Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 52.39
Liaison Margo Margo Nottoli
Submission Date Aug. 24, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Warren Wilson College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Alison Climo
Director of Institutional Effectiveness
Institutional Effectiveness
"---" 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):
Environmental Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (1st program):

Students may be awarded either a Bachelors of Arts or a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in one of the following:

Conservation Biology
Environmental Education
Environmental Policy and Justice
Ecological Forestry
Sustainable Agriculture
Water and Earth Resources
Environmental Management (3-2 cooperative program with Duke University)

Upon completion of the bachelor’s degree, graduates of the Environmental Studies program at Warren Wilson College are prepared for both advanced studies and various environmental related jobs.

The Department of Environmental Studies at Warren Wilson College was established in the late 1970’s by members of the Biology Department, who began leading the campus community in conservation efforts and offering new courses related to energy and conservation. With the understanding that the solutions to modern environmental problems require the collaboration of many disciplines, the department has grown to include faculty members from across Warren Wilson’s academic community. This collaboration provides students with an environmentally focused, interdisciplinary major that investigates environmental issues from a natural science, social science, and humanities perspective.

The mission of the Environmental Studies Department, an interdisciplinary learning community, is to prepare leaders who are able to critically assess, develop, and promote sustainable futures for life on Earth.

The Environmental Studies major, through academic courses, abundant natural resources on and near campus, and related work crews, balances theory, first-hand knowledge, and field experiences. Internships are also strongly encouraged as a way to acquire experience and to apply academically acquired knowledge. This program aims to graduate students with a strong foundation in the natural sciences and an understanding of the social, political and ethical implications of environmental problems and solutions. This allows them to critically analyze environmental issues they encounter in their professional and personal lives and to make educated, responsible decisions.


The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Global Studies/Environment and Society

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):

Major in Global Studies
Total Credit Hours: Students must earn a minimum of 48 credit hours toward the Global Studies Major requirements. Of the 48 total credit hours, at least 16 must be upper level credit hours (including the 4-credit capstone thesis seminar).

General Requirements:
Core Courses (12 credit hours): All Global Studies majors must pass the following three courses in order to complete the major:
GBL 117 Introduction to Global Studies
GBL 305 Thinking Globally: Contemporary Globalization in Context
GBL 461 Global Studies Seminar

Foundation Courses (16 credit hours): All majors must take 16 credit hours from the following list of foundation courses.
GBL 125 Introduction to Appalachian Studies
ANT 261 Cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa
HIS 111 East Asian Civilization
MUS 112 Music Cultures of the World
PAX 110 Introduction to Peace and Justice Studies
SOC 251 Societies in Southeast Asia
Thematic Concentration Courses (20 credits): Students must choose from one of four thematic concentrations.

3.2.10.3.2 – Environment and Society (thematic concentration within Global Studies)
Requirements: 20 total credits, 8 of which must be at 300-level or above. 4 credit hours from a different thematic concentration may be substituted with permission of the department.
ANT 321 Traditional Agricultural Systems
ECO 380 Environmental and Ecological Economics
ENS 422 Introduction to Environmental Law
ENS 425 Sustainable Development and the Politics of Growth
SOC/GDS 325 Gender, Development and the Environment
GBL 225 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
GBL 325 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
HIS 205 Environmental History of the United States
HIS 251 Appalachian History
PAX 327 Environmental Justice: Peace or Conflict
PHI 252 Environmental Ethics
PSC 245 Environmental Politics in Global Perspective
PSY 416 Ecopsychology
SOC 271 Environmental Sociology
SOC 312 Disaster and Society
WRI 320 Environmental Writing
Selected Special Topics courses with permission of the department


The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
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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):
Ecological Forestry

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

Requirements: In addition to the requirements for all Environmental Studies majors, the following requirements must be met to fulfill this concentration.

It is strongly recommended that all students pursuing the Sustainable Forestry Concentration commit to a minimum of two years working on the Forestry Crew.

Required Courses:
GBL 225 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
*ENS 233 Forest Biology
*ENS 334 Silviculture
*ENS 333 Introduction to Forest Management
SCI 390 Research Design
SCI 486-489 Natural Science Research (minimum 2 credits)
SCI 493 Natural Science Presentation
*These courses build the discipline from theory to application and should be taken in the listed order.

Electives within the ENS major: (minimum 12 credit hours)

A. The Forest Management emphasis is for students who want to pursue a career in professional forestland management for a variety of goods and services. Students would be prepared for jobs with state or federal forestry, parks and wildlife agencies, land trusts and land conservation organizations, private forest owners, and ecological consulting firms.

Suggested electives for Forest Management emphasis:
BIO 219 Plant Morphology and Anatomy
ECO 380 Environmental and Ecological Economics
ENS 220 Environmental Attitudes, Values and Behavior
ENS 230 Geology
ENS 310 Conservation and Wildlife Biology
ENS 302 Aquatic Ecology and Water Pollution
ENS 330 Soil Science
ENS 451 Community and Land Use Planning
GBL 325 Advanced GIS
MAT 253 Statistics for Natural Sciences

B. The Forest Science emphasis is for students who want to pursue a career in forestry research or go on to graduate school. The strong natural and quantitative science focus, coupled with a B.S., will make the student an attractive graduate school applicant. Students would be prepared for jobs as research technicians for state and federal forestry agencies, private industry and non-government research institutions. Students interested in graduate school must work closely with their academic advisor to choose courses that meet the requirements of specific graduate programs.
Suggested electives for Forest Science emphasis:
BIO 219 Plant Morphology and Anatomy
BIO 322 Genetics
CHM 407 Biochemistry I
CHM 117 General Chemistry II
CHM 225 Organic Chemistry I
ENS 230 Geology
ENS 302 Aquatic Ecology and Water Pollution
ENS 330 Soil Science
GBL 325 Advanced GIS
MAT 253 Statistics for Natural Sciences

C. The Forest Policy emphasis is for students who want to pursue a career in environmental policy and advocacy, especially as it pertains to forest systems. Students would be prepared for careers with government agencies, non-government advocacy groups, for-profit industries and non-profit institutions.
Suggested electives for Forest Policy emphasis:
BA 121 Marketing and Advertising
BA 212 Management and Leadership in Organizations
BA 310 Introduction to Non-Profit Management
ECO 380 Environmental and Ecological Economics
HIS 205 Environmental History of the United States
ENS 220 Environmental Attitudes, Values and Behavior
ENS 310 Conservation and Wildlife Biology
ENS 421 Environmental Policy
ENS 425 Sustainable Development and the Politics of Growth
ENS 451 Community and Land Use Planning
PSC 257 International Relations
SOC 271 Environmental Sociology


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):
Sustainable Agriculture

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):


Requirements:In addition to the requirements for all Environmental Studies majors, the following requirements must be met to fulfill this concentration. These courses build the discipline from conceptual understanding to practical application and have been designed to be taken in the order listed.

It is strongly recommended that all students pursuing the Sustainable Agriculture Concentration commit to a minimum of one academic year working on the WWC Farm or Garden Crew AND complete at least one full-time summer farm internship on an established commercial sustainable farm before completing the program.

Required Courses: all of the following:
ENS 249 Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture
ENS 330 Soil Science
ENS 341 Agroecology
ENS 440 Sustainable Farm Management
SCI 390 Research Design
SCI 486-489 Natural Science Research (minimum 2 credits)
SCI 493 Communication: Natural Science Seminar

Elective Credit Hours: Minimum 12 elective credit hours

A. Suggested Electives for business emphasis in Sustainable Agriculture:
BA 121 Marketing and Advertising
BA 201 Accounting I
BA 309 Business Law
BA 313 Small Business Management
BA 315 The Art and Science of Managing People
ECO 201 Microeconomics
ECO 301 Microeconomic Theory and Practice
ECO 380 Environmental and Ecological Economics

B. Suggested Electives for natural science emphasis in Sustainable Agriculture:
BIO 217 Introduction to Animal Science
BIO 241 Invertebrate Zoology
BIO 322 Genetics
BIO 351 Mammalian Physiology
BIO 450 Microbiology
CHM 117 General Chemistry II
CHM 225 Organic Chemistry I
CHM 226 Organic Chemistry II
ENS 330 Soil Science
MAT 241 Calculus I
MAT 242 Calculus II
PHY 251 Physics I

C. Suggested Electives for a social science emphasis in Sustainable Agriculture:
ANT 321 Traditional Agriculture Systems
ECO 380 Environmental and Ecological Economics
ECO 383 Economic Growth and Development
ENS 220 Environmental Attitudes, Values, and Behavior
ENS 425 Sustainable Development and the Politics of Growth
ENS 451 Community and Land Use Planning
PSC 257 International Relations
PSY 231 Research Methods in Social Science
PSY 318 Social Psychology
SOC 271 Environmental Sociology

D. Suggested Electives for a humanities emphasis in Sustainable Agriculture:
ENG 337 Romanticism
ENG 338 Literature and Culture of the Victorian Period
ENG 339 Modernism
HIS 205 Environmental History of the United States
ENS 220 Environmental Attitudes, Values, and Behavior
INT 325 Great Books I
PHI 255 Philosophy of Science and Logic
WRI 213 Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction
WRI 220 Writing About Place


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):
Environmental Policy and Justice

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):

In addition to the requirements for all environmental studies majors, the following requirements must be met to fulfill this concentration.

Required Courses
ECO 380 Environmental and Ecological Economics
ENS 350 Global Environmental Health
ENS 422 Introduction to Environmental Law
ENS 461 Environmental Policy and Justice Colloquium
ENS 484 Environmental Studies Internship Seminar
ENS 485 Environmental Studies Internship
PSC 151 Introduction to American Government
Elective Credit Hours: Minimum 10 elective credit hours; refer to “Environmental Studies Elective Systems” above.


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:


Environmental Studies major offers additional concentrations in the following areas:
Conservation Biology
Environmental Education
Water and Earth Resources
Environmental Management (3-2 cooperative program with Duke University)
http://www.warren-wilson.edu/academics/warren-wilson-college-catalog/environmental-studies#major


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