University of Vermont
IN-2: Innovation 2

The Students-Teaching-Students course option offers an opportunity for students to design, propose, and facilitate a seminar course as an approved ENVS for-credit academic course. The course number (ENVS 197) has been officially approved by the curriculum committees and faculties of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Rubenstein School, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Senior thesis write-ups and course readers of recent courses are available for reference.

This innovative pedagogical strategy hosted by the UVM Environmental Program encourages and supports student engagement in course development. Impetus for such courses has generally stemmed from student commitment to sustainability and environmental justice activism and reflect course content in these areas. One or two courses are approved each semester, based on subject area innovation, student interest, and faculty approval. These courses are known in Environmental Studies as “Students-Teaching-Students,” based on an early model at Williams College. Some campuses around the U.S. (UC Berkeley, Oberlin College) offer student-directed courses but not for credit. The UVM course option offers students the opportunity to design, propose, and facilitate a seminar course as an approved ENVS for-credit academic course, usually 3 semester credits. The course number (ENVS 197) has been officially approved by the curriculum committees and faculties of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Rubenstein School, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and can be used for new topics into the future. Student proposers draw on senior thesis write-ups and course readers of past courses for reference in developing assignments, readings, and pedagogical course philosophies.