Wesleyan University
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Wesleyan offers several courses and immersive programs that have included multidimensional examinations of sustainability. Over the past three years, these courses have included:
College of the Environment hosted courses on sustainability. There are 56 unique courses on sustainability through the college of the environment. The number of offerings per academic year are shown below.

AY 19-20: 29 courses
AY 18-19: 19 courses
AY 17-18: 26 courses

Some Sample Courses:

ENVS 282: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems:
This course explores strategies to create a sustainable agriculture and food system. The course will begin with an overview of the environmental issues associated with our agriculture and food system along with current production and consumption trends. Other topics covered in the course will include: environmental certification, starting and managing a farm, organic versus conventional farming, and the impact of diet choice on the environment.

ENVS 235: Science of Sustainability:
What is sustainability? It most certainly is not switching light bulbs or "buying organic," although perhaps those activities contribute to sustainability. The task for our course will be to undertake a scientific inquiry into the conditions for an enduring human presence on Earth. To do so, we must begin with physical principles, examining both what humans require and demand from the world and what the world is capable of providing. Our inquiry will broaden to include chemical and ecological principles, ultimately asking what the social sciences can do to illuminate the problem without violating the physical constraints nature imposes.

ENVS 201: Sophomore Seminar in Environmental Studies
This course is designed to introduce students to critical methods for conducting research on environmental issues. Students will gain in-depth experience with methods and paradigms of inquiry from multiple lenses including arts, humanities, and the social and natural sciences as a primer for performing research in the ENVS major. We will explore environmental theory and management at various levels of organization from ecosystems to human communities and countries. This course will challenge the students to rethink the human-environment relationship by recasting policy and science in the context of social-ecological systems. Students will be responsible for weekly writing assignments and discussions on the critical environmental issues of our time. Through the process of reflection, writing, and discussion, students will engage in deep inquiry, exploration, and research of environmental issues and their potential solutions.

ENVS 344: Renewable Energy and Negative Emission Technologies
This course explores renewable energy solutions society must transition to in order to mitigate global climate change. The course will focus on renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind (onshore and offshore), geothermal, biofuels, hydro, and wave power. It will also cover negative emission technologies including soil carbon sequestration, reforestation, and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

In addition, students have led for-credit student forums about food justice, permaculture, farming, food sustainability, and fostering sustainable behaviors. These forums count toward the linked major or certificate in Environmental Studies.