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Colby College 2012-2013 Course Catalogue
Catalogue ArchivesCourses of Study
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIESThe Environmental Studies Program at Colby recently celebrated its 41st anniversary. The program has received national recognition for developing an innovative, project-based curriculum and for challenging students to engage hands-on with environmental issues at Colby, in Maine, and around the world. From understanding the impacts of climate change to preventing biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of natural resources, environmental challenges are a national and international priority. Our students and faculty are active locally, nationally, and internationally in studying and helping to solve these challenges. The program encourages and supports student environmental initiatives and activism. Colby was one of the first colleges in the nation to use 100-percent renewable-source electricity, recently opened a biomass boiler facility that will reduce fossil fuel use for heating and hot water by roughly 90 percent, and is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2015. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Maine, and other organizations have recognized Colby for its commitment to environmental academics and sustainability. Recent examples of student-led environmental initiatives include establishing an organic garden, organizing activities to reduce carbon emissions on campus, developing a climate change action plan in the local community, raising awareness about the dangers of using hazardous chemicals in personal care products and children’s toys at the state and federal levels, and reducing bottled water use on campus. A strategic partnership between Colby and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has expanded educational and research opportunities in marine sciences for students. The partnership includes an expansion of the program’s marine sciences curriculum, including Jan Plan courses taught by Bigelow research scientists, an increase in student research opportunities, a semester-long in-residence study at Bigelow beginning fall 2012, and curricular innovations that combine scientific research with economic and social policy analysis. The Environmental Studies Program offers interdisciplinary majors in environmental policy, in environmental science, and in environmental studies-interdisciplinary computation as well as a minor that can be elected by majors in any discipline. Each major provides a broad-based course of study and prepares graduates to understand and to address the many complex environmental challenges facing society. Our science and policy curriculum benefits from our Maine location, including access to diverse natural areas and unique access to government, nonprofit, and business institutions. Our graduates are prepared to take leadership positions in businesses, nonprofits, consulting firms, educational institutions, and government agencies. Many of our graduates complete postgraduate work in environmental sciences/studies, ecology, urban/rural planning, natural resource conservation and management, law, environmental and public policy, and other related areas. A student may elect only one of the majors offered by the Environmental Studies Program. Students with a major in biology, geology, or global studies considering a minor in environmental studies should consider electing a double major in biology and environmental studies, geology and environmental studies, or global studies and environmental studies because of the overlap in required courses. Interested students should discuss these possibilities with the Environmental Studies Program director. A student cannot elect both the chemistry: environmental science concentration and the environmental studies: science concentration. REQUIREMENTS +The interdisciplinary environmental policy major provides an extensive introduction to the study of domestic and international environmental policy. Students combine a foundation course in environmental studies with courses in environmental economics, domestic environmental policy and law, international environmental policy and politics, and courses in environmental science. Diverse electives allow students to explore topics from introductory geographic information systems (GIS) to endangered species policy to environmental and human health. Students complete the Environmental Policy Practicum capstone seminar in the senior year. Environmental policy majors are encouraged to take Environmental Studies 118 (spring) in their first year and Environmental Studies 233 and 271 (fall) and Environmental Studies 234 (spring) in their sophomore year. Students enrolled in “The Green Cluster” who are interested in this major should enroll in Environmental Studies 118 as well as Economics 133 in the spring semester. Students pursuing this major must complete at least one course at the 300-level or above selected from category III below. No more than one course at the 100-level may be used to fulfill category III. No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. AP credit can fulfill core course requirements based on exam performance and coverage. Exemption from Environmental Studies 118 is granted with an AP test score of 5, allowing advanced placement into other courses. Courses not listed below, such as those offered by some off-campus study programs, may count toward the major pending prior approval by the program director. Requirements for the Major in Environmental PolicyI. Required Environmental Studies Core Courses
II. All of the Following Courses
III. Humans and the Environment (Four courses, at least two from environmental studies)
IV. Three of the Following Courses
V. One of the Following Capstone Courses
Environmental Studies 401 and 402 provide one credit for the senior year and typically are taken in addition to a normal four-course semester. The interdisciplinary environmental science major also begins with the foundation course in environmental studies and is followed by core courses in environmental economics, biology and ecology, chemistry or physics, geology or GIS, and mathematics. Students select a focus area to explore in depth. Current focus areas include conservation biology, applied ecology, marine science, environment and human health, environmental chemistry, and environmental geology. Students can also propose well-structured alternative focus areas. The senior capstone seminar provides a hands-on approach to environmental science research. Colby's four science buildings have excellent teaching and research laboratories furnished with the necessary equipment to undertake sophisticated environmental investigations. Environmental science majors are encouraged to enroll in Biology 163 (fall) and Environmental Studies 118 (spring) in their first year and Environmental Science 271 (fall) in their sophomore year. Students enrolled in "The Green Cluster" who are interested in this major should also enroll in Chemistry 141 in the fall; in the spring they should enroll in Chemistry 142, Environmental Studies 118, and Mathematics 121. Majors must complete at least two courses at the 300-level or above selected from categories III and IV below. No more than one course at the 100 level may be used to fulfill category III. No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. AP credits can fulfill core course requirements based on exam performance and coverage. Exemption from Environmental Studies 118 is granted with an AP test score of 5, allowing advanced placement into other courses. AP credits also can provide advanced placement in focus areas, but in no case can AP credits reduce the number of required focus area courses below five. Environmental studies majors electing the science concentration should consult with the program director or the advisor for their selected focus area as early as their first year at Colby to identify any courses beyond the major requirements that may be desirable to meet their postgraduate goals, especially graduate or professional school. Requirements for the Major in Environmental ScienceI. Required Environmental Studies Core Courses
II. Required Science and Mathematics Courses
For students electing the conservation biology, applied ecology, environment and human health, or marine science focus area:
For students electing the environmental geology or environmental chemistry focus area:
III. Humans and the Environment (Two courses, not taken from the same discipline unless that discipline is environmental studies)
IV. Focus Area (Five courses from one of the following focus areas and an additional culminating experience chosen in consultation with advisor. The Environmental Studies Program will consider well-structured proposals for additional focus areas.) Advanced Placement credits can provide advanced placement in focus areas but cannot reduce the number of required focus-area courses below five. A. Conservation Biology
Two Courses from the Following:
Culminating Experience:
B. Applied Ecology
Two Courses from the Following:
Culminating Experience:
C. Marine Science
Two courses from the following:
Culminating Experience:
D. Environment and Human Health
Three Courses from the Following:
Culminating Experience:
E. Environmental Geology
One Course from the Following:
Culminating Experience:
F. Environmental Chemistry
One course from the following:
Culminating Experience:
Environmental Studies 401 and 402 provide one credit for the senior year and typically are taken in addition to a normal four-course semester. Students are encouraged to consider field courses offered by Colby or other approved programs such as: Biology 257j, 259j, Environmental Studies 358j, Geology 279j, and the Semester in Environmental Science at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. Students electing the marine science focus area are strongly encouraged to consider a semester of off-campus study through programs offered by the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, School for Field Studies, the Duke University Marine Laboratory, the Marine Biological Laboratory, and other approved programs. An internship or research project in the discipline is strongly recommended. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in research projects, relevant field study, or internships to complement their academic work. Limited financial assistance is available to help environmental studies majors participate in research or internship opportunities. The major in environmental studies–interdisciplinary computation provides an introduction to environmental studies as a discipline as well as training in computational techniques used in environmental policy and science. Students will become familiar with quantitative tools used to investigate environmental problems, especially GIS and remote sensing. No requirement for the major may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. Advanced Placement credits can fulfill core course requirements based on exam performance and coverage. Students interested in this major should try to take Computer Science 151 in their first year (fall or spring) and Computer Science 231 (fall) and 251 (spring) in their second year. Students should consult with the Environmental Studies Program director or their computer science advisor when planning their capstone independent-study project. Requirements for the Major in Environmental Studies-Interdisciplinary ComputationI. Required Environmental Studies Core Courses
II. Required Environmental Studies Courses
III. One Course Selected from the Following:
IV. Required Computer Science Courses:
V. Capstone Courses
VI. Senior Colloquia
Honors in Environmental StudiesEnvironmental studies majors with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 at the end of the January term of the junior year or with special program approval are eligible to apply for the Environmental Studies Honors Research Program. Interested students should contact a faculty sponsor during the spring semester of the junior year to discuss a project. Before the end of spring registration, students should secure a faculty sponsor for their research project. Students who are studying abroad in the spring should try to make initial contact with a potential sponsor in the spring via e-mail, but may complete their proposal in the fall at the beginning of the academic year. The student must then petition the program for permission to undertake honors work. With approval from the program, students can register for Environmental Studies 491. Students wishing to change their honors project topic must petition the program for approval of the new topic. Honors research projects will be a total of six to eight credits and will be conducted during the student’s last two academic semesters (and may include Jan Plan). Also, students enrolled in Environmental Studies 493 or 494 may petition the program to expand their independent study for these courses into an honors project to be conducted in January and the spring semester. Successful completion of the honors program will include an approved thesis, an oral presentation at the Colby Undergraduate Research Symposium, and a successful thesis defense as well as the completion of the required course work for the major. The student fulfilling these requirements will graduate “With Honors in Environmental Studies.” The decision whether or not the student will be approved to convert her or his seminar or independent study project to an honors project in the spring semester and continue in the Environmental Studies Honors Program by enrolling in Environmental Studies 484 will be made at the end of the first semester. In cases where requirements for honors have not been fulfilled at the end of the spring semester, Environmental Studies 484 (Honors Research) will revert to a graded Environmental Studies 492 (Independent Study). The environmental studies minor is designed to introduce students to environmental issues and their ramifications in the context of the social and natural sciences. Course requirements provide flexibility, allowing students to study in areas of most interest to them. Courses not listed below, such as those offered by some off-campus study programs, may count toward the minor pending prior approval by the program director. Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Studies
Group 2: If only one course is chosen from the environmental studies core group, then one additional course from:
If not used to satisfy the social science couplet:
Minors also are encouraged to have a hands-on environmental activity either of an experiential nature (internship) or an academic nature (research project). In many, if not most cases, at least one of these activities may be required by one of the courses selected and thus satisfied automatically. No requirement for the minor may be taken satisfactory/unsatisfactory. AP credit in a subject allows advanced placement but does not reduce the number of courses required for the minor. Colby College reserves the right in its sole judgement to make changes of any nature in its program, calendar, academic schedule, fees, deposits, or any other matters in this catalogue. |
