Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 46.77
Liaison Franklin Lebo
Submission Date May 27, 2022

STARS v2.2

Baldwin Wallace University
EN-12: Continuing Education

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.00 / 5.00 Franklin Lebo
Assistant Professor of Sustainability
Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 . Continuing education courses in sustainability

Total number of continuing education courses offered:
50

Number of continuing education courses that are sustainability course offerings:
24

Percentage of continuing education courses that are sustainability course offerings:
48

Course Inventory 

A copy of the institution’s inventory of its continuing education sustainability course offerings and descriptions:
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Institution’s inventory of its continuing education sustainability course offerings and descriptions:
Baldwin Wallace offers a Sustainability Certificate. It was originally designed for adult and continuing education students who wished to bolster their credentials in the workforce. However, traditional undergraduate students began expressing interest in the Sustainability Certifiate as well who were unable to complete either a major or minor in Sustainability, but still wished to demonstrate their enhanced knowledge of sustainability when entering the workforce upon graduation. Thus, this year, the Sustainability program expanded the Certificate to accommodate either kind of student. This meant adding additional day course offerings since previously, the majority of classes were offered in the evening to appeal to those in the workforce who were unable to complete a Certificate during regular business hours. The attachment is thus the revised flexible Sustainability Certificate as it has been approved. Below are the course descriptions corresponding to the listings for the Sustainability Certificate. (Please note that the figure of 50 continuing education courses in this section includes 26 additional courses found in non-sustainability related certificates offered at BW including (1) English as a Second Language Learner Certificate, (2) Human Resource Management Certificate, and (3) Public History Certificate.)
Descriptions of Sustainability Continuing Education (i.e., Certificate) Courses:

SUS150I: HUMANS AND THE EARTH: CAN WE COEXIST?
This team taught course examines global environmental issues, such as climate, energy, development, biodiversity, and population from interdisciplinary perspectives. These perspectives will vary depending upon the academic disciplines of the three faculty members who instruct the course. Students in the old core will satisfy three core credits, either in the sciences (BIO 150I), the social sciences (ECN 150I/POL 150I), or the humanities (HUM 150I) and an International course requirement. Offered as SUS 150I, BIO 150I, HUM 150I, ECN 150I, and POL 150I in the new core, the course satisfies the Interdisciplinary requirement and is counted towards the International requirement. Humans and the Earth is also a required course for the Sustainability Program major and minor. It may be counted towards the requirements of the Sustainability Program Certificate.

(Note: Some of the course prefixes for the business school have been updated in the attachment beginning in the 2019-2020 academic year. The courses are substantively the same as those listed below.)

BIO 110 - BIOLOGY FOR THE CITIZEN
Notes: For non-biology majors only; does not count toward biology major or minor

A lecture-laboratory inquiry into selected biological topics of interest to the intelligent citizen

BIO 121 - PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY I
A lecture-laboratory survey of cellular and molecular biological principles. Topics include the chemistry of living cells; cellular structure, function, and metabolism; and the principles of inheritance.

BIO 122 - PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY II
A lecture-laboratory survey of macro-level biological principles. Topics include evolution, diversity, classification, ecology, and environmental science

CHM 111 - GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
An introduction to chemical principles including the electronic structure of atoms and molecules, chemical reactions, reaction and solution stoichiometry, thermochemistry, and gas laws.

CHM 112 - GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
Continuation of CHM 111. Topics include chemical kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, chemical thermodynamics, and electrochemistry.

CHM 150 - INTRODUCTORY CHEMISTRY
An introduction to chemical principles that address topics required for a middle school science education major.

ENV 101 - PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
This course focuses on the scientific principles that serve as the foundation for environmental science and emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the field, with specific examples given from the biological/ecological, chemical, and geological perspectives. Students will explore how the global environment functions and develop a deeper understanding of the complexity of environmental issues.

ENV 201 - ENERGY AND CLIMATE
Two of the most critical environmental issues are sufficient energy resources for an expanding population and the impacts the combustion/utilization of these energy resources on Earth’s climate. This course will provide a scientific foundation for examining energy and climate change, with special emphasis given on understanding the rate of climate change over the past century in relation to past climate change.

GEO 104 - GEOLOGY OF NATIONAL PARKS
An introduction to the geology of selected national parks and monuments of the United States, emphasizing basic geologic principles and processes illustrated by the geology of each area. Three lecture sessions and one lab per week.

GEO 121I - PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
An introduction to some of the physical features and processes of the earth and their significance in relation to many of the activities and problems of humans in the modern world. Three lecture sessions and one lab per week.

BUS 350 - GREEN BUSINESS
This course introduces the student to the new and rapidly growing field of corporate sustainability. Topics will include global ecological trends compelling the need for sustainable business, the “triple bottom line”, total lifecycle analysis, green products and ecological design, sustainable supply chain analysis, long-term strategy, growing public, customer, government, and industry demands made on companies to heighten their levels of sustainability performance, and the ethical motivations that organizations can adopt for “green” performance . Case studies will focus on successful sustainability initiatives across a wide array of industries and organizational contexts as well as enduring challenges faced by businesses that aim toward sustainability.

HIS 205I - HISTORY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
This course examines how major events in world history have impacted the natural environment. Sample themes such as the agricultural revolution, the Columbian Exchange, industrialization, and global epidemics will tie together geography, history, and the environment.

PHL 273I - ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
An exploration of the ethical issues associated with the impact of human activity on the environment, eco-systems, and biodiversity. Course addresses broad questions such as: how should we conceive our relationship to the natural environment? Does sustainability demand a new biocentric ethic? Do non-humans (e.g. other animals, natural objects) have rights? What responsibilities do we have to future generations? Students will also explore some specific issues (e.g. energy, food production), their personal obligation to sustainable living, and the local context.

POL 205 - ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
An examination of the problems, options and issues generated by governmental efforts to address challenges to a safe environment. The course includes case studies drawn from both American and international experiences.

SOC 288 - ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY
What are the cultural and institutional mechanisms that have both contributed to and responded to environmental problems? This course investigates how groups conceptualize and impact natural systems by studying cultural norms and values, and studying how communities and organizations respond to environmental threats. An overview of environmental movements includes an emphasis on environmental justice, both domestically and internationally. Students will propose optimal mechanisms to transform cultural elements and social structures to achieve sustainable societies.

HPE 207W - NUTRITION FOR DAILY LIVING
An introduction to the study of basic nutrition including macro and micronutrients. Course focuses on nutrition for healthy individuals throughout the stages of the life cycle with emphasis on personal diet planning.

HPE 210W - SUSTAINABLE FOOD & NUTRITION CHOICES
This course explores the links between nutrition and food and agricultural factors and the impact of these on the environment and human health. Students will be introduced to the concept of local and global food systems (production, processing, and distribution of food in order to obtain nutrients). Topics to be covered include: consequences of chemical contamination of food and food safety; issues of quality and quantity of drinking water; causes, effects, and solutions to malnutrition; issues and implications of global obesity; effects of food biotechnology on health; and options for sustainable dietary practices.

HPE 222W - COMMUNITY HEALTH
A study of health problems affecting entire populations, particularly environmental pollution and toxic wastes, communicable disease control, and the health risks of community living. The course surveys how community action works to reduce such risks, while investigating the crisis in health care, particularly mental health care and the role of public health agencies in the business of health promotion and disease prevention.

PHT 274 - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
This course will provide an overview of how human habits impact the environment, which, in turn, influences health. Included is a historical background bout measures that have been implemented to conserve and preserve the environment as a public health effort, and information regarding laws and policy designed to prevent environmental health issues.

ENG 308 - NATURE WRITING
Instruction and practice in specialized forms of writing.

ECN 358 - ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
A study of the economic approaches to environmental and natural resource issues. The study includes the ideas, concepts, and theories that have influenced economists in the formulation of environmental and natural resource policy. The greater emphasis will be on environmental economics.

ECN 362I - ECONOMICS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
A study of issues and problems of the economic development of emerging countries: concepts of development and growth, theories of development, domestic and international significance of development plans

BUS 329 - BUSINESS ETHICS, 3 CREDIT HOURS
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore status and one completed BUS course
Business ethics provides an examination of moral problems facing organization managers with a focus on learning how to integrate ethical thinking with strategic thinking in shaping actions. Students analyze actual case problems, learning to use various ethical theories as a guide to clear thinking.

BUS 340 - BIOMIMICRY- NATURALLY INSPIRED INNOVATION
Biomimicry is an emerging field that is encouraging scientists, engineers, social scientists, and inventors to look more closely at nature’s way of doing things as more sustainable than our human way. Nature has a rich and largely unexplored library of technologies that process and manage information, materials and energy. Students will both engage in the process of investigation as well as learn about opportunities for applications in various professional and vocational fields, thus broadening their carrier choices and desires. Students will have unique opportunity to learn and experience how biomimicry inspires and makes changes to various human activities and disciplines: business or organizational managers, architects, engineers, automotive and airplane industry, sustainable energy designers, biologists, entrepreneurs, builders and policy makers. Biomimicry is inspiring these various fields and societies to be more responsible and resilient, and to find and apply solutions to old and new problems in a more sustainable way.

ECN 362I - ECONOMICS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3 CREDIT HOURS
A study of issues and problems of the economic development of emerging countries: concepts of development and growth, theories of development, domestic and international significance of development plans.

Do the figures reported above cover one, two, or three academic years?:
Three

Part 2. Sustainability-focused certificate program

Does the institution have at least one sustainability-focused certificate program through its continuing education or extension department?:
Yes

A brief description of the certificate program(s):
The Sustainability Certificate was created in 2008 with the original expectation that adult and continuing education students would find it to be the most appealing. The Certificate therefore initially focused largely on evening coursework to accommodate the schedules of adult and continuing education learners. However, student interest in the Certificate program has been expanding in the last academic year amongst regular day undergraduate students. Thus, the Certificate has been revamped in 2018 to be more broadly appealing to the study body with the course offerings and options in the Certificate significantly expanded. As such, we anticipate that 5 students will graduate with a certificate this spring. The Certificate is a helpful option for students who do not have the space in their schedules to add another major or minor, but who nonetheless would like to demonstrate more than passing knowledge of the subject matter thereby bolstering their credentials in the present job market.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s continuing education courses and programs in sustainability is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.