U Hull Launches Renewable Energy Master’s Degree
(U.K.): The university's new environmental technology renewable energy graduate degree will prepare students for the wind, wave and tidal power sectors. Starting in September, students will have the opportunity to examine key scientific and technical principles underlying a range of renewable energy technologies; learn about product design and life cycles; develop research and analytical skills relevant to renewable energy resource analysis; and gain practical experience through industry placements with integrated dissertation projects.
Maharishi U Management Creates Sustainability Consortium
Business professor Scott Herriott at Maharishi University of Management (Iowa) has formed a consortium of universities that will offer MBA courses on sustainability during this year's summer session. The Summer MBA Sustainability Consortium now includes the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (Washington), Brandeis University (Massachusetts), Marylhurst University (Oregon), Seattle Pacific University (Washington), University of Denver (Colorado), University of Maine and University of Vermont. Students at any member school will be able to take courses in environmental law, sustainable technologies and green investing.
St. Lawrence U to Launch Sustainability Semester
In spring 2013, student participants will be able to live and take courses together that address themes of human sustainability from a variety of disciplines. Located on a farm, the students will work on-site to grow food and build energy-efficient structures. The semester will also include an urban component where students spend two weeks in either Boston or New York to explore issues such as transportation, housing, food access, pollution and environmental justice.
Ecotech Institute Announces Partnership with Veterans Green Jobs
The institute, which focuses entirely on renewable energy and sustainability, has partnered with Veterans Green Jobs to enhance opportunities for military veterans in the green job sector. Sixty-seven students at the institute are military veterans or currently serving in the military.
New York Times Profiles Rise of 'Food Studies' Curriculum
Encompassing agriculture, business, health, economy, environment and international relations, the new academic field of food studies is "taking shape in an expanding number of colleges and universities," reports a recent New York Times article. Tailoring programs to their geographic areas and demographics, institutions are preparing students for new careers in food safety reform; local-food businesses and anti-obesity; equity and climate efforts; and broader contexts of traditional disciplines like culinary arts and farming.
Portland CC Develops Hybrid and Electric Car Curriculum
The college’s hybrid and electric car battery research will be developed into a curriculum to share with students, local technicians, fellow community colleges and businesses. The program, which is developing a 30-credit hybrid-training certificate, has partnered with two local repair shops to look at how they can provide better and more affordable repair work for hybrid and electric cars.
DePaul U to Launch Urban Agriculture Minor
Starting in the fall, the university's new urban agriculture minor will allow students to study issues of social and environmental justice, food security, sustainability and ecology through hands-on engagement. The university's new Urban Farming Organization has also begun constructing a campus urban farm that will complement the curriculum and educate the public about how to establish and enjoy sustainable food production systems.
Metropolitan CC Unveils New Solar Training Facility
Funded by a Nebraska Energy Office grant, the new facility will provide a real-world work area for solar, sustainability and horticulture students to learn and practice new technologies; lab area for practicums and funded studies; and an area to demonstrate conservation building practices and solar technology. Students at the college assisted with the assembly of the eight-panel solar system, water tank and radiant tubing as part of the college's hands-on classes on solar energy and technology.
Vatterott College Adds Wind Training Program
Through lecture and hands-on training, the college's new wind technician diploma program is designed to prepare students with the electricity and mechanics skills needed to become service technicians.
Jacksonville U Approves Sustainability Degree
(U.S.): Beginning this fall, students will have the opportunity to obtain a B.S., B.A. and Bachelor of Business Administration in sustainability. Interdisciplinary courses will include sustainability concepts within sociology, math, statistics, business, philosophy, economics, management, law and ethics. The program will also have a community component focused on experiential learning.
James Madison U Installs Wind Turbine for Teaching
(U.S.): A 7.5-kilowatt wind turbine will provide energy to the campus and educational opportunities for students, outside entrepreneurs and local K-12 schools. Faculty will develop hands-on curriculum for students interested in wind power.
U Oregon to Expand Urban Farm Curriculum Opportunities
The university’s Urban Farm project, a program of the Landscape Architecture department and the Student Sustainability Center, has received $42,000 from the Associated Students of the University of Oregon's Over-Realized Fund to help secure more land and resources to meet increasing student interest. The funding will expand the farm to three new lots and create another graduate teaching fellow position to help with hands-on instruction, allowing more students to be involved with the farm.
Emory U Launches Certificate in Sustainability
The new Emory University (Georgia) Continuing Education certificate debuts this May with its first course, "Organizational Change for Sustainability." The program has no prerequisites and covers aspects of sustainability including equity, economy and environment.
New School Students Dream Up Green Building Displays
As the New School (New York) constructs its new University Center, students in this semester’s "Displaying Sustainable Buildings" course are working on ways to present the building's green features in a way that will influence user behaviors. The students are thinking beyond data streams that track the building's energy and water use to "reactive design" features like lighting fixtures that highlight the fact that they are LEDs or faucets that draw attention to the water that is being used.
CCs Instrumental to Increasing U.S. Energy Efficiency, Says Obama
(U.S.): The green energy training opportunities at community colleges are an integral part of increasing energy efficiency and decreasing the country’s dependence on foreign oil, President Barack Obama said during a recent visit to Prince George's Community College (Maryland). Reported by the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Community College Times, the president said that community colleges are "the surest path to success in this economy."
U Pennsylvania Sustainability Curriculum Earns Int'l Recognition
(U.S.): The academic component of the University of Pennsylvania's Climate Action Plan was recognized in the International Sustainable Campus Network's inaugural Global University Leaders Forum Charter report. The university, which became a charter member of the forum in 2010, offers more than 160 sustainability-related courses as part of its goal of making climate change and sustainability part of an educational experience available to all students and the campus community at large.
U.S., Brazil Partner for Sustainability Workforce Development
(U.S. and Brazil): Houston Community College (Texas), Jackson Community College (Michigan) and Red Rocks Community College (Colorado) have partnered with Brazilian organizations for science and math workforce development. U.S. students are headed to Salvador, Brazil in June to help improve the English skills of 200 Brazilian technical high school students while participating in an intensive program focused on Brazil’s sustainability technology and innovation.
Green Mountain College Announces New Eco-Design Program
Green Mountain College's (Vermont) new renewable energy and ecological design undergraduate major, set to launch in fall 2012, will engage students in hands-on design and building projects that benefit the college and local community.
LIU Post Debuts Environmental Sustainability Master's Degree
LIU Post (formerly the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University in New York) has announced a new Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability, to begin September 2012. The program will incorporate both traditional scientific methods and modern technologies including Geographic Information Systems to prepare graduates to address the challenges facing governments, nonprofits and businesses in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the environment and energy resources. A special focus and emphasis will be placed on applying these skills and knowledge to the Long Island/New York City metropolitan area.
Selkirk College Plans Renewable Energy Technology Certificate
Selkirk College's (British Columbia) new six-week advanced certificate in renewable energy technology will focus on small hydro, wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, ground source energy and biomass energy technologies. Students will have the opportunity to retrofit a small-scale prefabricated building.
U Arizona Creates Sustainable Built Environment Degree
The new Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments at the University of Arizona’s College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture will focus on design, planning, open space and recreation, sustainable ecosystems, sustainable communities and housing, and heritage conservation. The program will launch in fall 2012.
U Calgary Adds Environmental Education Graduate Certificate
The University of Calgary's (Alberta) new four-course graduate program will tackle climate change, consumerism, ecological literacy, ethics and environmental design from a broad range of disciplines including philosophy, education, physics and architecture.
U Wisconsin-Platteville Launches New Renewable Energy Major
Expanding on a previously offered minor, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville's new sustainable and renewable energy systems major will feature technology and project management tracks that cover sustainability, wind and solar energy, building efficiency, biomass energy and project management.
Okanagan College to Develop Sustainable Construction Tech Program
Okanagan College (BC) has received a $100,000 gift from Great-West Life, half of which will be used to develop a three-year sustainable construction management technology program. The program has already received support from the Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of British Columbia and major construction firms. The other half of the donation will cover capital costs for the college's Centre for Excellence.
Saint Louis U Offers Accelerated Master's in Sustainability
Saint Louis University (MO) has launched an accelerated Master of Sustainability degree program. The Center for Sustainability gives undergraduate students a head start on the program with the option to complete up to one full year of graduate coursework prior to enrollment, allowing them to complete the degree in one year.
UC Berkeley to Develop New Sustainable Chemistry Curriculum
The University of California, Berkeley’s College of Chemistry has received a $3.5 million gift from the Dow Chemical Company Foundation to design a new curriculum based on the principles of sustainability and green chemistry. The lab curriculum will be revised to incorporate sustainability into every experiment. The funding will also be used to renovate the teaching labs to be more energy-efficient.
Illinois State U Offers Business Sustainability Minor
Illinois State University’s Department of Management and Quantitative Methods has announced a new minor in business environment and sustainability. The program is designed to help organizations hire trained and competent professionals to champion sustainability initiatives within the organization. Course subjects will include foundations in sustainability, environmental systems and social systems.
Southeast CC Installs Wind Turbine as Teaching Tool
Southeast Community College (NE) has installed a 1.6-kilowatt wind turbine with a $318,333 grant from the Nebraska Energy Office to develop renewable energy curricula. Students in its energy generation operations program will use the turbine as part of their training.
U Chicago Students Help Restaurants Earn Green Certification
Students in an "Environment, Agriculture, and Food: Economic and Policy Analysis" course at the University of Chicago (IL) are partnering with restaurant owners to create a green certification program for Chicago restaurants. Students have begun by reviewing existing building and operating standards for restaurants in the area, as well as existing green certifications for industries such as buildings, hotels and businesses. Students are acting as advisors to the Chicago Green Restaurant Coalition.
Wood County Tech Students Build Solar Teaching Lab
Students at the Wood County Technical Center (WV) have built a model house to be used as a solar lab for West Virginia University at Parkersburg's solar energy technology programs. Students in the program will receive hands-on experience with the model including the opportunity to install solar panels.
Cambridge College Launches Social Justice Teaching Concentration
Cambridge College (MA) has created a social justice teaching concentration for its Master of Education in interdisciplinary studies. The program will use diverse written and visual texts from around the world to address the systemic structures that lead to domination and oppression. Students will also be introduced to alternative world views with hopes to inspire them to teach and communicate in ways that will promote justice and compassion.
Fleming College Rolls Out Enviro Visual Communication Cert.
Fleming College (ON) has partnered with the Royal Ontario Museum to launch an environmental visual communication graduate certificate program. Taught on-site at the museum, the six-month program will focus on strategic messaging and technical savvy, teaching students to use photography, videography, multimedia and design principles to bridge environmental competencies with thoughtful communication. Students will study ways to identify strategies to inform and educate, garner engagement and support, and build and share campaigns to address conservation issues.
Flint Hills, Emporia State U Partner for Sustainability Programs
Kansas-based Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia State University have partnered to offer a sustainability studies program this fall. The program will allow students to receive an associate degree at the technical college and then pursue a bachelor’s degree at the university. The technical college curriculum will focus on alternative energy, green building practices and local food systems, while the university curriculum will explore specified interests, politics and ethics.
San Diego State U Offers Water Management Certificate
San Diego State University (CA) will begin offering a water management and landscape sustainability online certificate in March. The program is designed to prepare students for occupations in the water conservation industry and will explore new areas of development in the region including desalination and water purification plants.
The George Washington U to Offer Sustainability Minor
The George Washington University (DC) has announced a new minor in sustainability beginning this fall. Developed based on student interest and employers' demand for students with sustainability education, the minor will include tracks in science and engineering; human well-being and society; and policy, governance and leadership.
Huffington Post Covers Growing Field of Sustainability Studies
Students are challenging their faculty to develop creative solutions to the world’s environmental sustainability crisis, reports a recent Huffington Post story. Focusing on the growth of environmental studies programs at U.S. universities, the article says that "more and more students are coming into our colleges with an intuitive and profound understanding of the changing nature of the planet." New academic programs at New York institutions including Columbia University, the New School and Bard College are profiled for their efforts to satisfy students' search for "new approaches to economic life that will permit the material comfort they have grown up with, while keeping the planet intact."
Northern Maine CC Partners for Green Workforce Training
As part of the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC) Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) initiative, Northern Maine Community College has announced collaborations with local business partners on a new suite of courses to prepare students for the green workforce. The college will work to expand biomass conversion, small and large wind installations, and financing structures to support energy-efficient modifications throughout the region.
U California Berkeley to Debut Energy Engineering Major
The University of California, Berkeley has announced a new energy engineering major beginning in fall 2012. The major will focus on energy generation and policy principles with classes in chemistry, mathematics, physics and engineering. Students will also be able to declare an energy engineering minor.
Iowa State U Creates Sustainability Minor
Iowa State University has launched a new minor in sustainability. The program includes two core classes with elective courses in many different majors including agronomy, food science and English.
U Vermont Launches Sustainable Campus Innovation Certificate
The University of Vermont has launched a new sustainable campus innovation certificate program that can be taken entirely online. The program will equip those working within higher education operations, administration and student leadership with the training to inspire and guide a green transformation across their campus and surrounding community. Participants will learn how to institute sustainable practices, drive environmental innovation to boost enrollment of eco-savvy students, and incorporate sustainability into the curriculum to encourage student participation and retention.
Bristol CC Partners with High School for Green Energy Curriculum
Bristol Community College (MA) has announced a pilot project with a local high school that will expose both high school and higher education students to sustainable and green energy technologies. With a combination of theory, experimentation and field trips to a solar farm and green energy plant, students will learn about wind energy, efficient lighting, brownfield redevelopment, city planning and transportation, urban agriculture, solar thermal design and greenhouse technology.
Lane CC Creates Watershed Science Technician Program
The Lane Community College (OR) Board of Education has approved a watershed science technician associate degree. The water conservation curriculum will provide career opportunities for students who previously only had the certificate option.
U Nevada Reno Launches Renewable Energy Certificate
The University of Nevada, Reno has announced a new online graduate certificate in renewable energy, beginning in the spring 2012 semester. The online, 12-credit certificate is designed for professionals including business staff and managers, practicing engineers, government regulators and others interested in developing knowledge in the renewable energy fields. The multi-disciplinary curriculum includes elements of engineering disciplines as well as science, business and policy/political science.
Bainbridge Graduate Institute Offers New Sustainable Programs
The Bainbridge Graduate Institute (WA) has announced three new certificate programs for working executives seeking to develop skills in the areas of the sustainable built environment, sustainable food and agriculture, and sustainable energy solutions. The new programs are expected to provide students with a deeper understanding of the sustainability landscape and further prepare them to offer smart and sustainable business solutions.
Illinois Central College Announces New Solar Technology Program
Illinois Central College has announced plans to offer courses in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technology as part of a new energy-efficiency and renewable energy program. Working closely with local members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers to craft the program, the college aims to train students to become certified to install and maintain solar panels.
Metro State College to Create Water Studies Minor
Metro State College (CO) has received an anonymous gift of $1 million to implement a minor in water studies. The program, which will begin in fall 2012, will enhance water stewardship on and beyond the campus by promoting the effective use of water resources. Classes will explore issues including urban waterway restoration, water law, hydro-philanthropy, conflict resolution, conservation and stream reclamation.
U Maryland Launches Sustainability Studies Minor
The University of Maryland has launched a new sustainability studies minor for students looking to learn about green practices and how to address issues including decreasing energy consumption and water runoff. Students can begin taking classes to complete the 15-credit minor this spring. The first introductory course is designed to familiarize students with the concept of sustainability and encourage them to examine global issues in the field.
