Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 76.45
Liaison Ryan Ihrke
Submission Date Oct. 17, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Green Mountain College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Bill Throop
Provost
Provost's Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for undergraduate students?:
Yes

The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (1st program):
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (1st 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 Production 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 22 acre 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 (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Renewable Energy and Ecological Design (REED)

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):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Environmental Studies

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):
Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates for undergraduate students?:
Yes

The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):
Minor in Managing for Sustainability

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):

The minor in Managing for Sustainability (also known as the Sustainable Business minor) is designed to provide students who have majors outside the sustainable business program with a background in fundamentals of sustainable business and non-profit organization management. The minor is open to all Green Mountain College students other than those in the sustainable business degree program.


The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Minor in Chemistry

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. Her recent presentations include:

Sutheimer, S. (2012). Bridging Green Chemistry, Materials Science and Nanotechnology: Creating a Course on The Chemistry of Energy. The Biennial Conference on Chemical Education.

Sutheimer, S. (2012). Focusing on Water: A Green General Chemistry Lab Curriculum. The Biennial Conference on Chemical Education.

Sutheimer, S. & King, D. (2012). Global Climate Change: Integrative Curriculum Development for General Chemistry. AASHE Conference. Los Angeles, CA.


The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Minor in Animal Studies

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, brief description and URL of all other undergraduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:

Minor in Environmental Education: http://www.greenmtn.edu/education.aspx

Minor in Environmental Studies: http://www.greenmtn.edu/environmental_studies.aspx

Certificate in Renewable Energy & Ecological Design: http://www.greenmtn.edu/reed.aspx


Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Reporting year is academic year 2012-2013.


Reporting year is academic year 2012-2013.

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.