Professors: Glenn Andres (history of art & architecture), Thomas Beyer (Russian), Alison Byerly (English & American literatures), Raymond Coish (geology), Matthew Dickerson (computer science), John Elder* (English & American literatures & environmental studies), Patricia Manley (geology), Tamar Mayer (geography), Christopher McGrory Klyza* (political science & environmental studies), Andrea Olsen (theatre & dance), Jay Parini (English & American literatures), Edward Perry (film & media culture), Bob Prigo (physics), David Rosenberg (political science), Sallie Sheldon (biology), Stephen Trombulak* (biology & environmental studies), James West (humanities), Christopher K. Wilson (humanities), Richard Wolfson (physics); Associate Professors: Pieter Broucke (history of art & architecture), Miguel Fernandez (Spanish), Rebecca Gould* (religion & environmental studies), Heidi Grasswick (philosophy), Jonathan Isham* (economics & environmental studies), Anne Knowles (geography), Andrea Lloyd (biology), Michelle McCauley (psychology), Thomas Moran (Chinese), Kathryn Morse* (history & environmental studies; ES program director), Jeffrey Munroe (geology), Peter Nelson (geography), Charles Nunley (French), Peter Ryan* (geology & environmental studies), Yumna Siddiqi (English and American literatures), Kathy Skubikowski (English & American literatures), David Stoll (sociology/anthropology), Jacob Tropp (history), David West (geology), Helen Young (biology); Assistant Professors: Daniel Brayton (English & American literatures), Molly Costanza-Robinson*(environmental studies & chemistry), Nadia Horning (political science), Nicholas Muller (economics & environmental studies)*, Lynn Owens (sociology/anthropology), Michael Sheridan (sociology/anthropology); Lecturers: Nan Jenks-Jay* (environmental studies), Don Mitchell (English & American literatures); Visiting Lecturer: David Bain (English & American literatures); Associates in Science Instruction: Vickie Backus (biology), Matthew Landis (biology), Marc Lapin* (environmental studies); Visiting Instructor: Jeff Howarth (geography); Coordinator of Community-Based Environmental Studies: Diane Munroe*; Research Scholars in Environmental Studies: Randy Kritkausky, Amy Seidl; Scholar-in-Residence in Environmental Studies: William McKibben; Program Coordinator: Janet Wiseman
*Steering Committee
The field of environmental studies explores the relationship between humans and their environment. Students pursuing the environmental studies major work in a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, architecture, the arts, biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, geography, geology, history, literature, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, and religion. The Program in Environmental Studies is designed to provide students an interdisciplinary, liberal arts experience that focuses on diverse facets of environmental issues, as well as to provide in-depth training in one or more specific disciplines. Courses at all levels of the ENVS major incorporate service-learning to enhance the learning experience, engage students in community issues, strengthen professional environmental skills, and promote civic responsibility. After graduation, students may continue on to graduate school in a number of fields, such as environmental studies, environmental law and policy, the natural sciences, resource economics, and writing.
The environmental studies major is an unusually extensive one, fully equivalent to most joint majors. Students who have not made a significant start on the requirements by the end of their sophomore year should not plan on majoring in environmental studies. It is strongly recommended that interested students consult with the director or another member of the Steering Committee before declaring a major in environmental studies.
Required for the Major in Environmental Studies: The environmental studies major is composed of course work in four areas: (1) a set of core courses to be completed by the end of the junior year, (2) an in-depth focus, (3) cognate courses that supplement the breadth gained in the core courses, and (4) the senior-level seminar.
Except for transfer students, the core courses must be taken at Middlebury College. A maximum of three courses taken off campus may be credited toward completion of the major. The student's adviser must approve all such off-campus courses.
Joint Majors: Students may pursue a joint major with environmental studies and other majors. The other major usually overlaps the student's focus. Those who focus in architecture and the environment, conservation biology, environmental chemistry, environmental geology, geography, or human ecology automatically qualify as joint majors. Students in other foci should consult with the director about joint majors. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the environmental studies major, there is no reduction in course requirements for the environmental studies component of a joint major.
Minor in Environmental Studies: The minor in environmental studies consists of five courses from across the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences: ENVS 0112; ENVS or ENVS/PSCI 0211; ENVS or ENVS/ENAM 0215; one course from among DANC 0277, ECON 0265, ENAM 0315, GEOG 0206, HIST 0222, PHIL 0356, PSCI 0214, RELI 0295, RELI 0395, or SOAN 0211; one course from among BIOL 0140, ENVS 0240, ENVS/CHEM 0270, ENVS 0360, GEOL 0112, or GEOL 0323.
ENVS Program Honors: Program honors will be awarded to students who do an environmentally-oriented thesis that is of superior quality (B+ or higher) and presented in a public forum, and whose average in courses taken toward the major is also B+ or higher. Seniors may pursue an independent honors project by taking one or two semesters of ENVS 0500 followed by one semester of ENVS 0700. With prior approval from the director, an environmentally-oriented thesis in another department may also qualify as an ENVS joint major for program honors in environmental studies. Students who are joint majors should discuss their honors requirements with their advisers.
International Environmental Studies: For students interested in concentrating in international environmental studies, we recommend the following approach: (1) select the existing focus that most closely meets your academic goals (for example, environmental economics to work on environment and development or conservation biology to work on global biodiversity issues); (2) undertake language training, if relevant, for the areas of the world in which you plan to study; (3) study abroad for a year or semester to gain a deeper understanding of the issues and areas that most interest you; and (4) weave some of the following courses, which explicitly deal with international and comparative environmental issues, into your academic career: ENVS 0240, FREN 0315, GEOG 0206, GEOG 0210, HIST 0419, PSCI 0209, PSCI 0214, RELI 0395, SOAN 0211, SOAN 0333, SPAN 0384.
I. Core Courses: All Environmental Studies majors are required to complete these four 0100-level to 0300-level core courses plus the ENVS 0401 senior seminar. The 0100-level to 0300-level core classes provide an introduction to perspectives on environmental issues from the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, as well as basic approaches critical to understanding human interactions with the environment. The 0100-level to 0300-level core courses must be completed by the end of the junior year, and ENVS 0112 in particular should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
ENVS 0112 Natural Science and the Environment
ENVS 0211 Conservation and Environmental Policy
ENVS 0215 Nature's Meanings
GEOG 0320 Geographic Information Systems
**Note: Only those students who have completed all four of the above-listed core courses are eligible to enroll in ENVS 0401 or to sign up for ENVS 0700.
Advanced Placement: Students receiving a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination in environmental science will receive credit for ENVS 0112.
II. Foci: Students must complete all of the requirements for one of the following foci. Courses taken within the focus that are not specified must be approved by the student's adviser. Some foci qualify the student for joint major status. Note that each focus falls into one of three broad groupings.
Environmental Science
Conservation Biology: (This focus requires 9 courses). BIOL 0140; BIOL 0145; BIOL 0392; BIOL 0211 (or MATH 0116 or PSYC 0201); two research methods courses chosen from BIOL 0302, BIOL 0304, BIOL 0323, and ENVS 0360; one organismal course chosen from among BIOL 0201, BIOL 0202, BIOL 0203, and BIOL 0310; and two BIOL electives chosen from the 0200-0500 level (only one of which can be BIOL 500). Note: Winter Term courses offered through the Biology Department can be used to satisfy one of the elective courses. (This focus qualifies students for joint major status.)
Environmental Chemistry: (This focus requires 7 or 8 courses depending on senior work). CHEM 0103; CHEM 0104 or 0107; CHEM 0241; CHEM 0242; ENVS/CHEM 0270; CHEM 0311; and at least one semester of formal research focusing on chemistry and the environment chosen from: ENVS 0360, independent study (ENVS or CHEM 0500), or the senior thesis sequence (CHEM 0400/0700 or ENVS 0500/0700). Students wishing to pursue graduate study in environmental chemistry are advised to take additional courses, in the appropriate field of science, and should consult with their adviser. (This focus qualifies students for joint major status.)
Environmental Geology: (This focus requires 8 courses). One introductory course from among GEOL 0112 (preferred), GEOL 0161, and GEOL 0170; one course from among GEOL/GEOG 0251, GEOL/GEOG 0255, and GEOL/GEOG O257; one course from among GEOL 0201, GEOL 0211, and GEOL 0281; three electives, one of which can be ENVS 0360, and two of which must be at the GEOL 0300-level; and two courses of senior work, GEOL 0400 and GEOL 0700. These are considered minimum requirements. Please note that geology graduate programs require additional courses in the cognate sciences of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Students should consult with their advisers regarding additional cognates. (This focus qualifies students for joint major status.)
Environmental Policy and Analysis
Environmental Economics: (This focus requires 7 courses). MATH 0120 or MATH 0121; ECON 0155; ECON 0210; ECON 0255; ECON 0265; ECON 0465; one course from among ENVS 0380, ECON 0325, ECON 0425, ECON 0428, and ECON 0444.
Environmental Policy: (This focus requires 7 courses). ECON 0155; ECON 0265; ECON 0210 or MATH 0116 or PSYC 0201; GEOG 0206 or PSCI 0209 or PSCI 0214; PSCI 0421; two courses from among ENVS 0380 and any Political Science courses at the 0200-0300 level.
Geography: (This focus requires 7 courses). GEOG 0100; GEOG 0310; GEOG 0339; GEOG 0341; two courses at the 0200-level; a 0400-level seminar. (This focus qualifies students for joint major status.)
Human Ecology: (This focus requires 8 or 9 courses depending on senior work). SOAN 0103; SOAN 0105; SOAN 0211; SOAN 0301 or SOAN 0302; SOAN 0305 or SOAN 0306; two electives related to the topic of human ecology (to be selected in consultation with your adviser) from among Sociology-Anthropology offerings, plus either SOAN 0700 (one semester senior essay) or SOAN 0710 (two semester honors thesis). (This focus qualifies students for joint major status.)
Environmental Perspectives
Architecture and the Environment: (This focus requires 8 courses). HARC 0100; HARC 0130; HARC 0231; HARC 0330 (or a pre-approved substitute); two elective courses in History of Art or Architecture, selected in consultation with the student's architecture adviser; HARC 0730 and HARC 0731. (This focus qualifies students for joint major status). Please note that architecture schools expect candidates to have taken two semesters each of math and physics.
Creative Arts: (This focus requires 8 courses). ARDV 0116 or ART 0159 or ART 0160; DANC 0277; two courses from among HARC 0211, HARC 0218, HARC 0220, HARC 0231, HARC 0235, HARC 0246, RELI/AMST 0274, RELI 0295, RELI 0395 or DANC 0376; three studio courses in one discipline, two of which must be above the 0200-level (selected in consultation with the student's arts adviser; currently limited to the fields of dance and studio art); a senior independent project or advanced studio course in the discipline of the selected studio focus.
Environmental History: (This focus requires 7 courses). HIST 0222; three HIST courses in students' area of interest at the 0200-0300 level; one 400-level HIST readings course (preferably, but not necessarily HIST 0406 or HIST 0419); HIST 0600; one course from among AMST 0245, HARC 0218, PHIL 0356, RELI 0110, RELI 0120, RELI 0130, RELI 0140, RELI 0150, RELI 0160, RELI 0220, RELI 0225, RELI/AMST 0274, RELI 0295, RELI 0395, or one literature course at 0200-0300 level in chosen area of study.
Environmental Nonfiction: (This focus requires 7 or 8 courses depending on senior work). ENAM 0170; ENAM 0103; ENAM/AMST 0206; ENAM 0243 or ENAM 0315; two semesters of Level Two writing workshops, with either ENAM 0380 or ENAM 0385 repeatable by permission of the instructor; one term of ENAM 0701 or two terms of ENAM 0711.
Literature: (This focus requires 8 courses). ENAM 0103; ENAM 0204; ENAM /AMST 0206; two courses from among ENAM/AMST 0207, ENAM/AMST 209, ENAM 0250, ENAM 0311, FREN 0315, and SPAN 0384; ENAM 0330, ENAM 0331, or ENAM 0332; ENAM 0243 or ENAM 0315; and an upper level seminar approved in writing by the adviser for the literature focus.
Religion, Philosophy, and the Environment: (This focus requires 8 or 9 courses depending on senior work). RELI 0295; RELI 0395 or PHIL 0356; at least one introductory level course from among RELI 0110, RELI 0120, RELI 0190, PHIL 0150, or any additional 0100 or 0200-level RELI or PHIL course with approval of the adviser; an additional four courses from among PHIL 0205, PHIL 0206, GEOG 0206, and any 0300-0400-level course in philosophy or religion with approval of the adviser; at least one semester of independent study related to the focus (ENVS 0500).
III. Cognate Courses: Two of the following courses are required, with the restrictions that: (1) students focusing in an environmental science (biology, chemistry, or geology) must take both of their cognates outside of the natural sciences; (2) students focusing in an area other than environmental science must take both cognates as science courses with laboratory (these courses are in addition to ENVS 0112); and (3) courses in a student's focus or focus department cannot count as cognates.
Not all of these courses are offered each year; check with the relevant department to determine course offerings.
Natural Science Courses
BIOL 0140 Ecology and Evolution
BIOL 0302 Vertebrate Natural History
BIOL 0304 Aquatic Ecology
BIOL 0323 Plant Ecology
BIOL 0392 Conservation Biology
CSCI 0190 Computer Models and
Environmental Simulation
ENVS 0240 Global Climate Change
ENVS/CHEM 0270 Environmental Chemistry
ENVS 0360 Environmental Science Practicum
GEOL 0112 Environmental Geology OR
GEOL 0161 Elements of Oceanography
GEOL 0201 Bedrock Geology of Vermont
GEOL 0205 Energy and Mineral Resources
GEOL 0250 Arctic and Alpine Environments
GEOL 0251 Geomorphic Processes
GEOL 0255 Surface and Ground Water
GEOL/GEOG 0257 Soils, Geology, and the Environment
GEOL 0323 Environmental Geochemistry
Arts, Humanities, and Social Science Courses
AMST 0245 American Landscape
AMST 0315 Fast Food/Slow Food
DANC 0277 Body and Earth
ECON 0265 Environmental Economics
ECON 0465 Special Topics in Environmental Economics
ENAM 0243 Maritime Literature and Culture
ENAM 0311 Nature's Renaissance
ENAM 0315 Visons of Nature: The Sea
ENAM 0385 Workshop for Nature Writers
ENVS 0380 Global Challenges of the 21st Century
FREN 0315 Beyond Versailles: Encounters with Nature in French Literature
GEOG 0206 Human Impact on the Global Environment
GEOG 0210 Geographic Perspectives on International Development OR
GEOG 0213 Population Geography
GEOG 0216 Rural Geography
HARC 0231 Architecture and the Environment
HIST 0222 Introduction to Environmental History
HIST 0406 Readings in American History:
American Environmental History
HIST 0419 Readings in African History:
Environmental History of Africa
PHIL 0356 Philosophy and the Environment
PSCI 0209 Local Green Politics
PSCI 0214 International Environmental
Politics
PSCI 0421 Seminar in American
Environmental Politics
PSYC 0401 Environmental Problems and
Human Behavior
RELI 0295 Faith, Freedom, and Ecology
RELI 0395 Religion, Ethics, and the
Environment
SOAN 0159 Human Origins, Culture, and
Biodiversity
SOAN 0211 Human Ecology
SOAN 0308 Environmental Sociology
SOAN 0321 Native Peoples of the Americas
SOAN 0333 Africa: Environment and Society
SPAN 0384 Place and the Environment in
Spanish American Fiction
In addition, students may take any winter term course listed as an environmental studies course. Other off-campus programs may count as one or two cognates with prior approval of the student's adviser.
IV. Senior Experience: All seniors are required to take ENVS 0401, the ENVS senior seminar devoted to regional case studies and requiring significant interdisciplinary work. Note that some ENVS foci require independent work during the senior year. Students who are not required to do independent senior work in their focus may elect to do independent work in ENVS, which may be carried out as a one or more semester ENVS 0500 project, or as an ENVS thesis (at least one semester of ENVS 0500 followed by one semester of ENVS 0700). Students must carry out this work under the supervision of a faculty member whose expertise is in the area that best characterizes the project. Students planning to conduct independent work are strongly encouraged to speak with their adviser and the director well in advance of enrolling in ENVS 0500.
ENVS 0112 Natural Science and the Environment (Fall, Spring)
We will explore in detail a series of current environmental issues in order to learn how knowledge of principles of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics helps us to identify and understand environmental problems and to shape policies for effective solutions. Topics covered will emphasize transnational environmental issues, including global warming, ozone, species extinction, human population growth, and world food production. 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab. SCI (fall: P. Ryan; spring: S. Trombulak)
ENVS/CHEM 0170 Chemistry in the Environment (Fall)
See Department of Chemistry for course description. SCI (M. Costanza-Robinson)
ENVS/PSCI 0211 Conservation and Environmental Policy (Fall)
This course examines conservation and environmental policy in the United States. In order to better understand the current nature of the conservation and environmental policy process, we will begin by tracing the development of past ideas, institutions, and policies related to this policy arena. We will then focus on contemporary conservation and environmental politics and policy making—gridlock in Congress, interest group pressure, the role of the courts and the president, and a move away from national policy making—toward the states, collaboration, and civil society. 3 hrs. lect./disc. SOC NOR (C. Klyza)
ENVS 0211 Conservation and Environmental Policy (Spring)
In this course we will examine conversation and environmental policy in the United States. We will begin by motivating the need for conservation and environmental policy and providing a brief history of environmental policy in the U.S. Next we will focus on the issue of local versus national control in governing environmental and conservation issues. We will then cover the process of policy design, implementation, and enforcement. Finally, we will explore benefit-cost analysis and the evaluation of public policies. The course will consist of lectures and classroom discussions related to the assigned readings and current environmental policy issues. 3 hrs. lect. SOC NOR (N. Muller)
ENVS 0215 Nature's Meanings (Fall, Spring)
What we think of as "nature" today is the result of a complex and fascinating history. The many meanings of nature emerge from Americans' experiences of the physical world and their understandings of, and contests over, their place in that world. This course will investigate how American meanings of nature have changed from European-Native contact to the present. How have changing meanings reshaped American culture and the natural environment? These questions will be addressed from historical, literary, religious, and philosophical perspectives. Readings may include: Emerson, Thoreau, Marsh, Muir, Leopold, and Carson, as well as other Euro-American and Native American writers. 3 hrs. lect./disc. LIT HIS NOR (fall: K. Morse; spring: D. Mitchell)
ENVS 0240 The Science of Climate Change (Spring)
The 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change declared that “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal,” “that the warmth of the last half century is unusual in at least the previous 1,300 years,” and that “most of the observed increase in global average temperatures…is very likely” to be the result of human activities. Why do human activities affect climate? What climatic changes can we expect, and what will be their impacts? The answers to these questions lie, fundamentally, in the basic physical processes that govern the flows of energy to and from Earth and its atmosphere, the changing composition of the atmosphere, and the cycling of material substances among Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. This course explores these processes and their implications for human-induced climate change, giving students a solid grounding in the latest understandings of climate science. Students will work with real climatic data and will develop simple climate models capable of exploring future climate scenarios. (MATH 0121 or waiver for high-school calculus) 3 hrs. lect. and workshop SCI DED (R. Wolfson)
ENVS/CHEM 0270 Environmental Chemistry (Spring)
See Department of Chemistry for course description. SCI (M. Costanza-Robinson)
GEOG 0320 Geographic Information Systems (Fall, Spring)
See Department of Geography for course description. DED SOC (fall: J. Schroeder, spring: J. Howarth)
ENVS 0350 Portrait of a Vermont Town (CW) (Fall)
In this course we will record, reflect upon, and present the stories of one Addison County town. Students will talk with a diverse range of local residents about their memories, choices, hopes, and anxieties related to the place in which they live. We will offer an intensive experience of interviewing, writing, and videography, and will also count both as an intermediate-level writing workshop in nonfiction and as a cognate for the Environmental Studies major. This workshop will be enriched by a close affiliation with current programs of the Orton Family Foundation and the Vermont Land Trust that are dedicated to celebrating the stories of community. These two outstanding organizations will work with us in indentifying the town on which to focus, in helping students gain significant access to its residents and institutions, and in planning a final series of public presentations. The exact nature of presentations and publications coming out of the course will be determined in the course of the semester. NOR (J. Elder)
ENVS 0360 Environmental Science Practicum (Spring)
The focus of this course is on a group research project designed to answer a specific question in the environmental sciences that involves integration of information and techniques across the disciplines of biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. The specific project will change from year to year, but may include investigation of questions related to water quality, soil chemistry, and forest ecology. The goals will be to gain experience with the skills necessary to conduct research in the environmental sciences, acquire a practical understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science, and develop an appreciation for the power of scientific methodology to answer questions about the environmental effects of human activities. (ENVS 0112, plus at least one introductory lab course in either biology, chemistry, geology, or physics) 2 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab (M. Costanza-Robinson)
ENVS/DANC 0377 Nature and Creativity (Not offered 2008-09)
In this course we will explore the relationship between the creative process and natural processes and phenomena. Among our activities will be: weekly outdoor sessions of observation, journal writing, and sketching; reading of essays by contemporary nature writers and scientists; and exercises focusing on the connection between the human body and the environment. Course work will include a public presentation demonstrating expertise in one art form. (Two ENVS core courses and two studio courses-dance, music, visual art, film/video, theatre, creative writing; Approval only). 3 hrs. lect./disc. ART
ENVS/INTL 0380 Global Challenges of the 21st Century (Fall)
In this course we will begin by studying theories of social and political change, and then we will analyze the systematic causes of poverty and environmental degradation around the world. We will then study prospective solutions, focusing on the role of selective members of global civil society, including social entrepreneurs, in achieving these solutions. Over the course of the semester, each student will prepare a comprehensive analysis on how to tackle and overcome a specific global challenge. Readings will include James Martin's "The Meaning of the 21st Century" and David Bornstein's "How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas" (ENVS 0211 or PSCI 0214) SOC (J. Isham)
ENVS 0401 Environmental Studies Senior Seminar (Fall, Spring)
A single environmental topic will be explored through reading, discussion, and individual research. Topics will vary from semester to semester, but will focus on issues with relevance to the local region and with interdisciplinary dimensions, such as temperate forests, lake ecosystems, or public lands policy. The class involves extensive reading, student-led discussions, and a collaborative research project. (Senior standing; ENVS 0112, ENVS 0211, ENVS 0215, and GEOG 0320) 3 hrs. sem. (fall: N. Jenks-Jay; spring: J. Isham)
ENVS 0500 Independent Study (Fall, Winter, Spring)
A one- or two-semester research project on a topic that relates to the relationship between humans and the environment. The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member with related expertise, must involve a significant amount of independent research and analysis. Students may enroll in ENVS 0500 no more than twice for a given project. (Approval only) (Staff)
ENVS 0700 Senior Honors Work (Fall, Winter, Spring)
The final semester of a multi-semester research project on a topic pertinent to the relationship between humans and the environment. Students may enroll in ENVS 0700 only once. (Previous work would have been conducted as one or two semesters of an ENVS 0500 Independent Study project.) The project, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member, will result in a substantial piece of writing, and will be presented to other ENVS faculty and students in a public forum. (Senior standing; ENVS 0112, ENVS 0211, ENVS 0215, GEOG 0320, and ENVS 0500; Approval only) (Staff)