The Climate Change Educational Initiative

In the fall of 2015, faculty members from multiple disciplines across the university participated in an educational initiative to deepen our knowledge and expand our awareness of climate change and its scientific and social consequences, as well as to consider possible public policy options to address the issue. Faculty integrated a common reading into their syllabi, required a final class project on climate change that pertained to the specific disciplinary perspective of the class, and required students to attend the co-curricular events, which included panel discussions, lectures, films, and more. Over thirty courses participated. Our goal in creating this initiative was to help students also consider the importance and value of promoting sustainability, ideally becoming ethical leaders and peer educators on the subject.

Coordinated by Dr. Chase Clow (Humanities), the planning committee also included Dr. Randall Hall (Chemistry), Dr. Mairi Pileggi (Communications), Dr. Laura Stivers (Ethics), Dr. John Duvall (Communications), Dr. Ken Frost (Chemistry), Dr. Jim Cunningham (Zoology), and Dr. Jacob Massoud (Strategic Management.)