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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. The Environmental Studies Program is housed in the Adam Joseph Lewis Center which is an important example of an integrated building-landscape sustainable system and serves as a laboratory for students and faculty. 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 Office of 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. 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. Students must take an additional 12 credit hours in either Social Science or Arts and Humanities. No more than two of four courses 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. 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 faculty members. Qualified majors will be invited to apply during their junior year, with applications due April 15. 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. Work done through Private Reading does not count toward completion of the major. 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 (ECON) 231 Environmental Economics 331 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics 431 Seminar: Topics in Water Resource Economics Environmental Studies (ENVS) 101 Environment and Society 208 Environmental Policy 291 Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture 310 Ecological Design 320 Gender, Nature and Culture 322 Energy and Society 324 Fundamentals of Building Performance 350 Practicum in Ecological Design of the AJLC 360 Dynamics of Consumption History (HIST) 145 Water in American History 252 American Environmental History 338 Colloquium in U.S. Urban Environmental History Politics (POLT) 237 Environmental Political Theory Humanities Courses: Art (ARTS) 048 Visual Concepts and Processes: What's Natural Isn't Real 065 Problems in Painting: What Is Real Isn't Natural English (ENGL) 255 In Search of America: The Concept of Nature in Early American Writing 366 Nature and Transcendentalism Philosophy (PHIL) 225 Environmental Ethics Russian (RUSS) 329 Literature and the Land: Writing Nature in Russia and America Natural Science Courses: Biology (BIOL) 120 Genetics, Evolution and Ecology 205 Community Ecology 206 Population Ecology 218 Evolution 411 Seminar: Conservation Biology Chemistry (CHEM) 101 Structure and Reactivity 102 Chemical Principles 151 Chemistry and the Environment Environmental Studies (ENVS) 316 Systems Ecology 340 Environmental Systems Modeling 350 Practicum in Ecological Design of the AJLC Geology (GEOL) 115 Coral Reefs: Biology, Geology and Politics 120 Introduction to Earth Science 212 Earth Surface Processes 242 Groundwater Hydrogeology 330 Sedimentary Geology Physics (PHYS) 066 Energy Technology I 067 Energy Technology II Extra Divisional Courses: 490 Introduction to the Black River Watershed 491 Practicum in Environmental Education
3 hours 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. For description, please see "Economics" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 40. Staff 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, any one of the following: CHEM 101, 102, 103 or 151, and consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 20. Mr. Petersen 320. Gender, Nature and 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 3 hours 3SS First Semester. Energy issues are often characterized as problems we can "supply" our way out of by changing the resources we rely on. Less frequently, energy issues are treated as a problem of consumption. This course adopts a sociotechnical perspective, regarding energy as an issue shaped by both technical factors and social patterns. The first part of this course explores physical, political, and economic aspects of energy supply through the examination of different energy sources (biomass, fossil fuels, electricity, renewables, nuclear). The second part of the course addresses social and political aspects of energy consumption in the industrial, commercial, residential, and transportation sectors. Prerequisite: ENVS 101. Enrollment Limit: 25. Ms. Janda 324. Fundamentals of Building Performance 3 hours 3SS Second Semester. Buildings of various types have been constructed for thousands of years, but practice has not yet succeeded in making them perfect. Technical innovations in building design and good urban planning decisions—often bundled together as "green" design—can help resolve some of the material, performance, and health issues in the built environment. This course serves as an introduction to both quantitative and qualitative aspects of building performance, with a focus on ecological design. Topics covered include energy efficiency, daylighting, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, occupant behavior, worker productivity, sustainability, flexibility, and community development. Prerequisite: ENVS 101. Enrollment Limit: 25. Ms. Janda 331. Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics 3 hours 3SS, QPh Second Semester. Identical to ECON 331. For description, please see "Economics" in this catalog. Enrollment Limit: 20. Staff 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 biological and 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. Prerequisites: BIOL 120, comfort with math. Enrollment Limit: 16. Mr. Petersen 350. Practicum in Ecological Design of the Adam J. Lewis Center 3 hours 1.5NS, 1.5SS First Semester. In this course the Adam Joseph Lewis Center (AJLC) building and landscape serve as a case study to critically examine issues at the interface between the intent, theory and practice of ecological design. As primary assignments, students will develop educational materials that tell the story of the AJLC and/or execute research projects that evaluate specific features of the center. Prerequisites: ENVS 101, at least one laboratory course in the physical, life or social sciences, and consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 16. Mr. Benzing, Mr. Petersen, Ms. Janda 360. Dynamics of Consumption 3 hours 3SS First Semester. This course examines the (in)visibility of consumption with respect to energy use, material choices, and human behavior. Through hands-on exercises and computer simulations, students will gather quantitative and qualitative data in (a) their personal lives and (b) local buildings. Using these data, they will experiment with different forms of visualization, analysis, and presentation to explore the relationship between visibility, problem-solving, and change. Prerequisites: ENVS 101, any one of the following: ENVS 324, ENVS 310, PHYS 055, PHYS 066, PHYS 067, and consent of instructor. Enrollment Limit: 15. Ms. Janda 401, 402. Honors 3-5 hours 3-5EX Consent of instructor required. 431. Seminar: Topics in Water Resource Economics 3 hours 3SS Next offered 2005-2006. 490. Introduction to the Black River Watershed 2 hours 2EX First Semester. An interdisciplinary examination of the local Black River Watershed, through a combination of lectures, field trips, and discussions. Principles of place-based, interdisciplinary watershed education will be introduced, and students will work with a teacher in the local public schools. 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 schools to develop curricula centered on the local watershed. Students will continue to learn about the dynamics of the Black River Watershed as they gain first-hand teaching experience. Prerequisite: ENVS 490 or equivalent. Note: CR/NE or P/NP 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. Moore, 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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