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Course Catalog 2009-2010 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Environmental Studies
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 Return to: College of Arts and Sciences
John E. Petersen, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies; Program Director
Beth Blissman, Lecturer in Environmental Studies
Janet Fiskio, Instructor in Environmental Studies
Brad Masi, Lecturer in Environmental Studies
Carl McDaniel, Visiting Professor of Environmental Studies
David W. Orr, Paul Sears Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics
Md Rumi Shammin, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
Jordan Suter, Assistant Professor, Economics & Environmental Studies
Cheryl Wolfe-Cragin, Lecturer in Environmental Studies
The Environmental Studies (ES) Program provides an interdisciplinary approach to the study of human interactions with the environment. The goal of the major is to equip students with the knowledge, intellectual tools and learning experiences that are necessary to understand the causes and consequences of our environmental challenges. The Program seeks to develop in students the creative problem solving skills necessary to design and develop a more sustainable relationship between humans and the rest of the natural world. Core courses in the program build a foundation in natural and social sciences and the humanities; these provide the lateral rigor necessary to understand and analyze issues from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Students then select from a broad range of intermediate and advanced courses to develop a focused course of study. Many ES majors augment their experience at Oberlin by participating in study away programs and summer internships. The ES major at Oberlin prepares students for graduate work and careers in a broad range of professional and academic careers. The Adam Joseph Lewis Center, which houses Oberlin’s ES Program, is an internationally recognized facility that is designed to showcase environmentally responsible architecture, and to serve as an integrated component of the curriculum.
Because careful course selection is necessary to achieve appropriate depth and breadth, students are urged to consult as early as possible with members of the Environmental Studies Program Committee (a list of current members is available in the Environmental Studies Program office). Students should examine course prerequisites and plan accordingly. Descriptions of new program courses may be found in PRESTO, the Oberlin College on-line course catalog. Those interested in the major are encouraged to begin the social science component of the major with ENVS 101 during their freshman year and to complete core introductory science requirements during their first two years. Students seeking majors or minors in Environmental Studies must earn minimum grades of C- (or CR or P, as may be appropriate) for all courses that apply to the program.
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Advanced Placement
Students who earn scores of 4 or 5 on the AP Environmental Sciences exam will earn four hours of college credit in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, but this credit does not exempt them from the ENVS101 requirement, nor does it count as natural science credit towards the ES major. Under certain circumstances, AP courses in Biology, Chemistry and Economics may substitute for introductory courses in these departments, in which case these courses also count towards BIO 102 (formerly 120), CHEM101 or ECON101 required and elective courses in ES (see Biology, Chemistry, Economics departments for further explanation of policies.)
Declaring the Environmental Studies Major
Oberlin students must declare a major by the end of their sophomore year. If Environmental Studies is a second major, it may be declared by the end of the student’s junior year. Students interested in declaring an ES major should proceed according to the following sequence:
1. Obtain and review the “Checklist of ENVS Major Requirements” available in the Environmental Studies Program Office and review the requirements described there.
2. Consult with and select a faculty advisor who is a member of the Environmental Studies Program Committee. A list of currently eligible advisors is available in the Program Office.
3. In consultation with your advisor, complete the Registrar’s Declaration of Major form along with the “Checklist of ENVS Major Requirements”.
4. Submit these forms, signed by advisor, to the Program Office. These documents, when approved by the Program Director, constitute an agreement between the student and the Environmental Studies Program as to the content of a student’s major. Students should consult with their advisor for approval before modifying their planned course of study to ensure that requirements are fulfilled and that a focus within the major is pursued and obtained. Major
The major consists of a minimum of 15 hours of coursework in the Natural Sciences, six courses totaling at least 18 hours in the Social Sciences and Humanities, and a program-approved research methods 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. No more than 9 upper level credit hours may be transferred. 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.)
At least 6 upper level credits must be taken from courses taught by core faculty in the Environmental Studies Program (courses designated with an ENVS prefix) and at least 6 credits from the list of approved major courses that are offered by non-core faculty (non ENVS prefix). Certain courses previously offered can also be counted towards the Environmental Studies major.
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. Environmental Studies 101 (Environment and Society) is required of all majors and should be taken during a student’s first or second year. Majors must also take either ENVS 208 or ECON 231. 12 additional credit hours in either Social Science or Arts and Humanities must be taken. At least one Humanities course is highly recommended. ENVS 490 and ENVS 491 combined count for three hours.
Natural Sciences Requirements
Majors must take at least 15 hours of coursework in the Natural Sciences. Biology 102 (formerly 120), Geology 120 and either Chemistry 101, 102, 103 or 051 (formerly 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 research methods selected from the following: Chemistry 211, Mathematics 100, 113, or 114, Sociology 211 or Psychology 200 (N.B: of these courses, only Chemistry can also be counted as part of the 15 hours in natural science).
Minor
A student interested in a focused, but less extensive, study of the environment may pursue a minor in Environmental Studies by submitting a one-page rationale to the program director along with a complete “Declare Initial Minor” form obtained from the registrar. An applicant’s rationale statement should explain the goals that s/he hopes to achieve by pursuing the minor and should describe how courses taken and planned provide a cohesive focus that contributes to fulfilling these goals. A minor must include a minimum of 15 hours in at least five Environmental Studies courses from the “Checklist of ENVS Major Requirements”. These must include two or more components of work at the non-introductory level and at least seven hours of work in the natural sciences and at least seven in social sciences and/or humanities. At least ten of these credit hours must be taken at Oberlin.
General
In addition to coursework, the following opportunities are available to students interested in Environmental Studies related experiences.
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, agriculture, 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.
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 Chair of the Environmental Studies Program Committee for approval by the Committee. Environmental Studies:Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science Courses
The following is a list of regularly scheduled courses that can count toward the Environmental Studies Major.
Environmental Studies (ENVS)
History (HIST)
• HIST 181 - Animals in History -3SS
Psychology (PSYC)
• PSYC 440 – Seminar in Environmental Psychology Enviromental Studies (ENVS)
Biology (BIOL)
BIOL 102 plus any additional upper level course that counts towards the Biology major. Chemistry (CHEM)
Any additional upper level course that counts towards the Chemistry major. Environmental Studies (ENVS)
Geology (GEOL)
GEOL 111, 115 and 120 plus any upper level course that counts towards the Geology major. Physics (PHYS)
Any upper level course that counts towards the Physics major. Private Readings and Research
Members of the Environmental Studies Program Committee can sponsor interested students who wish to pursue private readings and research projects for academic credit. Research is typically undertaken after advanced coursework and focuses on posing and answering questions for which answers are not yet known. In contrast, private readings provide an opportunity for students to explore topics that are not covered within the existing curriculum. The honors research program is described in a separate document available in the Environmental Studies Program Office. Students engaged in the honors program enroll in research for both semesters during their senior year. For students who complete honors research, a maximum of three credits can be counted towards major requirements. Private readings and research that are not associated with an honors project are not counted as fulfilling ES major requirements.
Resource Faculty
Members of the Oberlin faculty in a variety of disciplines serve as resources for ES majors. Some are core faculty within the ES program. Others may teach courses in the program or have expertise in areas that are related to the environment. In the list that follows, faculty marked with an asterisk serve on the Environmental Studies Program Committee and are available to serve as advisors for ES majors in the 2009-10 year.
Anthropology: Jack Glazier
Art: Sarah Schuster, Nanette Yannuzzi-Macias
Biology: Mary Garvin*, Roger Laushman*
Chemistry: Matthew Elrod*
English: John Hobbs, Scott McMillin*
Environmental Studies: Ben Wisner
Geology: Dennis Hubbard*, Karla Parsons-Hubbard, Bruce Simonson
History: Michael Fisher
Math: Robert Bosch
Philosophy: Todd Ganson, Timothy Hall
Physics: John Scofield
Politics: Ben Schiff, Harlan Wilson*
Psychology: Cindy Frantz*, Stephan Mayer
Rhetoric and Composition: Laurie McMillin
Russian: Thomas Newlin*
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