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The Environmental Studies Program provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human interactions with the environment. Of central concern are the impact of technology on natural environments and its implications for human welfare. The program seeks to apply the different perspectives of the humanities, social sciences, biology, and the physical sciences to environmental and natural resource issues. These perspectives, combined with complementary training in a traditional discipline, will prepare students for graduate work and careers in the environmental sciences, law, public health, public policy, or public administration. Because careful course selection is necessary to achieve specific objectives, students are urged to consult as early as possible with the program director and other members of the Environmental Studies Program Committee (names available in the Environmental Studies office). Students should consult the course descriptions for prerequisites and plan accordingly. Descriptions of new program courses and activities in addition to those listed below may be found in supplements to this catalog issued by the Registrar, and the Environmental Studies Course Description Supplement available in the Environmental Studies office. New students are encouraged to begin the social science component of the major with ENVS 101. Advanced Placement. While Advanced Placement credit in Environmental Science applies toward college requirements, it does not apply toward Environmental Studies credit. Students who wish to major in Environmental Studies should: 1. Consult with a member of the Environmental Studies Program Committee or with the Program Director. 2. Pick up a checklist of major requirements form from the Environmental Studies office. 3. Select an advisor who is a member of the Environmental Studies Program Committee (names listed in the Environmental Studies office). 4. In consultation with advisor, complete the Registrar's Declaration of Major form along with the checklist of major requirements. 5. Submit these forms, signed by advisor, to the Program Director for approval. The proposal, when approved, constitutes an agreement between the student and the Environmental Studies Program as to the content of the student's major. Please consult with your advisor for approval before making any changes to avoid any problems at graduation time. Deadline. Deadline for major proposal submission is normally the end of the student's sophomore year. If ENVS is the student's second major, it may be submitted at the end of the student's junior year. Major. The major consists of a minimum of 15 hours of course work in the Natural Sciences, six courses totaling at least 18 hours in the Social Sciences and Humanities, and a statistics course. In addition, some of the courses have prerequisites that are not listed here. At least 20 of the credit hours counted toward the major must be taken at Oberlin. Courses must be selected to meet the following requirements (N.B.--If the ENVS requirements change after the major is declared, students can choose to comply with either the requirements in place at the time of their declaration of major or the revised requirements.) Please consult individual departmental listings for full course descriptions and availability in a given semester and year. Not all of these courses are offered every year. Social and Behavioral Sciences/Arts and Humanities Requirements. Majors must take six courses totaling at least 18 hours in Social Sciences and Humanities consisting of the following: 1. Environmental Studies 101 (Environment and Society) is required of all majors. It is normally to be taken during the first two years. 2. Students must take either ENVS 208 or ECON 231. In addition, students must take four courses in either Social Science or Arts & Humanities. No more than two of these four may come from a single department. ENVS 208 may count as an elective Environmental Studies course. Majors may take POLT 237 and 321 in addition to ENVS 208. At least one Humanities course is highly recommended. Certain courses previously offered can also be counted towards the ENVS major. These include ECON 241, HIST 251, 324, 330, EXWR 103, 114, PHIL 212. Natural Sciences Requirements. Majors must take at least 15 hours of coursework in the Natural Sciences. Biology 120, Geology 120 and either Chemistry 101, 102, 103 or 151 MUST be included among these 15 hours. The balance of the 15 hours in natural science must be selected from courses in the Biology, Chemistry, Geology, and/or Physics Departments, and they must EITHER count towards one of those four majors OR be cross-referenced with Environmental Studies. Additional Requirement. Majors must take ONE course in statistics or research methods selected from the following: Chemistry 211, Mathematics 090, 100, 113, or 114, Sociology 211. (N.B.--of these courses, only Chemistry can also be counted as part of the 15 hours in natural science). Note: ENVS 490 and ENVS 491 combined count for three hours. Minor. A student may pursue a minor in Environmental Studies by submitting a plan of study for approval (the minor form is available from the Office of the Registrar) and a one-page rationale to the program director. A minor must include a minimum of 15 hours in at least five Environmental Studies courses, including two or more components of work at the non-introductory level. There must be at least seven hours of work in the natural sciences and at least seven in social sciences and/or humanities. At least ten hours must be taken at Oberlin. General. In addition to course work, the following opportunities are available to students interested in environmental problems. 1. Internships with government agencies (e.g., public schools, Forest Service, EPA) or private organizations (e.g., Nature Conservancy, International Audubon Society, National Science Foundation) involved in some aspect of environmental research, regulation, or advocacy may be a valuable learning and career planning experience. Internships may be undertaken during Winter Term, an off-campus semester, or in the summer. Normally these internships do not earn academic credit. Files of volunteer and paid internships are maintained in the Resource Center of the A.J. Lewis Center for Environmental Studies. 2. During Winter Term the Environmental Studies Program often sponsors an on-campus group project which provides an opportunity for students to earn Winter Term credit as either participants, group leaders, or coordinators. In recent years projects dealt with architecture and ecological design, Black River Watershed education, and community gardens. 3. The Honors Program in Environmental Studies involves completion of an independent research project during the student's senior year and an oral examination on the research. The project involves ongoing consultation with at least two honors advisers from different programs/departments. Students interested in Honors in Environmental Studies should, early in the spring semester of their junior year, consult the Program Director as well as faculty members in fields relevant to their research interests. Acceptance into the Honors Program is based on the student's academic achievements, the suitability of the proposed project, and his or her potential to do substantial independent research. Detailed guidelines for the Environmental Studies Honors Program are available in the Program office. 4. The program sponsors a series of public lectures by guest speakers and faculty members. 5. Students may schedule a private reading course during their junior or senior years. In the past, students have taken private readings in ecological design, ecological economics and eco-feminism. Joyce Gorn Memorial Prize.In the spring semester, the Program Committee awards the Joyce Gorn Memorial Prize to one or more students for outstanding work on an extracurricular or off-campus environmental project. Ann Schaening Memorial Fund. Funds are available to assist students with Winter Term projects in Environmental Studies. Interested students may submit a project proposal to the Program Chair for approval by the Environmental Studies Program Committee. Social Science Courses: Economics 231 Environmental Economics 331 Natural Resource Economics 431 Seminar: Topics in Water Resource Economics Environmental Studies 101 Environment and Society 208 Environmental Policy 291 Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture 310 Ecological Design 320 Gender, Nature and Culture 322/323 Energy and Society 324/325 Fundamentals of Building Performance 335 Technology and the Environment 350/351 Practicum in Ecological Design of the AJLC History 145 Waterways and History 252 American Environmental History 338 Colloquium in U.S. Urban Environmental History Politics 237 Green Political Theory Humanities Courses: Art 048 Visual Concepts and Processes: What's Natural Isn't Real 065 Problems in Painting: What Is Real Isn't Natural English 255 In Search of America: The Concept of Nature in Early American Writing 366 Nature and Transcendentalism Environmental Studies 330 Environmental Ethics Philosophy 225 Environmental Ethics Natural Science Courses: Biology 120 Genetics, Evolution and Ecology 205 Community Ecology 206 Population Ecology 218 Evolution 411 Seminar: Conservation Biology Chemistry 101 Structure and Reactivity 102 Chemical Principles 163 Origins and Treatment of Cancer Environmental Studies 316 Systems Ecology 322/323 Energy and Society 324/325 Fundamentals of Building Performance 340 Environmental Systems Modeling 350/351 Practicum in Ecological Design of the AJLC Geology 115 Coral Reefs: Biology, Geology and Politics 120 Introduction to Earth Science 242 Groundwater Hydrogeology 330 Sedimentary Geology Physics 055 Principles of Solar Energy 066 Energy Technology I 067 Energy Technology II Extra Divisional Courses: 490 Introduction to the Black River Watershed 491 Practicum in Environmental Education
3SS First and Second Semester. An introduction to social, economic, technological, and political aspects of environmental problems with emphasis on major theorists and ideas that have influenced the environmental movement. Different schools of thought on the relationship between humankind and nature will be discussed with the aim of providing students with a broad understanding of issues, causes, and possible solutions to the array of environmental problems. Enrollment Limit: 50. Note: Open to first- and second-year students, including consent seats. Mr. Orr, Ms. Janda, Mr. Petersen 208. Environmental Policy 3 hours 3SS First Semester. An introduction to national environmental policy with emphasis on major issues of climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the issues of growth. The course includes discussion of regulatory policies, taxes, market solutions, and other policy options applied to energy policy, transportation policy, endangered species, and materials use. Recommended Preparation: One course in politics or environmental studies. Identical to POLT 208. Enrollment Limit: 25. Mr. Orr 231. Environmental Economics 3 hours 3SS, QPh First Semester. Identical to ECON 231. Enrollment Limit: 40. Ms. Gaudin 291. Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture 3 hours 3SS Second Semester. A conversation on farms, farming and the agrarian foundations of civilization, with special attention to the interaction between philosophy, policy, and practice. The course includes discussion of different schools of thought about agriculture, culture, and rural life including Thomas Jefferson, Liberty Hyde Bailey, Albert Howard, Louis Bromfield, Wendell Berry, and Wes Jackson. The course includes visits to farms in central Ohio. Enrollment Limit: 25. Mr. Orr 310. Ecological Design 3 hours 3SS Second Semester. An upper-division seminar for seniors on ecological design, i.e. the intersection of human intentions with the ecologies of particular places. The course will include a broad survey of ecological design strategies from different cultures along with special emphasis on recent work in architecture, community design, energy systems, landscape management, and ecological engineering and the work of Carol Franklin, John Lyle, William McDonough, Sim van der Ryn, and John Todd. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Orr 316. Systems Ecology 4 hours 4NS First Semester. The ecosystem concept provides a framework for understanding complex interactions between life and the physical environment and the role of humans as dominant agents of biogeochemical change. We will apply systems concepts governing flows of material and energy to compare the structure and function of a variety of 'natural' and human controlled ecosystems. Students will explore primary literature, will learn field and laboratory methods of analysis, and will propose, execute and analyze group research projects. Credit can be counted towards either biology or environmental studies majors. Prerequisites: BIOL 120, CHEM 101, 102, 103 or 151, and consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 24. Mr. Petersen 320. Gender, Nature & Culture 4 hours 4SS Second Semester. This interdisciplinary course draws upon a variety of materials and offers the opportunity to reflect critically upon how culture, gender and nature in Western society have been and continue to be shaped. The starting point will focus on ecosocial context, then students will explore the complex role of humans as dominant agents of biogenetic and ecosocial transformation. Students will immediately apply theory via academically-based community service (ABCS) projects. Recommended Preparation: Background in Women's Studies, African American Studies, Religion, Sociology or Environmental Studies. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Blissman 322. Energy and Society (Lecture only) 3 hours 2SS, 1NS First Semester. This course covers the environmental, social, and economic trade-offs of different energy sources (fossil fuels, renewables, nuclear) and some of the geopolitical issues involved in energy consumption across end-use sectors (e.g., transportation, industry, residential and commercial buildings, and agriculture) in the U.S. and internationally. Prerequisite: ENVS 101. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Janda 323. Energy and Society (Lecture and Laboratory) 4 hours 2SS, 2NS First Semester. Identical to ENVS 322 but with the addition of one laboratory per week. Laboratories will investigate the local energy infrastructure that surrounds and supports our daily life. Prerequisite: ENVS 101. Enrollment Limit: 14. Ms. Janda 324. Fundamentals of Building Performance (Lecture Only) 3 hours 1SS, 2NS Second Semester. An introduction to quantitative aspects of physical building performance and the fundamentals of building science. Issues include energy efficiency, solar geometry, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and occupant behavior, with an emphasis on ecologically responsible design. Prerequisites: One lab science course and ENVS 101. Ms. Janda 325. Fundamentals of Building Performance (Lecture and Lab) 4 hours 2SS, 2NS Second Semester. Identical to ENVS 324 but with the addition of one laboratory per week. Labs will stress field visits and on-site measurements in local residential, commercial, and educational buildings. Prerequisites: One lab science course and ENVS 101. Ms. Janda 331. Natural Resource Economics 3 hours 3SS, QPh Second Semester. Identical to ECON 331. Enrollment Limit: 20. Ms. Gaudin 340. Environmental Systems Modeling 3 hours 3NS Second Semester. Simulation models are powerful tools for organizing information, gaining insight into underlying dynamics, and predicting the behavior of complex systems. Students will design and construct models as a means of building understanding of a variety of environmental phenomena. Models developed will cover topics ranging from physiology to community dynamics to large-scale flows of material and energy. These examples will provide students with skills and a library of analogies that can be broadly applied to problems in the natural and social sciences. Credit can be counted towards either biology or environmental studies majors. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 16. Mr. Petersen 350. Practicum in Ecological Design of the Adam J. Lewis Center (Part I) 3 hours 2NS, 1SS First Semester. The Adam J. Lewis Center (AJLC) is designed to showcase the philosophy and application of the emerging field of ecological design. Students will gain general knowledge of the technologies and design philosophy embodied by the AJLC while developing hands-on expertise with a specific aspect of the building and landscape, such as food production, restoration ecology, water treatment, and solar architecture. Students will develop educational materials and a project proposal for Part II (see below) Prerequisites: ENVS 101, at least one laboratory course in the physical or life sciences, and consent of instructor. Note: Preference is given to sophomores and juniors. Enrollment Limit: 12. Mr. Benzing, Mr. Petersen, Ms. Janda 351. Practicum in Ecological Design of the Adam J. Lewis Center (Part II) 1-2 hours NS or SS depending on proposal Second Semester. This is a continuation of ENVS 350. Students will work with specific faculty sponsors to pursue projects proposed and accepted during Part I. This project will involve genuine research, i.e. the production of new information and/or new approaches to presenting this information. Research areas include: experiments on the garden or living machine, collection and analysis of data on building performance, and development of art work that augments the educational objectives of the center. Prerequisites: ENVS 350 and consent of instructor. Mr. Benzing, Mr. Petersen, Ms. Janda 401, 402. Honors 3-5 hours 3-5EX Consent of instructor required. 431. Seminar: Topics in Water Resource Economics 3 hours 3SS Second Semester. Identical to ECON 431. Enrollment Limit: 10. Ms. Gaudin 490. Introduction to the Black River Watershed 2 hours 2EX First Semester. This course will introduce students to our local watershed, the Black River, through a combination of lectures, field trips, and discussions. Topics covered will include local geology, ecology, natural and social history, and contemporary political and economic issues. Students will also be introduced to the principles of place-based, interdisciplinary watershed education designed to promote appreciation for environmental challenges among students in the local public schools. Each participating Oberlin College student will develop a lesson plan on a specific aspect of the watershed preparatory to testing their skills in a local classroom under the supervision of a public school teacher during the following semester. Notes: This course is required for enrollment in ENVS 491. Restricted to juniors and seniors. Preference given to Environmental Studies majors. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 24. Ms. Wolfe-Cragin 491. Practicum in Environmental Education 1-2 hours 1-2EX Second Semester. Students will apply what they learned in ENVS 490 by working intensively with a selected teacher in one of the local elementary, middle or secondary schools to develop curricula and special projects centered on the local watershed and the environmental challenges it faces. Students will continue to learn about the dynamics of the Black River Watershed as they gain first-hand teaching experience. The practicum will involve one classroom session per week in addition to one weekly discussion with other participants. Prerequisite: ENVS 490 or equivalent. If 490 and 491 are both taken only a total of three hours credit will be given. Note: CR/NE grading. Consent of instructor required. Enrollment Limit: 16. Discussion group format. Ms. Wolfe-Cragin Individual Projects 995. Private Reading 1-3 hours 1-3EX Consent of instructor required.
Art: Ms. Schuster Biology: Mr. Benzing, Ms. Garvin, Mr. Laushman Chemistry: Mr. Elrod, Ms. Hargett Economics: Ms. Gaudin English: Mr. Hobbs, Mr. McMillin Environmental Studies: Ms. Janda, Mr. Orr, Mr. Petersen, Ms. Wolfe-Cragin Geology: Mr. Hubbard, Ms. Parsons-Hubbard, Mr. Simonson History: Ms. Stroud Philosophy: Mr. Ganson Politics: Mr. Kahn, Ms. Sandberg, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Wilson Rhetoric and Composition: Ms. McMillin Russian: Mr. Newlin Sociology: Mr. Norris |
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