| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.57 |
| Liaison | Noah Upchurch |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Catawba College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
Noah
Upchurch Senior Sustainability Specialist Center for the Environment |
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 Environment & Sustainability degree contains both a core curriculum of 20 hours and a set of five concentrations ranging from 33-36 hours, each of which are individually described in depth in the "Minors and Concentration" fields below. The core prepares students across the natural sciences and liberal arts through classes that span topics such as climate change, water and air quality evaluation, ecology, environmental policy, and environmental education. All students apply their knowledge accrued over the course of the major in a capstone course. The program emphasizes engagement outside of the traditional classroom through a required experiential education course. Overall, the degree combines a strong core foundation of knowledge in environmental science and policy and sustainability science needed to develop specialization and prepare students to solve the socio-ecological challenges of their lifetimes.
More information can be found at the link in the field below or in the course catalog, accessible at this link: https://catawba.edu/catalog/ on page 142 of the 2022-2023 catalog.
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):
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:
Providing a smaller course load requirement than the major, the Environment & Sustainability Minor exposes students to lab work, develops best practices in resource management, and cultivates environmental leadership skills. Minors are required to complete a course in environmental fieldwork, along with a series of electives, which fall from the course offerings that comprise the five concentrations offered.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Environment & Sustainability Minor can be found on page 143 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
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):
For nontraditional environmental education pathways, students in the Environmental and Outdoor Education Concentration learn about the development of environmental communication and program development skills. Required courses in Methods of Teaching Environmental Education, Outdoor Design and Leadership, and Environmental Professional Practice and Research develop a strong pedagogical skillset. Students in this area are exposed to development programs at various museums, parks, and aquaria through required coursework. This concentration requires students to create a portfolio of projects and project management experiences, which can be applied to the North Carolina Environmental Education Certificate.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Environmental and Outdoor Education Concentration can be found at the bottom of page 142 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
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 Sustainable Planning and Leadership concentration focuses on community and workplace leadership, driving interdisciplinary learning and application of socio-environmental issues through required coursework like Sustainable Planning and Design and an upper-level Environment & Sustainability Major course. Students are prepared to develop sustainability analyses of development projects and structures, conduct audits of an organization's environmental performance, and capitalize on market adoption of sustainable technology solutions.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Sustainable Planning and Leadership Concentration can be found near the bottom of page 143 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
Environmental Science Concentration:
The Environmental Science Concentration provides a supplement to the Environment & Sustainability program through required courses in the sciences, including General and Analytic Chemistry, Biological Research Methods, and Conservation Biology or Natural Resource Ecology and Management.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Environmental Science Concentration can be found at the top of page 143 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
Natural Resource Management Concentration:
Course content in the Natural Resource Management Concentration focuses on conservation and resource management, with applicable skills for mapping and data work suited to these areas. As such, the concentration requires an introductory course in Geographic Information Systems, Wildlife Ecology, and Conservation Biology, among other coursework.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Natural Resource Management Concentration can be found in the middle of page 143 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
Environmental Policy and Advocacy Concentration: https://catawba.edu/environmentalpolicy/courses/
The Environmental Policy and Advocacy Concentration exposes students to the lens of sustainability and the environment as viewed through legal, political, and social institutions. Required coursework in this concentration prepares students to deal with the socio-ecological problems involving equity and environmental justice. Some of the required courses include Ecological Law and Policy, Environmental Justice and Advocacy, and International Policy on Agriculture and Climate.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Environmental Policy and Advocacy Concentration can be found in the middle of page 142 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
Geographic Information Systems Technology Minor:
The Geographic Information Systems and Technology Minor provides students with mapping and modeling skills necessary for the management of natural resources, which students may choose between one of the required Water, Land, or Air Resource Management courses. Students supplement sustainability-related coursework with the ability to use modern technological tools, such as drones and field GPS work, to apply data upon natural and urban spaces and their management.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Geographic Information Systems and Technology Minor can be found on page 144 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
Ecology Minor:
https://catawba.edu/ecology/
The Ecology Minor prepares students to develop proper conservation technique and understanding of the structure of natural beings through a collection of ecology courses and specialized instruction in Ornithology, Natural Resource and Ecology Management, and Conservation Biology.
Within the 2022-2023 course catalog, information about the Ecology Minor can be found on page 124 at https://catawba.edu/catalog/.
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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