Department of Environmental Biology and Ecological Studies

Assessment Report 2007

Submitted by: Deborah L. Beal, Coordinator

The following questions will be addressed in this year's report:

1. What learning outcomes goals were the focus of your assessment efforts this academic year?
2. What methods did you use to determine student achievements?
3. What were the results?
4. How do you intend to use the results?

Introduction
Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary major that integrates courses in the life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. Faculty from Environmental Science, Chemistry,  Economics, Geography, International Studies, Ecological Psychology, Sociology and History participate in the the program. Additional coursework is required from the fields of Biology and Mathematics. The Environmental Studies program is now in it's fourth year of existance and has grown to over 40 majors.  This year (May 2007), we graduated 19 students (13 majors and 6 minors). In addition to interdisciplinary course work, students have the opportunity to participate in field courses which travel offcampus, internships, independent study and research with professors, travel to scientific meetings and local community service projects such as cleaning up the Illinois River. (ENVS Program Description 2003)

2007 Assesment
1. What learning outcomes goals were the focus of your assessment efforts this academic year?   
Assessment this year has evaluated the current and future needs of the program.  The ENVS committee decided to focus on defining the 2 separate tracks in natural and physical sciences and in social science and policy.   The primary motivation for redefining these tracks was due to changes in the college catalogue which changed the BA/BS requirements.  The social science track was formerly the BA degree track.  The natural science track was the BS track.  Since any student can obtain either a BA or BS in any discipline by completing general education requirements, the Environmental Studies committee felt that our descriptions of the 2 tracks needed to be updated.  In addition, new faculty (Jan Burhman) with interests in Environmental issues were able to offer new courses which needed to be included in the major.   The committee met regularly for the past 1 1/2 years.   We recognized the need for more environmental sociology courses, a better defined track in Environmental justice and Peace studies and a need for a minor in Earth Science that would integrate Physics and Chemistry.    The Environmental Biology and Ecological Studies committee members met with other interested faculty (Bill Cross, Linda Cockerill) several times in the spring of 2005, fall of 2006, and throughout spring 2006 to define changes to the major.  We also discussed the need for additional environmental justice, peace studies courses for the ENVS major.  

We submitted our revised major plan, defining the 2 tracks in the fall of 2006 to the Educational Policy Committee.  The committee declined to vote on our proposal and asked for significant changes.  We changed 95% of the proposal to accomidate EPC and re-submitted the proposal spring semester.  EPC again declined to vote on the proposal and asked for additional changes.  We will meet this fall to discuss EPC's recommendations again.

A new course (course description below) for the ENVS major was approved by EPC, spring 2006.

Course Description:
Fall 2006 SOC/ENVS 397 Section 000 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY This course explores the relationship between human societies and the natural world. Examining the environment from a sociological perspective allows students to consider ways that individuals and societies affect both the natural and built environments, and reflect on the influence of these environments on human communities. This course also provides an opportunity to: assess the impacts of the built and natural environments on human behavior, social organizations, and social movements; examine the relationship of consumption patterns to existing environmental problems; explore the role of technology, both in creating and addressing environmental problems; and identify patterns of social organization and their impacts on resource use. PREREQUISITE: COMPLETION OF, OR CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT IN SOC 101.

Last, it was decided to wait until 2007-2008 to develop a minor in Earth Science and to involve faculty in Elementary Education, Physics and Chemistry in these discussions next year.

2. What methods did you use to determine student achievements? 

We compared the current requirements for the major with descriptions of the BA/BS general education requirements.  We found that our program did not follow the new catalogue.   We also determined a need for a new course in social issues/ policy was needed .
    The primary method that was used to determine if an introductory Environmental Sociology course was warranted         was based on several ENVS committee meetings which evaluated the current course offerings.  It was decided at         these meetings that a new course would be useful to students.  In addition, Profs. Burman and Beal questioned             students in introductory courses about their knowledge of and interest in Environmental Justice.  By a show of             hands, only 1 student in 22 Introductory Environmental Science students knew what Environmental justice was (but     learned about it during the semester).  About 1/2 thought it was a worthwhile topic for a course and several claimed     they would take it if offered.  Since the course is full at 20 students, we're fairly confident that there is enough                 student interest to justify offiering the class. (rationale for this course from ENVS assessment plan 2006)

3. What were the results?
We submitted our proposal to EPC twice last year and will consider it again this fall (2007).

4. How do you intend to use the results?
Hopefully EPC and the faculty will approve changes fall 2007 and students will benefit from having a better defined major in either Natural/Physical science or Eocial science/Policy Environmental tracks.