proposal for an environmental studies minor -...

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Proposal for an Environmental Studies Minor Prepared by the 2014-15 ENST Working Group convened by Rice’s Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences (CENHS) Jim Blackburn, Civil and Environmental Engineering Dominic Boyer, Anthropology, Co-chair Richard Johnson, ACSEM, Co-chair Jeff Kripal, Religious Studies Elizabeth Long, Sociology Julia Morgan, Earth Sciences Timothy Morton, English Evan Siemann, Biosciences Neyran Turan, Architecture Background In 2002, Paul Harcombe (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) and Walter Isle (English) created and oversaw the first course listings in Environmental Studies (ENST) at Rice in their roles as co- founders of the Center for the Study of Environment and Society (CSES). From its inception, CSES reported to the Provost’s Office, which enabled a truly interdisciplinary approach to the ENST course listing. Over subsequent years, the ENST course offerings grew to include: (1) Courses funded directly by CSES, usually taught by adjunct lecturers; (2) Courses taught by Rice faculty or staff explicitly for ENST; and (3) Cross-listed courses originating from other departments and tagged with the ENST designation to draw the attention of students with environmental interests. In addition to these courses, CSES also developed a 67-semester-hour second major in Environmental Sciences, offered as a BA in Environmental Science. In an effort to create a coherent path of study for students interested in the environment, a group of CSES advisory committee members set out to create a minor in ENST in 2007. The intention for this minor, shaped in part by student feedback from CSES-sponsored ENST discussion forums as well as from the counsel of the CSES advisory committee, was to create a holistically oriented and broadly accessible program that by design represented the truly interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues. However, with the economic downturn of 2008, the subsequent departure from Rice of the CSES committee member leading the effort to create the minor, and the loss of key adjunct faculty and courses due to budget cuts, the effort to create a minor in ENST was put on hold. In 2010, shortly after the minor proposal was paused, an inventory revealed that Rice offered 73 courses either wholly focused on environmental and

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Proposal for an Environmental Studies Minor Prepared by the 2014-15 ENST Working Group convened by Rice’s Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences (CENHS) Jim Blackburn, Civil and Environmental Engineering Dominic Boyer, Anthropology, Co-chair Richard Johnson, ACSEM, Co-chair Jeff Kripal, Religious Studies Elizabeth Long, Sociology Julia Morgan, Earth Sciences Timothy Morton, English Evan Siemann, Biosciences Neyran Turan, Architecture

Background In 2002, Paul Harcombe (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology) and Walter Isle (English) created and oversaw the first course listings in Environmental Studies (ENST) at Rice in their roles as co-founders of the Center for the Study of Environment and Society (CSES). From its inception, CSES reported to the Provost’s Office, which enabled a truly interdisciplinary approach to the ENST course listing. Over subsequent years, the ENST course offerings grew to include: (1) Courses funded directly by CSES, usually taught by adjunct lecturers; (2) Courses taught by Rice faculty or staff explicitly for ENST; and (3) Cross-listed courses originating from other departments and tagged with the ENST designation to draw the attention of students with environmental interests. In addition to these courses, CSES also developed a 67-semester-hour second major in Environmental Sciences, offered as a BA in Environmental Science. In an effort to create a coherent path of study for students interested in the environment, a group of CSES advisory committee members set out to create a minor in ENST in 2007. The intention for this minor, shaped in part by student feedback from CSES-sponsored ENST discussion forums as well as from the counsel of the CSES advisory committee, was to create a holistically oriented and broadly accessible program that by design represented the truly interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues. However, with the economic downturn of 2008, the subsequent departure from Rice of the CSES committee member leading the effort to create the minor, and the loss of key adjunct faculty and courses due to budget cuts, the effort to create a minor in ENST was put on hold. In 2010, shortly after the minor proposal was paused, an inventory revealed that Rice offered 73 courses either wholly focused on environmental and

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sustainability-related issues (37) or containing a substantial environmental/sustainability component (36) across 16 departments. During the summer of 2014, CSES merged into Rice's new Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences (CENHS), the first research center founded within Rice’s cross-campus Energy and Environment Initiative (EEI). With the merger, CENHS inherited oversight over the ENST course listings and the second major in Environmental Science. Given the institutional transition, CENHS’s Faculty Steering Committee thought it a wise time to review Rice’s teaching offerings and learning experiences in the area of Environmental Studies, to look at what peer institutions are doing in this area, to listen to the perspectives of our colleagues and students, and to generate a proposal for strengthening the program. CENHS formed the ENST Working Group shortly after the CSES merger (including faculty representing the schools of Architecture, Engineering, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences) in order to conduct this review process. Members of the Working Group met with faculty, administrators and students to gather feedback on the strengths and the weaknesses of the current ENST course listings and degree program and to listen to recommendations for improvements. The Working Group organized a town hall meeting in October, which was attended by approximately twenty students, and created several survey questions for the Survey of all Students (see Appendix 1). CENHS staff meanwhile assembled an analysis of what eight peer institutions (Brown, Chicago, Dartmouth, Macalester, Middlebury, Princeton, Tufts, and Yale) are offering their students in the area of Environmental Studies (see Appendix 2).

Rationale for a new ENST minor From the comparative analysis and campus feedback process, the Working Group concluded that Rice is lagging behind peer institutions in terms of offering high quality learning experiences in Environmental Studies. Seven of our eight comparators currently offer majors in Environmental Studies and six of eight offer minors or certificate programs (see Appendix 2). Meanwhile, during the Town Hall meeting Rice students expressed frustration that despite the abundance of environmental/sustainability related courses being taught at Rice that most of the courses are very specialized (e.g., 300 level+). They pointed out that Rice lacks more introductory level courses in Environmental Studies that also fulfill distribution requirements. Students felt strongly that Rice could offer a major or minor “open to all” that would provide them a more structured and holistic understanding of pressing real-world issues like climate change, energy transition and environmental sustainability. The findings of the Town Hall meeting were echoed in the responses to the Survey of all Students. With 99% of Rice undergraduates responding, 1,851 (49%) supported the founding of a new interdisciplinary Environmental Studies major at Rice and 2,275 (61%) supported founding a new ENST minor. Even more strikingly, when asked whether they would have considered taking an interdisciplinary ENST major or minor had it been available to them when they enrolled at Rice, 757 answered “yes” or “maybe” in terms of a major and 1,457 answered “yes” or “maybe” in terms of a minor. Even if survey results must always be taken with a grain of salt, it seems clear that there would be substantial student interest in an ENST minor with a holistic interdisciplinary approach. At the same time, administrative vision and faculty interests are converging in the same area. Rice’s Energy and Environment Initiative is premised on the idea that all of the intellectual resources of a university need to be brought together in a substantial way in order to help address the energy and environmental challenges that face human civilization and the earth’s ecosystems. EEI’s primary research mission would be well complemented by a similarly cross-

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campus oriented teaching and outreach program that could leverage Rice and Houston’s prominence (particularly in the energy sector) to help establish Rice as go-to destination for frontline undergraduate research and learning experiences related to the energy-environment nexus. Meanwhile, we estimate that the number of courses related to environmental and sustainability issues has more than doubled over the past several years (Rice now offers 170 courses in this area across 38 academic departments; see Appendix 3), an important indicator of the rapidly broadening interest amongst both faculty and students in a relatively short time. Faculty interest is being drawn to environment and sustainability issues undoubtedly because these are among the most complex and important cultural, economic, political and technological problems facing nations across the world today. CENHS itself, which evolved out of a faculty initiative to explore the fields of energy and environmental humanities, is a testament to this trend. We thus feel that campus interest in teaching and research related to Environmental Studies is not only substantive but likely to grow for the foreseeable future.

Relation to existing degree programs at Rice Rice already offers degree programs related to energy, ecology and environmental issues but these are all housed in single Departments or Schools. Examples include the Energy & Water Sustainability Minor in CEVE or the Environmental Earth Science track of the ESCI B.S. These programs are excellent on their own terms but none are designed to provide a broad, holistic approach to Environmental Studies. Likewise, the Environmental Science B.A. currently administered by CENHS is only available as a second major and thus limited in its appeal especially to students not majoring in the natural sciences. The second major has only averaged 1.5 students/year since its inception for this reason while ENST majors at peer institutions typically average between 30 and 40 students/year. We thus see no danger of duplicating existing learning experiences. The Working Group welcomes the CUC’s feedback on the relationship of the proposed ENST minor to the Environmental Science second major and on the viability of the latter degree program going forward. It is our feeling that the current Environmental Science B.A. should remain in place until such a time as we are able to evaluate the impact of the new minor and, if it successful, to develop a proposal for a more holistic Environmental Studies B.A. program in two or three years time. However, we recognize that the current B.A. degree needs work to increase its positive contribution to the Rice undergraduate experience. We also recognize that since CENHS focuses primarily on research and teaching in the arts, humanities and social sciences, it is perhaps not the best administrative home for an Environmental Science degree. Working Group member Julia Morgan has thus offered to discuss with Earth Science whether ESCI would be interested in taking over administration of the current Environmental Science B.A. and developing it toward a more focused (in the natural sciences) but also less restrictive (as a second major) B.S. program, thus allowing CENHS to concentrate its energy on developing a complementary holistic Environmental Studies B.A. program in the future. We welcome further feedback from CUC on the appropriate course of action.

Minor structure and courses Based upon our review of the structure of similar programs at peer institutions, we propose that the ENST minor consist of six courses, two of which will be introductory overview courses, and four of which will be higher-level electives to be chosen from a list approved by the ENST Working Group, which will re-form as the ENST Faculty Advisory Board if this minor proposal is accepted. Of our six comparators offering ENST minors or certificates, all have structures similar

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to what we are proposing, e.g., five or six courses total broken down two to three core courses two to four electives. Introductory course sequence: Students will take ENST 101 “Environment, Culture and Society” and one of the following introductory courses from natural sciences: EBIO 124 “Introduction to Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,” ESCI 101 “Earth,” ESCI 107 “Oceans and Global Change,” or ESCI 109 “Oceanography.” ENST 101 is a new course that will be team taught by three faculty members representing (one each) the Schools of Architecture, Humanities and Social Sciences and will first be offered in Fall 2015. Each faculty member will teach a module focused on introducing students to what the methods and objectives of their disciplines bring to Environmental Studies. Professors Boyer, Morton and Turan from the Working Group have agreed to teach the Fall 2015 course but we expect that faculty will rotate periodically. Other Rice faculty who have already expressed interest in teaching a module of ENST 101 in the future include Joe Campana (English), James Elliott (Sociology), Gisela Heffes (Spanish and Portuguese), Cymene Howe (Anthropology), Albert Pope (Architecture) and Lisa Slappey (English). CENHS has agreed to provide research account enhancements in recognition of the fact that this is add-on teaching. Electives: Students will be required to take four elective courses with a substantial component devoted to environmental or sustainability issues to complete their minor. Two of these courses must come from the Schools of Architecture, Humanities and Social Sciences and two must come from the Schools of Engineering and Natural Sciences. With over 170 courses already being offered, we imagine that the approved list of electives will expand over time. For the moment, we have created an initial approved list as follows:

Schools of Architecture, Humanities, and Social Sciences (at least six semester hours from the following):

o ANTH 332/532 & ENST 332- THE SOCIAL LIFE OF CLEAN ENERGY- This

course considers the phenomenon of renewable energy, using a social scientific approach to analyze the various forces and interests involved in the development of renewable energy projects (such as hydropower, solar and wind) in both the global North and South.

o ARCH & ENST 313/613-CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - This course will explore sustainable design from initial sustainable facility concepts and team organizations, to enlisting community support and process assessment.

o ARCH & ENST 322/622-CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: THE REGENERATIVE REPOSITIONING OF NEW OR EXISTING RICE CAMPUS BUILDINGS - This course will explore application of high performance, sustainable design to specific Rice University campus and facility targets.

o ECON 437 & ENST 437 - Energy Economics – Discussion of key aspects in the supply and demand of energy. Topics include optimal extraction of depletable resources, transportation, storage, end-use and efficiency and the relationship between economic activity, energy, and the environment. Prerequisite(s): ECON 301 OR ECON 370

o ECON 461-URBAN ECONOMICS - Deals with the nature and development of urban areas. Various urban problems such as poverty, racial segregation and discrimination, and pollution and environmental quality are discussed. Prerequisite(s): ECON 301 OR ECON 370

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o ECON & ENST 480-ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS - The economic theories of externalities and common property resources are used to analyze how markets, legal institutions, regulations, taxes and subsidies, and voluntary activity can affect the supply of environmental amenities, such as clean air, clean water, and wilderness areas.

o ENGL 358-CONSUMPTION AND CONSUMERISM - An exploration of the history, philosophy and culture of eating, drinking, shopping and other forms of consuming.

o ENGL 459-TOPICS IN LITERATURE AND ECOLOGY - A special topics course that addresses literature and culture from 1750 to the present, with a view to understanding the new geological era that humans have created, and its ecological implications.

o FOTO 390 & ESCI 380-VISUALIZING NATURE – An experimental course combining the scientific disciplines of the earth sciences with the artistic disciplines of creative photography to study the natural landscape and related ecosystems. Instructor permission required.

o HART 302/568-FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE - This seminar considers theories and narratives of nature in the crafting of modern and contemporary art and architecture in the Americas.

o HIST 425-20TH CENTURY AMERICAN CONSERVATION MOVEMENT - Exploration of the American conservation movement from Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, Sierra Club founder John Muir, and Chief of the U.S. Forest Service Gifford Pinchot to naturalists John Burroughs and George Perkins Marsh- focusing on their work in context of current issues in global warming and wetlands restoration. Open to Juniors and Seniors. Open to others only with permission from the instructor.

o HUMA 202 & ENST 202 -CULTURE, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY HUMANITIES - This course draws upon new research across the arts, humanities and social sciences to help students better understand the cultural and social dimensions of our current patterns of energy use, their environmental impacts, and the possibility of new energy futures.

o SOCI 304 & ENST 302-ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: RICE INTO THE FUTURE - Students use the campus as a laboratory for learning about sustainability through group projects to reduce Rice's environmental impact or resolve environmental problem.

o SPAN 403-LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN LATIN AMERICA - This course aims to offer students a systematic contact with a representative sample of the literature and scholarship about the mutual relationships between human societies and their natural environments, particularly but not exclusively in Latin America. Taught in Spanish. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Advanced Spanish or permission from the instructor

Schools of Engineering and Natural Sciences (at least six semester hours from the following):

o CEVE & ENGI 302/502-SUSTAINABLE DESIGN - The objective of this course is

to develop skills in formulating and solving problems of societal development and advancement in light of increasing material, energy and water demands and decreasing resource availability.

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o CEVE & ENST & ESCI 307-ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT - This course explores the physical principles of energy use and its impacts on Earth's environment and climate. Prerequisite(s): MATH 101 OR (MATH 111 AND MATH 112) AND (PHYS 101 OR PHYS 111 OR PHYS 125 OR PHYS 141)

o CEVE 310 – PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING - This course covers principles of water quality engineering, air pollution control and solid and hazardous waste management. Prerequisite(s): CEVE 101 or permission of instructor, Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate

o CEVE & ENST 406-INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - Introduction to Environmental Law is intended to introduce the student to the methods used by the United States and the international community to regulate and/or allocate air, water and land resources.

o CHBE & ENST 281-ENGINEERING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES - Students will work in teams to develop sustainable solutions for energy or environmental problems affecting our Houston and Rice communities.

o EBIO 204-ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: THE DESIGN & PRACTICE OF COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE - The course introduces the fundamentals of community garden design and practice. Responsibilities will center on developing and improving the Rice Community Garden. Credits: 1, Repeatable for Credit

o EBIO 270 – ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT - This course will focus on applied ecosystem topics including relations with state and federal agencies, filed studies, wetland delineations, permitting compliance, and environmental regulations.

o EBIO 319 – TROPICAL FIELD BIOLOGY – Examines first-hand the two most diverse ecosystems on earth – the coral reef and the tropical rainforest in a 2-week summer course in the Central American country of Belize. Credits: 1, Instructor permission required.

o EBIO 320 – BRAZILIAN WETLAND ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION – This course consists of a 2-week trip to Brazil to examine first-hand the ecology of the largest wetland ecosystem on earth: the Pantanal. Credits: 2, Recommended Prerequisite: EBIO 213

o EBIO & ENST 323 – CONSERVATION BIOLOGY – The course is designed to give students a broad overview of conservation biology. Prerequisite(s): (BIOS 201 OR BIOC 201) AND (BIOS 202 OR EBIO 202) or permission of instructor.

o EBIO 325 – ECOLOGY – Study of population dynamics, species interactions, plant and animal community organization, and ecosystem function. Prerequisite(s): (BIOS 201 OR BIOC 201) AND (BIOS 202 OR EBIO 202) or permission of instructor

o EBIO 327 – BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY LAB – This laboratory course in field ecology focuses on the theory and practice of estimating biodiversity. Prerequisite(s): (BIOS 201 OR BIOC 201) AND (BIOS 202 OR EBIO 202) AND (BIOS 213 OR EBIO 213)

o EBIO 372 – CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS – The course explores the biotic and abiotic components of coral reefs; how reef organisms interact with each other and the environment, and the factors that contribute to reef construction and decline over time and space. Prerequisite(s): EBIO 202 or BIOS 202.

o EBIO & ENST & LPCR 379 – INTRO TO AQUATIC ECOLOGY WITH SCUBA –Students will learn the fundamentals of aquatic ecosystems, become PADI-

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certified in the basics of SCUBA, and conduct lab exercises that involve SCUBA-based fieldwork in a nationally recognized freshwater dive site. Credits: 1 or 2, Recommended Prerequisite(s): EBIO 213

o ELEC 365 & MSNE 365 – NANOMATERIALS FOR ENERGY – This course will introduce students to the fundamental science of nanomaterials.

o ESCI 321-EARTH SYSTEM EVOLUTION AND CYCLES – This course introduces the systems and processes that shape Earth's surface including weathering, sediment transport, ocean and atmosphere circulation, accumulation of sedimentary material and organisms, including man. Credits: 4, Prerequisite(s): ESCI 301

o ESCI 340 & EBIO 340 & ENST 340-GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES – This course introduces students to the coupled nature of the biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere using as focal points elemental cycles such as those of carbon and nitrogen. Cross-list: EBIO 340, ENST 340.

o ESCI 380 & FOTO 390 VISUALIZING NATURE – An experimental course combining the scientific disciplines of the earth sciences with the artistic disciplines of creative photography to study the natural landscape and related ecosystems. Instructor permission required. Instructor permission required.

o ESCI 407-INTRODUCTION TO BIOGEOCHEMISTRY II – The interaction between (micro) organisms, minerals, rocks, and aqueous solutions is an important new field of research that requires an interdisciplinary approach between (micro) biology, organic chemistry, and geochemistry. Instructor permission required.

o ESCI 424-EARTH SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT – Interrelations between humans and the geologic environment; this course explores theories and problems of chemical hazards in the environment; topics, e.g., groundwater pollution, soils, CO2 - sequestration, waste deposits.

o ESCI 425 & CHEM 425 & ENST 425-ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY – This course covers the organic geochemistry of the natural environment. Topics include: production, transport, decomposition, and storage of organic matter in the marine and terrestrial environments, use of isotopes to track biogeochemical processes and natural and perturbed carbon cycle issues, including past and recent climate shifts.

o ESCI 450-REMOTE SENSING – Introduction to data display, statistical methods, system simulation, and geostatistics for environmental scientists. The course will emphasize the application of these techniques to real and simulated environmental problems.

o ESCI 452-GIS FOR GEOSCIENTISTS – Basic principles of Geographic Information Systems, with a focus on effectively applying the technology to the geosciences. Main platform of the class will be ESRI's ArcGIS, but a wide array of other tools will also be introduced. Pre-requisite(s): (ESCI 321 OR ESCI 322 OR ESCI 323 OR ESCI 324) AND (ESCI 321 OR ESCI 322 OR ESCI 323 OR ESCI 324)

Administration and assessment The ENST minor will be overseen by the ENST Faculty Advisory Board and administrative work will be handled by CENHS. CENHS administrative personnel currently consists of a faculty Director (appointed by the Provost for five years) and a .5 FTE administrative coordinator. The Faculty Advisory Board will select a Chair each academic year to serve as the point person on issues of staffing, course development and student queries concerning the eligibility of electives.

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CENHS has requested an additional .5 FTE from the central administration to cover additional administrative labor and preliminary budgetary discussions for FY 2016 lead us to believe that this request will be granted. Otherwise, the minor can be organized with existing resources and promoted by CENHS and EEI on social media and through the Internet. In coordination with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Working Group has also developed an Environmental Studies Minor Assessment Plan, which has been approved by John Cornwell. The Faculty Advisory Board will assess the success and effectiveness of the program based on three program learning outcomes (PLOs):

PLO 1 – Scientific Environmental Literacy: Students will understand the fundamental science that drives earth/natural systems, and that frames and makes comprehensible current environmental issues.

PLO 2 – Social and Cultural Environmental Literacy: Students will evaluate the nexus of human activity with environmental processes to examine and understand sustainable (or unsustainable) practices.

PLO 3 – Cross-Disciplinary Perspective: Students will develop a cross-disciplinary perspective to better understand environmental issues and solutions through a focus within the natural sciences and/or engineering and a focus within the humanities, social sciences, and/or architecture.

The measurable goals, competencies that are expected of the students, the ways that the students are assessed, and the associated courses for each PLO are presented in Appendix 4. Further, the Curriculum Map, containing survey results from faculty whose classes are approved for inclusion in the minor as either requirements or electives, is presented in Appendix 5. The plan and process that the Faculty Advisory Board will use to assess the success and effectiveness of the program in achieving the PLOs is described in the Environmental Studies Minor Assessment Plan (see Appendix 6).

Faculty participation We anticipate that the following faculty and lecturers will teach courses that will contribute to the ENST minor. Given the large number of courses currently offered, this list is necessarily partial:

Bill Arnold (Jones) Andrea Ballestero (Anthropology) Jim Blackburn (CEVE) Dominic Boyer (Anthropology) Gwen Bradford (Philosophy) Joe Campana (English) Daniel Cohan (CEVE) Gerald Dickens (Earth Science) André Droxler (Earth Science) Leonardo Dueñas-Osorio (CEVE) Amy Dunham (Biosciences) Fares el-Dahdah (HRC/Architecture)

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James Elliott (Sociology) Michael Emerson (Sociology) Randal Hall (History) Peter Hartley (Economics) Gisela Heffes (Spanish and Portuguese) Chris Hight (Architecture) Cymene Howe (Anthropology) Cassidy Johnson (Biosciences) Richard Johnson (Sociology/CHBE) Jeff Kripal (Religious Studies) Cin-Ty Lee (Earth Science) Caroline Levander (English) Elizabeth Long (Sociology) Caroline Masiello (Earth Science/Chemistry) Ken Medlock (Economics/Baker) Julia Morgan (Earth Science) Tim Morton (English) Jeffrey Nittrouer (Earth Science) Joseph Novak (Biosciences) Albert Pope (Architecture) Alexander Regier (English) Ronald Sass (Biosciences) Evan Siemann (Biosciences) Adrienne M. Simoes Correa (Biosciences) Rives Taylor (Architecture) Neyran Turan (Architecture) Jack Zammito (History) Kyriacos Zygourakis (CHBE)

Future plans Preliminary discussion among faculty suggests there is interest in developing cross-campus team-taught courses on topics like “Climate” and “Cities.” We think the ENST minor would be an excellent context within which to develop such courses. We have also had preliminary, positive discussions with the Department of Earth Science as to whether it would make sense for them to absorb the current Environmental Science second major B.A. program. This would create the opportunity of developing a more holistically oriented ENST major program over the next few years.

Appendix 1 (separate document) Full results of the Survey of All Students Questions Appendix 2 (separate document) Results of comparative analysis of peer institutions’ Environmental Studies degree programs Appendix 3 (separate document)

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Full list of environment and sustainability–related courses at Rice, prepared by the Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management (ACSEM)

Appendix 4: Program Learning Outcomes Following are the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for assessing the Environmental Studies minor. Included are the measurable goals, the competencies that we expect of our students, the ways in which our students are assessed, and the associated courses for each PLO.

Program Learning Outcome Measurable Goal Student Competencies Specific to Goal Ways to Assess Effectiveness Courses for Evaluation

PLO 1 - Scientific

Environmental Literacy:

Students will understand the

fundamental science that

drives earth/natural systems,

and that frames and makes

comprehensible current

environmental issues

Goal: Complete the

introductory natural

science requirement for

the environmental studies

minor

Students will demonstrate a working

knowledge of basic concepts and facts in the

field of earth science and/or ecology,

evolutionary biology, and conservation

biology; students will be introduced to

some key environmental issues; students

will demonstrate the ability to apply critical

thinking and problem solving skills to

evaluate scientific research; and students

will demonstrate an understanding of the

scientific method

quizzes, tests, in-class

projects (varies by course)

Natural sciences introductory

requirement: EBIO 124, ESCI

101, ESCI 107, or ESCI 109

PLO 2 - Social and Cultural

Environmental Literacy:

Students will evaluate the

nexus of human activity with

environmental processes to

examine and understand

sustainable (or unsustainable)

practices

Goal: Complete the

introductory humanities

and social science

requirement for the

environmental studies

minor

Students will learn to utilize terms,

theories, and concepts from the humanites,

social sciences, arts, and architecture and

apply them to environmental issues; and

students will demonstrate the ability to

apply critical thinking and develop long-

form cohesive arguments and articulate

insights related to the interrelations

between social and environmental systems

essays, papersENST 101 "Environment,

Culture, and Society"

PLO 3 - Cross-Disciplinary

Perspective:

Students will develop a cross-

disciplinary perspective to

better understand

environmental issues and

solutions through a focus

within the natural sciences

and/or engineering and a

focus within the humanities,

social sciences, and/or

architecture

Goal: Complete two

approved courses within

the natural sciences and/or

engineering, and two

approved courses within

the humanities, social

sciences, and/or

architecture

Specific competencies will vary based on

selected courses; however, in aggregate

students will demonsrate the ability to

approach environmental issues from a

holistic perspective, synthesizing

frameworks, tools, and perspectives from

multiple disciplines; students will master

sustainability terminology; students will

understand major environmental issues

from multiple perspectives; students will be

able to develop and assess environmental

solutions in an informed and logical

manner; and students will be able to convey

their knowledge and insights about

environmental issues in multiple formats

(written, verbal, etc.)

quizzes, tests, projects,

presentations, papers,

designs, lab modules,

problem sets, etc. (varies by

course)

All approved elective courses

for the environmental studies

minor

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Appendix 5 Environmental Studies Minor Curriculum Map Following is the Curriculum Map generated by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness based on the results of their survey of instructors whose courses appear within the Environmental Studies minor. Please note: There is no longer a PLO 4: this is simply shown because it was part of the original survey.

Course Instructor PLO 1 - Scientific Environmental Literacy: Students will understand the fundamental science that drives earth/natural systems, and that frames and makes comprehensible current environmental issues

PLO 2 - Social and Cultural Environmental Literacy: Students will evaluate the nexus of human activity with environmental processes to examine and understand sustainable (or unsustainable) practices

PLO 3 - Cross-Disciplinary Perspective: Students will develop a cross-disciplinary perspective to better understand environmental issues and solutions

PLO 4 - Minor-Level Competency: Students demonstrate in-depth knowledge and skills commensurate with a cohesive six-course minor

ANTH 332/532 & ENST 332 THE SOCIAL LIFE OF CLEAN ENERGY

Alyssa Howe Introduced Advanced Advanced Advanced

ARCH & ENST 313/613 CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Rives Taylor Introduced Reinforced Reinforced NA

ARCH & ENST 322/622 CASE STUDIES IN SUSTAINABILITY: THE REGENERATIVE REPOSITIONING OF NEW OR EXISTING RICE CAMPUS BUILDINGS

Rives Taylor Reinforced Reinforced Reinforced NA

CEVE & ENGI 302/502 SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

James Blackburn Advanced Advanced Advanced Advanced

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CEVE & ENST & ESCI 307 ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT - Prerequisite(s): MATH 101 OR (MATH 111 AND MATH 112) AND (PHYS 101 OR PHYS 111 OR PHYS 125 OR PHYS 141)

Daniel Cohan Advanced Reinforced Advanced Advanced

CEVE & ENST 406 INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

James Blackburn Reinforced Advanced Advanced Advanced

CEVE 310 PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING - Prerequisite(s): CEVE 101 or permission of instructor, Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate

Pedro Alvarez Advanced NA NA NA

CHBE & ENST 281 ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Richard Johnson Reinforced Introduced Advanced Reinforced

CHBE & ENST 281 ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Kyriacos Zygourakis

Advanced Advanced Reinforced Advanced

EBIO & ENST & LPCR 379 INTRO TO AQUATIC ECOLOGY WITH SCUBA- Credits: 1 or 2, Recommended Prerequisite(s): EBIO 213

Adrienne Simoes Correa

Advanced Reinforced Introduced Advanced

EBIO & ENST 323 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY - Prerequisite(s): (BIOS 201 OR BIOC 201) AND (BIOS 202 OR EBIO 202) or permission of instructor

Haldre Rogers Advanced Advanced Reinforced Advanced

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EBIO & ENST 323 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY - Prerequisite(s): (BIOS 201 OR BIOC 201) AND (BIOS 202 OR EBIO 202) or permission of instructor

Amy Dunham Advanced Introduced Reinforced Advanced

EBIO 124 INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY

Adrienne Simoes Correa

Introduced Introduced Introduced Reinforced

EBIO 204 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: THE DESIGN & PRACTICE OF COMMUNITY AGRICULTURE – Credits: 1, Repeatable for Credit

EBIO 270 ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Haldre Rogers Reinforced Advanced Advanced Reinforced

EBIO 319 TROPICAL FIELD BIOLOGY- Credits: 1, Instructor permission required

Adrienne Simoes Correa

Advanced Advanced Introduced Advanced

EBIO 320 BRAZILIAN WETLAND ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION – Credits: 2, Recommended Prerequisite: EBIO 213

EBIO 327 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY LAB- Prerequisite(s): (BIOS 201 OR BIOC 201) AND (BIOS 202 OR EBIO 202) AND (BIOS 213 OR EBIO 213)

Adrienne Simoes Correa

Advanced Reinforced NA Reinforced

ECON & ENST 437 ENERGY ECONOMICS - Prerequisite(s): ECON 301 OR ECON 370

14

ECON & ENST 480 ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS - Prerequisite(s): ECON 301 OR ECON 370

Peter Hartley Reinforced Advanced Reinforced Advanced

ECON 461 URBAN ECONOMICS - Prerequisite(s): ECON 301 OR ECON 370

ELEC 365 & MSNE 365 NANOMATERIALS FOR ENERGY

Isabell Thomann NA Introduced Advanced NA

ENGL 358 CONSUMPTION AND CONSUMERISM

Timothy Morton NA NA Reinforced Reinforced

ENGL 459 TOPICS IN LITERATURE AND ECOLOGY

Timothy Morton NA NA Advanced Advanced

ENST 101 Environment, Culture and Society

ESCI 101 Earth

ESCI 107 Oceans and Global Change

ESCI 109 Oceanography

ESCI 321 EARTH SYSTEM EVOLUTION AND CYCLES – Credits: 4, Prerequisite(s): ESCI 301

Jim Anderson Reinforced NA Introduced Reinforced

ESCI 340 & EBIO 340 & ENST 340 GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

ESCI 380 & FOTO 390 VISUALIZING NATURE- Instructor permission required

ESCI 407 INTRODUCTION TO BIOGEOCHEMISTRY II - Instructor permission required

ESCI 424 EARTH SCIENCE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

15

ESCI 425 & CHEM 425 & ENST 425 ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY

ESCI 450 REMOTE SENSING

ESCI 452 GIS FOR GEOSCIENTISTS - Pre-requisite(s): (ESCI 321 OR ESCI 322 OR ESCI 323 OR ESCI 324) AND (ESCI 321 OR ESCI 322 OR ESCI 323 OR ESCI 324)

FOTO 390 & ESCI 380 VISUALIZING NATURE- Instructor permission required

HART 302/568 FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE SUSTAINABLE: ART, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE

HIST 425 20TH CENTURY AMERICAN CONSERVATION MOVEMENT- Open to Juniors and Seniors. Open to others only with permission from the instructor.

HUMA 202 & ENST 202 CULTURE, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENERGY HUMANITIES

SOCI 304 & ENST 302 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: RICE INTO THE FUTURE

Richard Johnson Introduced Introduced Advanced Reinforced

16

SPAN 403 LITERATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN LATIN AMERICA- Recommended Prerequisite(s): Advanced Spanish or permission from the instructor

Gisela Heffs NA Reinforced Advanced Reinforced

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Appendix 6 Environmental Studies Minor Assessment Plan To verify the effectiveness of personal learning outcomes (PLOs) 1-3 for the ENST minor, the

Environmental Studies Faculty Advisory Board will use the following process:

Year 1: Prior to the start of the academic year, the ENST Faculty Advisory Board will share a rubric

(see Year 1 Rubric 1) with the faculty of the foundational course ENST 101 “Environment, Culture,

and Society” to ensure that the competencies specific to social and cultural environmental literacy

(PLO 2) are embedded within the design of the course. Given that the faculty members for ENST 101

are also members of the Faculty Advisory Board, we anticipate this process to run smoothly.

After completion of the first full academic year of the minor, the Faculty Advisory Board will review

the effectiveness of the foundational course ENST 101 “Environment, Culture, and Society” by

sampling submitted student final papers using a rubric as a guide (see Year 1 Rubric 2) to determine

whether students are demonstrating the competencies specific to social and cultural environmental

literacy (PLO 2). If the Faculty Advisory Board determines that the competencies are not being met,

they will adjust the content of the foundational course accordingly.

Year 2: Prior to the start of the academic year, the Faculty Advisory Board will share a rubric (see

Year 2 Rubric 1) with the faculty of the foundational courses available to fill the natural sciences

foundational requirement to ensure that the competencies specific to scientific environmental

literacy (PLO 1) are embedded within the design of the courses.

After completion of the second full academic year of the minor, the Faculty Advisory Board will

review the effectiveness of each of the four courses that meet the natural sciences foundational

requirement by sampling final work (exams, projects, and papers as applicable, as it may vary per

class) with a rubric (see Year 2 Rubric 2) to determine whether students are demonstrating the

competencies specific to scientific environmental literacy (PLO 1). If the Faculty Advisory Board

determines that the competencies are not being met in any of the natural sciences foundational

courses, they will work with the faculty member leading the course in question to adjust the content

accordingly, or take other corrective action as necessary to ensure that the learning outcome is met.

Year 3: At the beginning of the third full academic year of the minor, the Faculty Advisory Board will

review minor student enrollment in elective courses and identify the three most commonly

completed elective courses within each of the natural sciences/engineering track and the

humanities/social sciences/architecture track. The Faculty Advisory Board will then develop an

evaluation rubric to share with faculty to ensure that the competencies specific to developing a

cross-disciplinary perspective (PLO 3) are embedded within the design of the courses. Then, the

Faculty Advisory Board will work with the faculty who lead those courses to obtain a sampling of

student work at the end of the academic year, and will use the same rubric to evaluate whether

students are indeed demonstrating competencies specific to developing a cross-disciplinary

perspective (PLO 3). If the Faculty Advisory Board determines that the competencies are not being

met within any of the electives on the approved list, they will work with the faculty member leading

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the course in question to adjust the content accordingly, or take other corrective action as necessary

to ensure that the learning outcome is met.

Year 4: Repeat process.

Rice University Environmental Studies (ENST) Faculty Advisory Board

ENST Minor PLO2 – Social and Cultural Environmental Literacy Year 1, Rubric 1

Course Number and Title: ENST 101: “Environment, Culture, and Society” Instructor(s): Semester and Year: Using a 4-point scale please rate your expectation that students in this course will be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills. A zero indicates that students are not expected to demonstrate this knowledge and/or skill, and a three indicates that this knowledge and/or skill is a central component of the course. Please return completed form to Dominic Boyer, Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences, [email protected]. Through some form of oral or written communication, students who complete this course will demonstrate that they can:

Theory

Utilize terms, theories, and concepts from the humanities, social sciences, arts, and architecture and apply them to environmental issues.

0 1 2 3

Communication

Apply critical thinking and develop long-form cohesive arguments and articulate insights related to the interrelation between social and environmental systems.

0 1 2 3

19

Rice University Environmental Studies (ENST) Faculty Advisory Board

ENST Minor PLO2 – Social and Cultural Environmental Literacy Year 1, Rubric 2

Course Number and Title: ENST 101: “Environment, Culture, and Society” Instructor(s): Semester and Year: Using a 4-point scale, please rate whether based on a review of the sample materials the students in this course demonstrated the following knowledge and skills. A zero indicates that students did not demonstrate this knowledge and/or skill, and a three indicates that this knowledge and/or skill was clearly demonstrated. Please return completed form to Dominic Boyer, Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences, [email protected]. Through a review of a sampling of final papers, did students who completed this course demonstrate the ability to:

Theory

Utilize terms, theories, and concepts from the humanities, social sciences, arts, and architecture and apply them to environmental issues.

0 1 2 3

Communication

Apply critical thinking and develop long-form cohesive arguments and articulate insights related to the interrelation between social and environmental systems.

0 1 2 3

20

Rice University Environmental Studies (ENST) Faculty Advisory Board ENST Minor PLO1 – Scientific Environmental Literacy

Year 2, Rubric 1 Course Number and Title: Instructor(s): Semester and Year: Using a 4-point scale please rate your expectation that students in this course will be able to demonstrate the following knowledge and skills. A zero indicates that students are not expected to demonstrate this knowledge and/or skill, and a three indicates that this knowledge and/or skill is a central component of the course. Please return completed form to Dominic Boyer, Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences, [email protected]. Through tests, problem sets, and papers as applicable, students who complete this course will:

Demonstrate a working knowledge of basic concepts and facts in the field of earth science and/or ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology.

0 1 2 3

Demonstrate an introductory understanding of some key environmental issues.

0 1 2 3

Demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to evaluate scientific research

0 1 2 3

Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific method.

0 1 2 3

21

Rice University Environmental Studies (ENST) Faculty Advisory Board ENST Minor PLO1 – Scientific Environmental Literacy

Year 2, Rubric 2 Course Number and Title: Instructor(s): Semester and Year: Using a 4-point scale please rate whether based on a review of the sample materials the students in this course demonstrated the following knowledge and skills. A zero indicates that students did not demonstrate this knowledge and/or skill, and a three indicates that this knowledge and/or skill was clearly demonstrated. Please return completed form to Dominic Boyer, Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences, [email protected]. Through tests, problem sets, and papers as applicable, students who completed this course:

Demonstrated a working knowledge of basic concepts and facts in the field of earth science and/or ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology.

0 1 2 3

Demonstrated an introductory understanding of some key environmental issues.

0 1 2 3

Demonstrated the ability to apply critical thinking and problem solving skills to evaluate scientific research

0 1 2 3

Demonstrated an understanding of the scientific method.

0 1 2 3