- or better.
Geology
- GEOL105. Geology of Natural Hazards [MNS]
- GEOL110. Environmental Geology [MNS]
- GEOL210. Climate Change (1.25 course credits) Prerequisite: any 100-level Geology course. [Q]
- GEOL220. Introduction of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) [MNS]
Social Science
Economics
- ECON 240. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Prerequisite: ECON 101. [HSS]
Education
- EDUC 199. Fundamentals of Environmental Education
History
- HIST 301. Problems in History (Global Environmental History, American Environmental History) [C, R,HSS](Intermittently taught)
Political Science
- PSCI 202. Environmental Policy [HSS]
Psychology
- PSYC 225. Environmental Sociology Prerequisite: PSYC 100, or permission of the instructor. [HSS]
Sociology/Anthropology
- SOCI 203. Environmental Sociology Prerequisite: SOCI 100 or permission of instructor. [HSS]
Humanities
English
- ENGL 160. Non-Fictional Writing (Nature and Environmental Writing) [W, AH]
- ENGL 240. Green Romanticism [AH]
Philosophy
- PHIL 216. Environmental Ethics [AH]
Religious Studies
- RELS 269. Topics in Theories and Issues in the Study of Religion (Environment) [R]
Theatre and Dance
- THTD 443. Advances Seminar in the Visual Text: Green Theatre [AH]