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ENVS 1A & 2A: Analyzing Green Rhetoric
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This course, reserved for freshmen participating in the Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project, SLURP, will explore rhetoric surrounding current environmental issues. Since this course is a special pilot for the new university core, students will be enrolled in a two-quarter sequence that will not only fulfill their first-year writing requirements, but will give them the opportunity to explore issues of environmental criticism with a variety of media. All students taking this course will have the privilege of living on the SLURP floor as part of the CyPhi Residential Learning Community, and will thus have the opportunity to participate in a unique community dedicated to promoting a culture of environmental sustainability within the university. (4 units)
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ENVS 2: Energy and the Environment |
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Energy has been a top news story over the past years. In this course, we explore the basics of energy production, alternative ways of producing energy and alternative energy sources including natural gas, nuclear, biomass, wind, solar, hydropower and fuel cells. Gain an understanding of the environmental impacts of energy production, our present energy crisis, and prospects for the future. (4 units) |
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ENVS 10: Joy of Garbage |
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What happens to the things we don't want? This class follows the path of our waste products as they are burnt, decomposed, landfilled, treated, recycled, reused, dumped on minority communities, or shipped abroad. Building on basic chemical and biological principles, and using the scientific method to guide us, we will explore the fates of organic and non-organic detritus, and search for sustainable solutions to waste problems. (4 units)
  
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ENVS 11: Intro to Environmental Science L & L
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This course offers a broad introduction to the major environmental threats facing the world, as well as the key questions or policy debates surrounding our response to these threats. Problems such as habitat species, emerging diseases, and global warming cannot be addressed without considering the diversity of cultures and socioeconomic conditions in the global community. Lectures will deliberately contrast the means and obstacles to tackling environmental issues in developed vs. developing countries. In-class and independent research assignments will help students to develop the scientific methods and critical thinking skills needed to analyze and present information pertaining to environmental issues. (4 units)
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ENVS 12: Intro to Environmental Studies |
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Human degradation of the global environment is an overarching concern for contemporary and future societies. The field of environmental studies is a relatively new, interdisciplinary field that draws heavily from the social sciences to propose ways society can develop environmental solutions. This is a survey course that will enable students to understand the composition and evolution of environmental studies as a field, and provide them tools to analyze environmental problems and solutions on a local, national, and global scale. This course will introduce students to: 1. the major environmental problems facing human societies; 2. the key social science disciplines and their contributions to the field of environmental studies; 3. the methodologies used by these disciplines and the way they shape understanding of nature/society relations; and 4. the importance of ethics and leadership in the developing environmental solutions. (4 units)
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ENVS 12A: Cultures and Ideas II
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This course is a continuation of ENVS 11A (Culture and Ideas I: Nature and Imagination) and is only open to students enrolled in that course during the previous quarter. Enrollment in ENVS 12A is automatic for students taking the first part of the sequence.
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ENVS 13: Soil, Water, and Air L & L |
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This course focuses on the contributions of the geological and physical sciences to environmental science. The basic physical and geological processes that shape the Earth and govern changes in the environment are discussed. We will address questions regarding the continents, landscapes, oceans, freshwater reservoirs, and the atmosphere. How did they form? Which processes are taking place to change them? How are they affected by human action? Understanding of the concepts will be deepened by laboratory activities and fieldtrips. Laboratory and field work 15 hours. (4 units)
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ENVS 20: The Water Wars of California L & L |
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In California, the average person uses about 230 gallons of water a day while most of the population is concentrated in areas that receive less than 20 inches of rainfall per year. This course will use the history of water resource use and abuse in the state of California as a backdrop for investigating the interplay of hydrology, climate, and human population growth. Students will examine factors that affect the supply, distribution, demand, and quality of freshwater in the state of California. The important roles of climatic processes, variability, and global climate change will be highlighted, and population pressures on water resources will be analyzed. Concepts will be reinforced by field projects and through comparative case studies from California and beyond. Laboratory 15 hours. (4 units)
 
 
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ENVS 39: Drawing from Nature |
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Development of basic drawing skills using natural subjects to encourage interest in future self-motivated drawing. Projects include drawing from nature using pencils, pen, and ink; drawing perspective, seeing proportions, line drawing, and shading techniques; drawing birds, trees, rocks, water, and clouds. (4 units) NCX |
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ENVS 50: World Geography |
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Provides an understanding of world geography through an appreciation of contemporary global problems. Problems include the environmental crisis, international relations, demographic trends, and economic development. Special emphasis on world hunger and the roots of third-world poverty. (4 units) |
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ENVS 79/ENGL 79: Environmental Literature of California
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This course surveys the diverse literature celebrating the California landscape. A broad range of genres and literatures will be examined, including such authors as Charles Fremont, John Muir, Mary Austin, Robinson Jeffers, Richard Brautigan, Gary Snyder, Gretel Ehrlich, and William Saroyan. Students will engage in a program of ecocritical writing designed to develop advanced writing skills while promoting ecological literacy. Cross listed as ENGL 79 Literature, Language, Culture: Environmental Literature of California. Prerequisites: ENGL 1 and 2. (4 units) NCX
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ENVS 95: Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project (SLURP)
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This course, jointly sponsored by the Environmental Studies Institute and the CyPhi Residential Learning Community, is designed to promote a culture of sustainability within the residential communities of the modern university. Students will engage in intensive research over the course of the academic year and will compile and present their results during the spring quarter. Enrollment is limited to residents of the SLURP floor in the CyPhi RLC. (4 units) NCX
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ENVS 98: Outdoor Leadership Expedition (OLE) |
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This course uses instruction in wilderness safety, outdoor technical skills and low-impact camping to develop leadership skills and an appreciation of the natural world. An online application is required prior to instructor approval. Application forms will be made available at the beginning of the quarter prior to the course offering. Students are graded P/NP only. (2 units)
NOTE: Unfortunately, OLE has been canceled for Spring 2010. Given sufficient funding, we will offer OLE in Fall 2010. Check back here in mid-April 2010 for an update!
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ENVS 101: Capstone Seminar L & L
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Capstone is a guided group and individual research course that each year is aimed at a different environmental topic of global significance. Past topics have included the regulation of biotechnology, using ecosystem services to create financial incentives for conservation, the social equity and biological effectiveness of private land conservation, and the national choices facing China with respect to agricultural policy. The course begins with lectures so that students gain a foundational background for the quarter's research topic. Students write individual papers, group papers, give oral presentations, and develop project management skills. Some students end up pursuing their research after the course, even to the point of publication. (5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 110/BIOL 160: Statistics for Environmental Science L & L |
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A course in applied statistics for biologists and environmental scientists planning to conduct manipulative experiments. Students gain training in experimental design, quantitative analysis, and hypothesis testing. Theory and concepts are covered in lectures and readings. Laboratory sessions provide practical experience in computing statistical procedures by hand and with statistical software. Examples used in lectures and lab assignments are derived from medical research, physiology, genetics, ecology, and environmental risk assessment. Laboratory 30 hours. Cross listed with BIOL 160. Prerequisite: BIOL 23 or permission of instructor. (5 units) |
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ENVS 115: GIS in Environmental Science L & L |
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A working knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is essential for many careers in environmental science. This class and laboratory will focus on methods of generating, querying, analyzing, and displaying GIS data utilizing industry standard software. Possible topics include landuse change, pollution, and population growth issues. Each student will propose and carry out a GIS project with an environmental application. Laboratory 30 hours. (5 units)
 
 
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ENVS 120: Intro to Environmental Law and Regulation in the U.S.
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Introduction to the U.S. legal system's approach to environmental protection. Topics include the roles of legislatures and environmental agencies at the federal, state, and local levels; the independent role of the judiciary in establishing environmental law; and specific statutes, such as the Clean Air Act. Students evaluate questions of federalism, uses of economic incentives, and relationships between environmental protection and economic growth. (5 units) |
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ENVS 122: U.S. Environmental Policy |
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This course will focus on U.S. environmental policy between 1960 and the present, highlighting the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and policy responses to global warming. Through these four foci we will gain an understanding of how policy is formulated, how one might measure its consequences, and the role of communication and politics in moving policy forward (or blocking policy advances). We will focus on how the various environmental acts mentioned above came to be and the ongoing policy debates surrounding their administration and implementation. (5 units) |
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ENVS 123/COMM 161A: Communicating Environmental Science to the Public |
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Some of the most complex political issues of our time are tied to complex scientific debates. Issues of climate change, biodiversity, habitat preservation, guaranteeing fresh water supply and so on are at the cutting edge of environmental science--and yet frequently political decisions (for our own and for future generations) must be made on the basis of incomplete knowledge. In this course, we examine how scientists, activists, and politicians communicate with each other and with the public on environmental matters. Cross-listed with COMM 161A. (5 units) |
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ENVS 130: Environmental Art: Theory and Practice |
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Contemporary environmental artists seek to preserve and restore the natural world by creating artworks that address ecological challenges and point toward positive solutions to these problems. In this course students work and study with an environmental artist. After a review of contemporary environmental art, students write brief papers on current ecological challenges and then work in small groups to create conceptually based installations (site-specific sculptures) on campus that relate to these issues. Students learn techniques for creative thinking, transforming ideas into art, and basic art skills. This course is especially valuable for future teachers. (5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 131: Environmental Education
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Environmental Education plays a fundamental role in our attempts to make human systems more sustainable. This course is an introduction to the study and practice of Environmental Education. It surveys philosophies, theories, and methods of Environmental Education with a special emphasis on techniques for engaging K-12 students in outdoor settings to maximize learning of environmental concepts and to improve the students’ understanding of their personal connections to nature. The course will introduce creative ways that we - as current or future teachers, parents, or mentors - can use active study of and interactions with the outdoor environment to engage young people in the study of environmental systems and basic biological, chemical, and physical sciences. A portion of the course will be taught in field-based settings. Students will participate in service learning projects that will give them practical experience planning and leading environmental education lessons. This course is especially valuable for future teachers. (5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 132/BIOL 131: Agroecology
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The goal of Agroecology is to reduce the negative environmental impact of farming while meeting the food needs of the world. Course examines current agricultural practices and evaluates alternative methods including organic farming, agro forestry, and applications of agricultural biotechnology. The special problems of agriculture in the developing world are discussed. Laboratory 30 hours. Cross listed with BIOL 131. (5 units) |
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ENVS 133/BIOL 133: Ecology of California Plant Communities L&L |
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This course focuses on the factors controlling plant community composition in California, with emphasis on the basic question of plant ecology: Why are these plant species found here? Field trips highlight the astounding diversity of the California floristic province, emphasizing identification of plant species and sampling methods for ecological studies. Laboratory and field work 30 hours. Cross listed with BIOL 133. Prerequisite: Biology 23. (5 units)
 
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ENVS 140: Sustainability Outreach
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This course aims to deepen students' understanding of sustainability. Students participate in an outreach program designed to facilitate sustainable development at bay area high schools. Each high school's efforts will be a microcosm of sustainable development and a leadership experience for the high school students and SCU students-their mentors. Readings and in-class discussions will also enhance students' ethical understanding of sustainability. (1 unit) NCX
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ENVS 141/BIOL 141: Environmental Biology in the Tropics |
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This summer course examines tropical biology and ecology and their relationship to issues of sustainable development. One week of instruction at SCU and three weeks of field study in Costa Rica. Particular emphasis on primate biology, reforestation and restoration ecology, mangrove conservation, sustainable agriculture and fair trade, and ecotourism. Taught in conjunction with ENVS 39. Enrollment by application via International Programs. Cross listed with BIOL 141. Prerequisite: BIOL 23. (5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 142: Writing Natural History
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This course engages students in ecocritical reading and writing about the natural history of Baja California Sur. The on-campus portion of the course prepares students to engage in first-hand explorations of the environment in and around the Sea of Cortez. During the on-site portion of the course, students will compile extensive field notes in preparation for the composition of their own natural histories. Taught in conjunction with ENVS 144. Fulfills the advanced writing core requirement. Prerequisites: CTW 1 & 2. Enrollment by application only. Travel fee required.
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ENVS 144: Natural History of Baja |
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Course examines the natural history, biology and ecology of desert and coastal ecosystems in Baja California Sur. Course meets once a week in the winter quarter and over spring break in the Sierra La Laguna (Cape Region) and Isla Espiritu Santo (La Paz Bay), Baja California Sur, Mexico. Students will become familiar with desert, oak scrub, riparian, thorn forest, beach, mangrove, coral reef and rocky intertidal habitats, develop field observation and species identification skills, and explore challenges of sustainable development of this fragile ecosystem. Must be concurrently enrolled in Writing Natural History (ENVS 142). Enrollment by application only. Instructor permission and additional travel fees required. Prerequisites: ENVS 11 or BIOL 23.
   
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ENVS 145: Environmental Technology |
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A survey course covering a variety of environmentally conscious technologies. Course addresses “bleeding edge” as well as more traditional technologies that enhance both human welfare and environmental quality in both the developed and developing countries. We will concentrate on environmentally conscious technologies used in the general areas of air quality, biotic systems, climate, energy, land, population, transportation, waste, and water. (5 units) |
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ENVS 146: Agriculture, Environment & Development: Latin America |
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This course offers a cross-disciplinary examination of the prospects for “sustainable development” in rural areas of Latin America. We will use diverse points of view to look at interactions between poverty, development, and environmental degradation. While there is no single, universally accepted definition of sustainable development, a central goal of this course is that each student come away with the ability to understand the key elements that distinguish different discourses on this subject. (5 units) |
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ENVS 147: International Environment and Development |
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This course examines the intersection of environment and development in the developing world. Students will explore meanings and measures of development as well as international institutions that influence development and environmental policy. Conceptual frameworks for addressing human-environmental relationships, including globalization, famine and hunger, sustainable development, population-poverty interactions and gender will be explored. Specific topics to be covered include deforestation, water use, conservation and development, oil extraction, and urbanization. (5 units) |
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ENVS 149/POLI 146: Politics of African Development |
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Examines why Africa is the poorest region of the world, focusing on legacies of colonialism, failed political systems, poor economic choices, and external interventions. Discussion of how some states have collapsed into warlordism, civil war, and genocide and how others are creating democratic movements to reverse a history of economic decline. Cross listed with POLI 146. (5 units) |
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ENVS 150: Political Ecology
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This course explores political ecology as a field of study and as a critical tool to analyze environmental issues. The course focuses on going beyond simplified explanations about environmental problems, tracing environmental change to broader political, economic, and cultural issues. Topics explored will include: land degradation, conservation through parks and reserves, land use conflicts, science and power, social movements, urban pollution, and public health. Course readings include case studies from across the globe to examine how political ecology research engages issues and how it offers critical insights needed to address environmental problems. This course will challenge students to critically examine their own interpretations and understandings of today's most important environmental issues.
(5 units) |
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ENVS 151/BIOL 151: Restoration Ecology |
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The science and practice of restoring degraded ecosystems, with an emphasis on plant ecology. Through fieldwork in restoration experiments and examination of case studies from the literature, students will grapple with basic questions: How do we decide what to restore? How do we restore it? And how do we know if we’re finished? Emphasis on reading and writing scientific papers, working with data, and critically judging the success of restoration projects in meeting goals of biodiversity and ecosystem function. Laboratory and field work 30 hours. Cross listed with BIOL 151. Prerequisite: BIOL 23. (5 units) |
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ENVS 156/BIOL 156: General Ecology L&L |
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Quantitative study of the interrelationships of organisms with their biotic and abiotic environments. Emphasis on population dynamics, interspecific relationships, community structure, and ecosystem processes. Laboratory and field work 30 hours, typically including one weekend field trip. Cross listed with BIOL 156. Prerequisites: BIOL 23 and MATH 11. (5 units) |
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ENVS 158/PSYC 158: Conservation Psychology |
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Many environmental problems (e.g., global warming, pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion) are caused by human behavior, and changing this behavior is necessary in order to solve them. Topics include psychological reasons (emotions, thoughts, values, motivations, social context) why people behave in environmentally sustainable or unsustainable ways, and how psychology can be used to develop policies and other interventions to help promote sustainable behavior. Cross listed with PSYC 158. Prerequisites: PSYC 1, 2, 40, 43, or permission of the instructor. (5 units) |
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ENVS 160: Spirituality and Sustainability |
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Investigation of the challenge of integrating ecological consciousness and environmental leadership with the practice of spirituality. Examines the diversity of religious responses to the global sustainability crisis, and the potential of consciousness to facilitate social transformation in light of Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu, spiritual traditions. (5 units) |
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ENVS 170 - 189 |
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Courses offered through the School for Field Studies. SFS incorporates hands-on, community-focused environmental field work with earning college credit in some of the most beautiful and threatened ecosystems in the world. Click here for more information about School for Field Studies.
ENVS 170: Mexico Summer Program
ENVS 171: Kenya Summer Program
ENVS 172: Turks & Caicos Summer Program
ENVS 174: Australia Summer Program
ENVS 175: Costa Rica Summer Program
ENVS 180: Techniques of Wildlife Management
ENVS 181: Wildlife Ecology
ENVS 182: Tropical Marine Ecology
ENVS 183: Rainforest Ecology
ENVS 184: Principles of Forest Management
ENVS 185: Principles of Resource Management
ENVS 186: Tropical Ecology and Sustainable Development
ENVS 187: Coastal Ecology
ENVS 188: Environmental Policy and Socioeconomic Values
ENVS 189: Economic and Ethical Issues in Sustainable Development
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ENVS 195: Sustainable Living Undergraduate Research Project (SLURP)
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This course, jointly sponsored by the Environmental Studies Institute and the CyPhi Residential Learning Community, is designed to promote a culture of sustainability within the residential communities of the modern university. Students will engage in intensive research over the course of the academic year and will compile and present their results during the spring quarter. Enrollment is limited to residents of the SLURP floor in the CyPhi RLC. (5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 196: Special Topics in Environmental Studies |
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An environmental studies course taught by a visiting professor. Course content and topics vary depending on the professor. (5 units) |
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ENVS 197: Special Topics in Environmental Science: Environmental Fixes: Cures or Cons? (NEW!) |
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Biofuels, hydrogen, certified timber, organic agriculture-are these truly viable solutions to the world's most pressing environmental crises? Or are we just grasping for the easiest fixes that will generate the least amount of political resistance? In this seminar we will critically examine these and other so-called solutions to environmental problems. (2 units) |
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ENVS 198: Environmental Proseminar |
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A seminar course for graduating seniors, intended to permit reflection on an internship or research experience and foster the further development of professional skills. Prior to enrolling, students must complete 100 hours of work in one of the following options: 1) an approved off-campus environmental internship (see ESI executive director for approval before initiating the internship), 2) approved environmental research with SCU faculty (ENVS 195, ENVS 199A, or 199B) or through directed research at the School of Field Studies, or 3) the Environmental Vocation Internship (ENVS 199C). Unit credit dependent on prior credits granted for internship or research work. Students are graded P/NP only. Prerequisites: Completion of 100 hours of internship or research and senior class standing (1-5 units) NCX
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ENVS 199: Directed Reading, Research or Internship |
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Students wishing to enroll in 199A, 199B, or 199C should meet with the faculty supervisor no later than the fifth week of the term preceding the start of the project. For 199A and 199B a written description of the proposed project must be presented to the ESI executive director for approval.
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ENVS 199A: Directed Reading in Environmental Science or Environmental Studies
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Detailed investigation based on directed readings on advanced environmental topics, under the close supervision of a faculty member. Prerequisite: Permission of ESI executive director and instructor before registration. (1-5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 199B: Directed Environmental Research |
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Supervised laboratory, field, or other research under the guidance of a faculty member. The goal should be a written report suitable for publication. Prerequisite: Permission of ESI executive director and instructor before registration. (1-5 units) NCX |
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ENVS 199C: Environmental Vocation Internship |
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A two-quarter sequence facilitating environmental education and research in local faith communities. Interns will create customized educational projects and models while gathering information about social attitudes toward religion and the environment. Environmental vocation and leadership are emphasized. Students are graded P/NP only. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor before registration. (1-5 units) NCX
 
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ENVS 199D: Interdisciplinary Research ENVS
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This course will provide an overview of disciplinary approaches to environmental research and examine ways of integrating different types of research in interdisciplinary ways. Discussions will focus on the philosophy of science, methods for data collection, and different types of methods including field, lab and social science methods. The course will be open to research students of participating faculty and to SLURP students. (1-5 units)
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