Pepperdine U Debuts Social, Enviro, Ethical Business Certificate
Pepperdine University's (CA) Graziadio School of Business and Management has launched a certificate in Socially, Environmentally and Ethically Responsible (SEER) business practices. The program allows students to complement their MBA degree with courses and activities that will prepare them to apply SEER values to companies across a diverse range of industries.
RIT Offers Master of Architecture with Sustainable Focus
The Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has announced a new Master of Architecture program that will begin in the fall, with curriculum that focuses on the areas of sustainability, urbanism and integrated practice such as energy efficiency. A collaboration between the school's Golisano Institute for Sustainability and the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, the program is founded upon the principle that architecture programs can no longer afford to teach anything other than sustainable architecture. In addition to courses in industrial ecology, sustainable science and sustainable buildings, traditional courses in design, theory and history will be taught through the lens of sustainability. Students will also have opportunities to collaborate with research labs and academic programs in pollution prevention, sustainable engineering, urban and community studies, and public policy.
San Diego State U Offers Green Job Training Certificates
San Diego State University's College of Extended Studies (CA) was recently profiled for its foresight in offering sustainable energy certificate programs that will meet the increasing need of the region’s green labor market. In addition to the Green Building Construction certificate that launched in 2008, the university now offers online certificates in Commercial and Residential Sustainable Practices and Green Energy Management.
Montgomery County CC Students to Build LEED Homes Over Break
Students at Montgomery County Community College (PA) will travel to Kent County in Michigan to work on the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes that will seek LEED certification as part of an alternative spring break program. Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge is a year-round alternative break program that offers more than 200 volunteer sites throughout the country. The Kent County chapter committed to building all future homes to LEED certification in 2007.
U Saskatchewan Offers New Critical Enviro Ed Graduate Degree
The University of Saskatchewan is offering a new Master of Education degree in critical environmental education to begin in July 2011. The degree will be offered through four online courses and three summer institutes that explore culture and environment; anti-racist education; research methods; re-inhabitation in relation to social and ecological justice issues; autobiography and contemporary fiction as a means to study the construction of identities; concepts of wisdom including Indigenous and deep ecology; and provide the opportunity to develop, practice and experience a range of curricula and assessment practices relevant to critical environmental education.
Durham Technical CC Expands Sustainability Technologies Program
Durham Technical Community College (NC) began a sustainability technologies program last fall for trained electricians, but due to an "outpouring of interest," the school will be opening a new program available to students without previous electrical training. The program focuses on solar panel installation, energy auditing, energy savings techniques, insulation and solar heated water. The college received a $250,000 grant from Duke Energy to help purchase the technology necessary for instructing students.
Kansas State U Students Design Green Campus Building
Students in the architecture program at Kansas State University are working on all phases of the design, permitting and construction process for a new design studio on campus, Studio 804. The studio will implement a host of green features including wind turbines, a green roof, a vented wall that improves circulation, a smart grid energy meter, energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicle charging stations. The students are raising money to finance the studio, which will seek LEED Platinum certification.
Maharishi U Mgmt Students Study Campus Sustainability Benefits
Students in a "Managing for Sustainability" course at Maharishi University of Management (IA) will perform sustainability inventories and cost/benefit analyses in campus system areas like waste, lighting, heating/air conditioning, composting and recycling. Based on their findings, the students will make recommendations to the university on which sustainability initiatives to tackle, and which ones might not be worth it. The students will start with small things that can make a difference like the university's recent switch to single-stream recycling.
U Kentucky Debuts Sustainability Studies Degree
The University of Kentucky is set to offer an environmental and sustainability studies degree. The undergraduate major will incorporate a broad range of subjects including humanities, natural sciences, writing, communications and environmental ethics. The program will begin in fall 2011.
Gambia Technical Training Inst Partners for Solar Energy Training
Power Up Gambia, an organization that works to provide reliable electricity and water in Gambia through solar energy, has reported a partnership with Gambia Technical Training Institute, one of the largest skills training centers in the country. The organization will work with the institute's Department of Electrical Engineering in an effort to help Gambian companies in the solar field by supporting the development of skilled and well-trained energy technicians who have a strong and common knowledge base in electricity and renewable energy.
Manipal U, Ashoka Trust Debut Ph.D. Program
The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment is accepting applications for its interdisciplinary doctoral program in conservation science and sustainability studies. The program is recognized by Manipal University (India) and will provide a fellowship for two years. Applicants must have a master's degree in environmental sciences and will be expected to pursue environmental research for a multi-disciplinary dissertation committee.
U Southern Queensland Offers Global Reporting Initiative Degree
The University of Southern Queensland (Australia) has partnered with City University of Seattle to offer an undergraduate accounting degree designed around the Global Reporting Initiative, the international standard for businesses to report against a range of protocol categories including economic, strategy and profile, product responsibility, society, labor practices and decent work, human rights and the environment. The new courses are offered through the University of Southern Queensland's existing accounting and sustainable business bachelor's degree program.
Cal Poly Pomona Students Design Homes to Replace Wildfire Losses
Students at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona are working to design and build sustainable prototype homes for structures that were lost to southern California wildfires in 2007. Owned by the City of San Diego and leased to ranchers who maintain the land, the destroyed homes qualified for emergency assistance funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Known as the Pamo Valley Project, the City of San Diego has teamed with the university's Department of Architecture to engage students to design two low-cost structures for the site. The homes will feature water, energy and waste conservation strategies that will augment passive and active system performance. The Pamo Valley Project was recently awarded the 2010 National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Grant, which is designed to help architecture schools implement new programs that merge the practice of architecture and education in a studio or classroom setting.
U New Hampshire Debuts Sustainable Agriculture Program
The University of New Hampshire has launched a new major that reflects the region's agricultural landscape and growing appetite for local, sustainable food, products and services. The sustainable agriculture and food systems curriculum combines plant, animal and environmental sciences with related topics like nutrition, forestry, aquaculture, and business disciplines such as entrepreneurship and marketing. The major offers both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees.
U Virginia Launches Global Sustainability Minor
The University of Virginia's Office of the Provost has approved a new interdisciplinary minor in global sustainability, open to undergraduates in any discipline. Requirements include one foundation course, "Global Sustainability," and options within the three categories of environment, equity and economy. The creation of the minor was a student initiative.
Antioch U New England Takes Sustainability MBA Online
Antioch University New England (NH) has announced a new online version of its sustainability MBA program. The first cohort of the fully accredited, two-year program will begin in May 2011. Along with a 24-month weekend program and an accelerated 12-month program, the university now offers three sustainability MBA degree delivery options.
Colorado State U Offers Online Green Building Certificate
Colorado State University has begun offering an online green building certificate program open to the public starting in February. The program was developed by the director of the university's Institute for the Built Environment. The courses may also qualify as prerequisites to LEED accreditation and to LEED credential maintenance.
Cornell U Offers New Minor in Sustainable Energy Systems
Cornell University (NY) will offer a new minor in sustainable energy systems through the College of Engineering starting this academic year. Courses in wide-ranging disciplines will be offered including biological and environmental engineering, earth and atmospheric sciences and mechanical and aerospace engineering. Its broader aspects will encompass environmental, economic and social impacts of energy technologies.
Maharishi U Mgmt MBA Program Launching New Sustainability Courses
Maharishi University of Management's (IA) MBA program has announced plans to roll out a slate of new sustainability courses this spring semester. Including "Measuring & Reporting on Sustainability" and "Sustainable Community Development," the new courses are designed to better prepare students for the business world's current focus on sustainability. Students will now have access to a new software program that lets one create models of sustainable technologies and be able to examine aspects of organizational change for sustainability.
U Colorado Boulder Enviro Center Launches Sustainable Mgmt Cert
The University of Colorado at Boulder's Environmental Center has launched a sustainability management certificate program. "Designing for Sustainable Transportation," "Becoming a Sustainability Coordinator" and "Introduction to Smart Grid" are a few of the courses offered through the Sustainable Practices Program at a 20 percent discount to faculty and staff, and a 50 percent discount to students. The curriculum is tailored to professionals and entrepreneurs interested in developing new skills and sustainability training.
NY Times Profiles Social Entrepreneurship in Higher Education
"Today's business students are far more socially aware than their predecessors," Hult International Business School's London president Stephen Hodges tells The New York Times in a recent article. The school's plan to debut a new master's degree in social entrepreneurship at its London location in September 2011 is the focus of the article that reveals student interest as the motivation behind expanded social enterprise business curriculum. While the article names a number of American universities that offer social entrepreneurship programs, London's School for Social Entrepreneurs' director of policy, Nick Temple, says that he is concerned that social entrepreneurship education in the U.S. seems to be embedded in universities: "...we feel that social justice is also about addressing inequalities. If you're limiting yourself to people who've passed exams or can afford the cost of private university fees you limit yourself to a relatively small pool."
Owens CC Introduces Alternative Energy Degree
Owens Community College (OH) has announced its new Alternative Energy and Sustainable Systems Technology Program, which will offer an associate degree in alternative energy. Students enrolled in the program will use the campus' wind turbine, solar panels and geothermal heating systems to learn the technology behind alternative energy sources.
Renewable Energy Trade School Opens Doors of New Campus
The Ecotech Institute (CO), a trade school focused entirely on renewable energy, sustainable design and green technology recently welcomed about 200 students to its new campus. The 620,000-square-foot campus, which features photovoltaic solar panels, wind turbines and motion-triggered light controls, is offering two-year associate degrees in electrical engineering technology, energy and environmental paralegal, energy efficiency, environmental technology, renewable energy technology, solar energy technology and wind energy technology, as well as a certificate program in sustainable interior design.
Sterling College Launches Farm-to-Table Curriculum
Sterling College (VT) will launch a new academic farm-to-table food studies program in summer 2011. "Vermont's Table: Farming, Cooking and the Rural Experience" will expose students to Vermont's farms, cheesemakers and agricultural businesses including the opportunity to shadow agricultural students on the campus farm. Students will also receive culinary training using locally sourced ingredients during the five-week sessions. Courses include "Whole Farm Thinking" and "Farm-Scale Production of Value-Added Products."
Chatfield College Offers Free Environmental Sustainability Course
Chatfield College (OH) has partnered with the Duke Energy Foundation to provide a free environmental sustainability course for students and community members. The course will teach environmental issues and solutions, how to apply and develop this information to everyday living, and help prepare for professions in the field sustainability. The curriculum is funded by the Duke Energy Foundation Community Sustainability Grant Program.
Sacred Heart U Announces Enviro Systems Analysis Grad Program
Sacred Heart University (CT) has announced a new Master of Science in Environmental Systems Analysis and Management to begin in fall 2011. Affiliated with the Professional Science Master's Initiative, the program is designed to equip students for careers as managers, analysts, consultants and scientists in areas including field work and research, as well as work in environmental organizations, conservation groups and government agencies. Courses will include specialized training in hydrology, field methods, environmental sampling, analysis and problem solving. Students will also have the opportunity to choose electives in a variety of subjects including ecosystem ecology, hazardous waste management and environmental policy.
Delta College Purchases Wind Turbine Teaching Model
Delta College (MI) has purchased a 300-kilowatt model wind turbine to teach the disassembly, repair and reassembly of the equipment as part of a lab experience for students. "Having this unit at ground level offers students the opportunity to receive hands-on training in a safe environment, learn the basic diagnostic and repair techniques, and learn more about the vast size and scope of this new industry’s equipment," Delta College's Sustainability and Risk Management Coordinator Linda Petee tells AASHE Bulletin.
Green Mtn College Students Build House from Reclaimed Materials
As part of a semester-long project in the REED (Renewable Energy and EcoDesign) certificate program, students at Green Mountain College (VT) recently unveiled a "tiny house" of their own design. Based on interviews with mock clients, the class collaborated on the 8- by 12-foot design, built almost entirely from reclaimed materials. During the $1,927 design and construction process, students adhered to sustainable building practices whenever possible. Students helped pay for the project with a $100 per student course fee and expect to recoup their investment by selling the house in the spring, when the moveable structure will be equipped with a solar-powered electrical system.
George Washington U to Offer Sustainable Urban Planning Program
George Washington University (DC) has announced plans to offer a Master of Professional Studies in Sustainable Urban Planning in fall 2011. The program will also offer stand-alone graduate certificates in climate change sustainable management and policy, urban sustainability and sustainable landscapes. The curriculum is designed to develop career urban planners skilled in sustainable urban planning and policy, and knowledgeable about green technologies.
Kennebec Valley CC Announces Solar Technology Training Program
Kennebec Valley Community College (ME) has announced a new solar technology training program that will begin in February. The program will train instructors from technical colleges and high schools how to install solar heating and cooling systems. The instructors will then incorporate what they learn into their curriculum. The solar heating and cooling training initiative received a $3.3 million federal grant to cover the costs for the next five years.
College of the Redwoods Offers Green Building Training Program
The College of the Redwoods (CA) has partnered with the County of Humboldt and the California Conservation Corps to provide free training and hands-on experience in the green building profession for disadvantaged youth starting in January. The 13-week program will provide green building classes, paid work experience and job placement assistance upon completion of the program. Classes include "Introduction to Green Building," "Energy Fundamentals, Retrofits and Energy Efficiency," "Water-Efficient Building and Retrofits," "Solar Hot Water Installation and Design Principles" and "Solar Photovoltaic Installation and Design Principles."
Columbia University Launches Sustainability Mgmt Graduate Degree
Columbia University (NY) has announced a new Master of Science in sustainability management. Offered in partnership with the university’s Earth Institute and School of Continuing Education, the program is designed to equip professionals with the leadership skills needed to achieve an organization’s performance goals while working toward a sustainable world. Five areas of required study include sustainability management, economics and quantitative analysis, the physical dimensions of sustainability management, the public policy environment of sustainability management, and general and financial management. Participants can choose between a part-time or full-time degree completion program.
Diablo Valley College Creates Environmental Science Degree
Diablo Valley College (CA) has created a new environmental science associate degree. The curriculum centers on environmental concerns that have an impact on the human race, ecological system and energy diversity. The new program will include courses in engineering, biology, chemistry and math.
Oregon State U to Help Iraq Universities Build Green Curriculum
Oregon State University will sign an agreement with Iraq's minister of higher education and scientific research to help Iraq universities develop renewable energy, water conservation and green construction curriculum and laboratories. Iraq professors are tentatively scheduled to arrive in Oregon in February to study the university's sustainable engineering program and become familiar with its lab testing equipment. Along with other sustainable engineering and design programs, the university's School of Forestry, College of Agricultural Science and College of Engineering will help Iraq schools establish engineering programs for using solar energy to light highways. Projects under the five-year agreement will be funded through a combination of university, the state of Oregon, Iraq and possibly federal government funds.
San Francisco State to Require General Ed Sustainability Classes
An environmental sustainability requirement has been added to the general education requirements at San Francisco State University (CA). Passed by the Academic Senate and recently approved by the university president, the measure requires students to take three units of classes that examine an aspect of sustainability. Ninety-four faculty representing 40 different departments approved the change. Classes from across campus will qualify for the requirement, offering students different approaches to sustainability. The university expects the requirement to be in place for students entering in fall 2012 or 2013.
Southern Maine CC Receives Solar Training Program Federal Grant
Southern Maine Community College has received a $70,000 federal grant to become an accredited training site in a national network of solar photovoltaic instructors. Students will learn how to install solar panels as part of the college's electrical engineering technologies program. Students will have the opportunity to install, test and connect a solar photovoltaic system to the larger electrical grid.
Bristol CC Debuts Training Center for Green Jobs
Bristol Community College (MA) has opened a new facility for training Massachusetts’ work force for jobs in weatherization, energy auditing, solar power and other environmentally friendly occupations. The Green Center includes replicas of different parts of a home, including exterior siding, an interior wall and the cross-section of an attic. The goal of the center is to prepare students to take advantage of the green economy.
Furman U Launches Sustainability Science Major
To help students prepare for careers in resource conservation, environmental stewardship and community service, Furman University (SC) has announced that it will offer a B.S. in sustainability science. Students can declare the major as of Nov. 2, 2010, when it was unanimously approved during a faculty meeting. Offered through the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, the program will focus on the relationships among human, social and environmental systems, and how changes in one system, directly or indirectly, affect the others.
U Toledo, Northwest State CC Partner for Energy Degree
The University of Toledo (OH) has partnered with Northwest State Community College (OH) to offer an alternative energy technology associate degree. The degree will offer a systems design track for those interested in developing technology and a systems service track for students interested in careers involving installation and maintenance. Students enrolled in the alternative energy technology program will be admitted to both the university and community college.
Waubonsee CC to Launch Solar Energy Courses
Waubonsee Community College (IL) has announced plans to launch a solar energy curriculum program in the spring of 2011 with the aid of its recently installed 24-panel photovoltaic solar array. The college will use a $120,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation to fund an indoor renewable energy laboratory and other program start up costs. The college also has plans for geothermal and wind energy courses.
Grand Rapids CC Plans Renewable Energy Certificate
Grand Rapids Community College (MI) has announced plans to create a renewable energy certificate and associate degree program. The college’s goal is to tie the program with the recently launched wind safety technician and green building deconstruction programs. A new solar photovoltaic installation program will begin in February.
St. Thomas U School of Law Debuts Enviro Master of Laws
St. Thomas University School of Law (FL) has announced a new Master of Laws in environmental sustainability. Featuring a core curriculum that includes natural resource law and policy, environmental law, Earth jurisprudence, ecology and ecosystems management for lawyers, the one-year program is open to those who have earned their Juris Doctor degree or equivalent. Students will have the opportunity for real-world experiences alongside case studies through externships and one-credit short courses led by visiting professionals that will start in March 2011.
National Wildlife Federation Launches The Greenforce Initiative
The National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future have partnered for The Greenforce Initiative, a two-year program to strengthen workforce development and sustainability practices at community colleges. With support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the initiative is creating "Learning and Action Networks" in six regions across the country. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of colleges to develop, expand or refine green pathway programs that lead to postsecondary certificates or degrees and employment in family-sustaining green careers. The initiative is designed for nontraditional students who cannot currently access such programs.
Antioch U Los Angeles Launches Urban Sustainability Grad Program
Antioch University Los Angeles (CA) has announced the launch of its M.A. in urban sustainability. The program, which emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of urban sustainability and focuses on the social implications of environmental and economic change, features two residency periods each semester, online learning and community engagement through fieldwork.
Temple U to Initiate Nanotechnology Solutions to Sustainability
Temple University (PA) has received nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to implement nanotechnology, the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale, into its undergraduate engineering curriculum. The goal is to provide students with hands-on experience through internships, design projects and lab work with the use of nanotechnologies in advancing a sustainable urban environment. Nanotechnology modules will be added to a minimum of eight courses in the College of Engineering.
Boston Architectural College Debuts Sustainable Design Master's
Boston Architectural College has announced the creation of an online Master of Design Studies in sustainable design. Debuting August 2011, the coursework includes both online study and week-long learning intensives at the college's Newbury Street campus. The curriculum will feature more than 30 graduate courses including green building design, green policy and advocacy, sustainable community planning and sustainable construction.
Elon U Introduces Environmental Studies Program
Elon University’s (NC) Department of Environmental Studies has created a B.S. in environmental and ecological science, and a minor in environmental and sustainability studies. The department hopes to better serve students interested in careers in environmental science, wildlife biology, conservation biology, ecosystem management and restoration. The major has less core course and more elective choices. The minor will educate students about the principles of sustainability.
Rend Lake College Develops Biofuel Education Program
Rend Lake College (IL) has received a $60,835 federal grant to support a three-part biofuels education program, which will include training on farm-based biodiesel production. The first component of the program will include the development of a hybrid course with online lectures and lab sessions with lab-scale production of biodiesel, ethanol and methane. A community education course designed for local community members who want to learn more about small-scale biofuel production and use will be part of the second component. The third portion of the program involves an internship program for the college’s students. Interns will produce small batches of biodiesel, ethanol and methane using feedstock sourced from the campus farm.
U Mass Amherst Launches Online Sustainability Studies Program
The University Without Walls adult degree completion program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has launched an online sustainability studies undergraduate degree program. Courses include green building, renewable energy, sustainable food and farming, sustainable entrepreneurship and permaculture design.
U Oklahoma Geography Dept to Offer Enviro Sustainability Degrees
The department of geography at the University of Oklahoma has announced that it will offer B.A. and B.S. degrees in environmental sustainability. Involving instructors from 14 departments across the university, the curriculum will explore how human societies can meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations. Coursework will examine short- and long-term needs related to jobs and economic growth, societal well-being and environmental health. Beginning spring 2011, students will have the option to specialize in sustainability science and natural resources; sustainability planning and management; and sustainability, culture and society.
