Environmental Sciences, Page 1 of 44 Undergraduate Major in Environmental Sciences College of Agricultural & Life Sciences and College of Letters & Science Initiation Date, August 23, 2011 1. PROGRAM IDENTIFICATION 1.1 Title of Proposed Program Degree: CALS: Bachelor of Science, L&S: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science Major: Environmental Sciences 1.2 Department or Functional Equivalent Environmental Sciences Program Committee (proposed), supported by the Department of Soil Science and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 1.3 College, School, or Functional Equivalent College of Agricultural and Life Sciences College of Letters and Science 1.4 Timetable for Initiation September 2011 begin major, admit students 1.5 Delivery: This is an on-campus program, not a distance education program. It has some online/distance instruction within courses. 2. PROGRAM CONTEXT This proposal establishes the context for an Environmental Sciences major to be available to undergraduate degree-seeking students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) or in the College of Letters and Science (L&S). This document outlines the philosophical and practical justification for this major, and proposes a curriculum and a governance structure in support of this major. It is supported by a curriculum description (section 3.3), a recommended course structure for the major (Appendix 1), and a four-year plan for a student matriculating through the program (Appendix 5). This is a major that is built on in-depth coursework in mathematics and natural sciences coupled with advanced coursework on and experiences with contemporary environmental issues and solutions. It provides pathways for students with an emphasis either on life science or physical science aspects of environmental sciences, while providing the breadth that is essential for this major. 2.1 History of Program: The concept of a UW-Madison major focusing on the environment has been discussed for many years. A March 1996 CALS document, An Update of College Plans to Recognize New Realities prepared and disseminated by the CALS Academic Planning Council and college administration, identified a need for "greater integration of natural resource and environmental principles into agricultural science." The CALS Office of Academic and Student Affairs (now Undergraduate Programs & Services) asked the Department of Soil Science 1
Environmental Sciences, Page 2 of 44 to "Lead the formal integration of environmental studies into College majors and degrees so that undergraduates receive appropriate recognition for studies in environmental sciences. This may involve coordination with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies (NI) and should be a broad-based effort that provides opportunities for any department in the College to consider an environmental option." The UW-Madison has a rich history with respect to environmental issues, and many members of the UW-Madison faculty and staff contribute extensively to scholarship in environmental areas within their traditional disciplines. After the 1996 charge was issued, the faculty undertook several years of discussion with colleagues across campus. Eventually, this discussion led to what we believe is a creative solution to a challenging issue. Rather than create one program that attempts to span the breadth of the university, two distinct programs are needed to best reflect the breadth of faculty scholarship and wealth of opportunities for students. Both of these programs will be interdisciplinary; however, each will have different approaches and emphases. Thus, as a campus, we propose to have two new majors. In this proposal, we present an Environmental Sciences major with emphasis on the physical and biological sciences. Under the leadership of the Nelson Institute, an Environmental Studies major is being proposed in a separate document, with an orientation to the breadth of the environment across disciplines and a requirement for coupling with a disciplinary major. This epiphany not only revitalized discussion of this major focused on intensive study of the science of the environment, but it also coincided with the increased UW-Madison commitment to enriching the undergraduate learning experience. The articulation of a distinct UW-Madison Wisconsin Experience emphasizes the need for inquiry-based opportunities for undergraduate education via research apprentices, internships, service learning, the Research Scholars Program, First-Year Interest Groups (FIGS) and related scholarship. An Environmental Sciences major is entirely consistent with, and directly supports the Wisconsin Experience and its emphasis on helping students to acquire practical and analytical skills and working to solve real-world problems in creative and entrepreneurial ways. These principles of connected learning on topics that are relevant and useful are at the core of the proposed program. Thus, the current proposal is grounded fully in the scholarly strength of UW-Madison, as it may best be realized for students seeking a challenging and rich educational experience. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has the capacity to lead in undergraduate environmental education, but we are the only one of our peer institutions 1 that does not currently offer an Environmental Sciences major or very similar degree at the undergraduate level. In fact, most universities offer such a program often as a collaborative effort between different departments or colleges. According to Educational Testing Service and College Board statistics, 686 accredited four-year universities offer an environmental sciences major or similar. We believe that such a major will be of considerable value for the students of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and enhance the disciplinary strength that already exists within the college. 1 The University s Office for Academic Planning and Analysis recognizes an official faculty salary peer group for many study purposes. This group includes UCLA, UC-Berkeley, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas, the University of Illinois, the Ohio State University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Washington, Michigan State University, Indiana University and Purdue University. 2
Environmental Sciences, Page 3 of 44 2.2 Instructional Setting: The Environmental Sciences major will be an interdisciplinary program that draws primarily upon courses offered in CALS and in L&S thus facilitating its completion in either college. As proposed, a small group of common core courses in environmental science builds on a broad set of courses in science fundamentals. After completing the core, students may either choose from a variety of focus areas that encourage them to pursue greater depth of understanding in specific environmental areas, or distribute advanced coursework among thematic areas of interdisciplinary study. The program culminates with an integrative capstone experience (a capstone course, an internship or a senior thesis related to environmental sciences). The major is developed in recognition of and coordination with strengths in the study of the environment throughout UW-Madison campus. As described in more detail in subsequent sections, the program calls upon the strengths and interests of the CALS and L&S faculty and their departments. Initially, the program will call upon courses and expertise found in departments in CALS and L&S. At the same time, the program design affords other units across campus the ability to contribute to the curricular offerings, and we envision opportunities for many future partnerships. Students, their advisors, and the program committee will tailor the curriculum to meet student interests and emerging needs. Moreover, we believe this structure will allow students wishing to double-major to do so. 2.3 Relation to Mission Statement and Strategic Academic Plan: The primary purpose of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is to provide a learning environment in which faculty, staff and students can discover, examine critically, preserve and transmit the knowledge, wisdom and values that will help ensure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all. 2 With specific reference to the proposed Environmental Sciences major, the campus is charged with offering broad and balanced academic programs that are mutually reinforcing and emphasize high quality and creative instruction at the undergraduate, graduate, professional and post-graduate levels. We conclude that an Environmental Sciences major is not only consistent with the mission of the university, but is timely given the breadth and depth of its scholarly, research and creative endeavors at this university. Undergraduate education in environmental sciences is solidly within the mission of CALS, as we seek to improve the quality of life by discovering, critically analyzing and sharing knowledge in food and agriculture, the life sciences, natural resources and environmental stewardship, and rural community development and to offer strong, research-based education that is responsive to public needs and social, economic and environmental concerns. We seek to advance students' technical competence, problem-solving skills and intellectual growth and broaden their appreciation of cultural diversity and environmental stewardship. 3 2 From Select Mission of the UW-Madison at http://www.uc.wisc.edu/docs/2008_university.pdf 3 From http://www.cals.wisc.edu/office/cib/index.html 3
Environmental Sciences, Page 4 of 44 The study of Environmental Sciences is also consistent with the mission of L&S, which includes goals to provide an intellectual community in which students and faculty can discover, examine critically, integrate, preserve, and transmit knowledge, wisdom, and values; foster undergraduate and graduate education and research in the liberal arts, encompassing the humanities, the arts, the social sciences, the physical sciences and the biological sciences; [and] encourage interdisciplinary linkages throughout the University4 Thus, in terms of these goals, the study of Environmental Sciences enhances the tradition of the liberal arts and sciences, since understanding this subject will necessitate the integration of information from many disciplines, and critical thinking about that information. Few fields of study are as interdisciplinary as those that focus on the environment, which arguably involves the most complex systems humankind has sought to understand. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the leading universities in the world in environmental thought and research, with depth and strength in many departments across the campus. The Environmental Sciences major provides a mechanism to span the campus to draw on this strength, and to provide an opportunity similar to what is currently found in most major research universities. 3. DESCRIPTION The Environmental Sciences major will comprise preparatory coursework in the physical and biological sciences, a set of core courses built around four thematic areas of environmental science, an advanced group of focused or distributed electives, and a culminating experience, (described in section 3.3 and appendix 1), and be available to students in CALS and in L&S. The program will be governed by a program committee with representation from departments offering core and specialty courses, and an executive committee, as described in section 5. Administrative support will be provided by the Department of Soil Science, the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and corresponding college-level academic support offices. 3.1 Program Description: The distinctiveness of the Environmental Sciences major will be its holistic, science-based focus on the physical, biological, chemical, and ecological factors that shape the environment in order to address a wide range of concerns and challenges. Students in this major will integrate basic natural sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics) with concepts and methods common to economics, sociology, law, and planning at scales ranging from local to global. To lead students into a coherent set of advanced courses, the curriculum provides life science and a physical science paths into environmental sciences electives. Contemporary environmental issues such as sustainability, environmental health, food systems, and global climate change, as well as traditional resource issues such as biodiversity and air and water management will be imbued in the curriculum. Furthermore, in recognition of the need for advanced scholarship in these fields, this program will also afford, for those students who wish to do so, training sufficient for advanced study. 4 http://www.ls.wisc.edu/handbook/chapterone/chapter1-1.htm 4
Environmental Sciences, Page 5 of 44 3.2 Objectives: Our intention is to prepare students for a wide variety of environmental careers or to provide a sound science basis for post-baccalaureate education. Graduates with this major will be highly competitive for entry level positions in environmental fields. Many professional positions in environmental fields begin with M.S.-level education; our graduates will be strong candidates for terminal M.S. programs, as well as research programs leading to doctoral degrees. The philosophy underpinning this major is the need to provide a broad-based education in the environmental sciences grounded in the hard-sciences and combined with interdisciplinary perspectives on environmental assessment, policy, and management. The objectives of this major are: - to provide a broad-based education in the natural sciences, building on chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology; - to create an interdisciplinary understanding of fundamental concepts and issues in environmental sciences from the perspectives of multiple contributing disciplines; - to complement this subject matter with environmentally-oriented coursework in the social sciences and the arts and humanities; - to provide students with a culminating experience through a capstone course, an apprenticeship or internship experience with an environmental organization or business, a senior thesis, or completion of an undergraduate research project, e.g., the Honors in Research program, centered on an environmental science. Intended Learning Outcomes (Specific to the Major) CALS and L&S, and their academic departments, have embraced the Essential Learning Outcomes for Liberal Education as noted in the American Association of American Colleges and Universities national project, Liberal Education and America s Promise (http://www.ls.wisc.edu/leap/). The Learning outcomes here represent expectations for students in the Environmental Sciences Major. 1. Demonstrate understanding of basic science theories and concepts in biology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics and physics. 2. Understand how human behaviors influence and are influenced by the natural environment and its systems. 3. Understand the complex interactions of natural environmental systems. 4. Understand social and political systems as they affect the environment. 5. Understand international issues and dynamics related to policy and practice in environmental science. 6. Understand fundamental concepts underlying environmental science such as sustainability, ecosystem services, environmental degradation, and global climate change. 7. Understand interdisciplinary inquiry and perspectives related to environmental dynamics. 8. Develop skills in critical thinking, problem identification and resolution that address environmental systems. 9. Develop skills in organizing and presenting scientific information in forms and forums for professional and general audiences. 5
Environmental Sciences, Page 6 of 44 10. Develop skills in effectively engaging and communicating complex scientific problems and solutions to both lay and professional audiences. Successfully addressing environmental challenges is central to human survival and our management of quality of life issues. Graduates can aspire to positions involving the analysis and solution of complex environmental problems that continue to multiply in a world made smaller by population and limited resources. 3.3 Curriculum: The proposed curriculum for the Environmental Sciences major will not only satisfy UW-Madison General Education Requirements (which all undergraduates must meet), but it will also fit within the degree requirements for both CALS (Bachelor of Science) and L&S (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science). This structure gives this major its fundamental strength while maintaining the flexibility for departments or interdisciplinary groups of faculty to create specific concentrations of study. Four distinct characteristics underpin the Environmental Sciences curriculum: 1.) a balance between a robust foundation in basic science fundamentals with the flexibility to specialize in contemporary issues facing the environment, 2.) a curriculum that fosters an educational community where students within the program can identity their peers 3.) an interdicipilary program that draws on the expertise that exists at UW-Madison, and 4.) its contribution to the Wisconsin Idea and preparation for students pursuing graduate school. The Environmental Sciences major can be achieved within the 120 minimum credit requirement for all bachelor s degree in both CALS and L&S at UW-Madison. The program insures that all students will complete the University General Education Requirements (GER) and College-level baccalaureate degree requirements required of all undergraduates. As displayed in Appendix 1, once students declare an Environmental Sciences major, all will be required to meet a minimum set of fundamental coursework in mathematics (calculus and statistics) and the sciences of chemistry, biology, and physics. This introductory coursework helps define a major in environmental sciences, prepares students for upper division coursework that follows, as well as can be used to fulfill GER and Degree-level requirements. Included with this fundamental preparation will be a required 3-credit introductory course in the fundamentals of environmental science that will provide a unifying gateway for all students entering the major. This course will be developed through multi-departmental collaboration by modification of an existing course in geography, environmental studies, soil science or geosciences, or the formulation of a new, cross-listed course. Following this preparation, all students will complete courses in four thematic areas essential to understanding environmental science (Appendix 1). These major requirements are complemented by upper level course electives either distributed or aggregated around a specific area of focus (e.g., restoration ecology). This advanced coursework takes advantage of the expertise unique to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and leads to a culminating experience that serves to unify the major. For this, students will choose between a capstone course, an internship, a senior thesis, or a undergraduate research experience approved by the program committee and advisor. 6
Environmental Sciences, Page 7 of 44 This curriculum design facilitates faculty collaboration and enhances the Wisconsin Experience for our students. Broken into its components, the environmental sciences curriculum consists of the following requirements: General Education Requirements: all undergraduate students must meet the University General Education Requirements (GER). These requirements are designed to ensure that all UW-Madison students have performed satisfactory work in distributed breadth requirements, Communication, Ethnic Studies, and Quantitative Reasoning courses. Many GER courses may also be used to satisfy degree and major requirements. Degree Requirements: students will meet requirements appropriate to the baccalaureate degrees they complete in CALS and in L&S. For example: CALS students will complete a first year seminar, coursework in excess of GER in the physical, biological, and natural sciences, as well as credits completed in international studies. L&S students will complete additional requirements related to foreign language, and coursework in excess of GER in the physical, biological and natural sciences, as well as arts and humanities and social science. Major Requirements: All Environmental Sciences students will be required to take: Introductory coursework in the natural sciences. This coursework will provide a series of intensive science fundamentals to prepare students for more advanced coursework and focused areas of study. These requirements include introductory mathematics through one semester of calculus, chemistry through one semester of intermediate level 5, an introductory biology sequence, a calculus-based physics course, and introductory statistics 6. A 3-credit gateway course in environmental science that will either be modified from an existing course or newly developed with others on campus involved in the major. At least one course (12-16 total credits) will be taken from four thematic areas including: Ecology; Physical Environment; Environmental Policy & Social Perspectives; and Geospatial Information Sciences. These areas are consistent with environmental science programs at comparable U.S. institutions. These 5 For example, Introductory Organic Chemistry and Laboratory for life science path students, Fundamentals of Analytical Science or Environmental Chemistry for physical science path students. 6 Students will be encouraged to declare an intention to complete the major in accordance with the rules associated with the college in which they will earn their degrees. Students may not enter their advanced coursework until they have completed these requirements. Any additional prerequisites beyond these minimum requirements (e.g., a second semester of organic) will be determined by the student and their advisor as they plan upper level coursework. Note that, by design, these introductory courses also meet General Education and Degree requirements at UW-Madison. 7
Environmental Sciences, Page 8 of 44 courses are either currently offered or could be readily fashioned from segments of other existing course, and reflect existing UW-Madison expertise in the environmental sciences (Appendix 1). Up to 12 credits of intermediate (I) or advanced (A) electives, either distributed or aggregated within an Environmental Sciences Focus Area 7. These upper-level courses are arranged to provide a greater depth of study on topics where problem-solving is emphasized. Focus areas will be approved by the Environmental Sciences Program Committee and are anticipated to include multi-disciplinary groups of faculty expertise that already exists at UW-Madison. This strategy is also intended to allow new focus areas to develop in response to emerging issues, to encourage faculty to transcend departmental boundaries, and to draw upon the creative enterprise of the cluster hiring strategy. Examples of several focus areas have already been envisioned, including Agricultural Ecosystems, Environmental Remote Sensing, Restoration Ecology and Ecosystems, Urban Ecosystems, Earth System Science, Air and Water Quality, and Climate Change Science. Environmental Sciences students will complete their course of study with a Capstone Experience, which may be satisfied in one of several ways: o By taking one of the many environmental capstone courses already offered on campus; o By completing an internship with an environmental organization or business (consistent with college-level internship approval); o By completing a Senior Thesis focused on an environmental science issue approved by the program committee; o By completing an undergraduate research experience preapproved by the environmental science program committee. Consistent with the UW-Madison desire that every student have a uniquely Wisconsin Experience, this capstone requirement reinforces the goal that students will have an opportunity to develop their collaborative and integrative thinking skills while experiencing the challenges of working on "real world" environmental problems. We hope, too, that this requirement will encourage students to contribute to the Wisconsin Idea. These requirements are intended to achieve specific learning objectives of the proposed Environmental Sciences major that stem from four unique components of this major: (1) a foundation in the basic physical and biological sciences; (2) a common core understanding of the four key domains of Environmental Science; (3) social science coursework intended to connect this understanding of the science to the societal context in which economic and policy decisions are made; and (4) the ability to bring this broad knowledge to bear in an area of focus. Students graduating with this major will be able to: 7 Focus Areas will be described on program materials, but will not be noted on official student records (e.g., transcripts). The 12-credit elective requirement will be included in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS). 8
Environmental Sciences, Page 9 of 44 draw on a foundation in the physical and biological sciences in exploring environmental issues; identify and explain the fundamental characteristics of environmental issues; apply skills relevant to problem solving in environmental science specializations; communicate and collaborate effectively with scientists and professionals trained in a broad array of basic and applied sciences. To summarize, this program is intended to create opportunities for students to work with faculty to develop a program of study unique to University of Wisconsin-Madison, so they can become the environmental leaders of tomorrow. To achieve this overall objective in the context of the educational mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this major brings together departments across the campus to satisfy the growing demand among entry-level students for a rigorous, science-based program that promotes critical thinking and emphasizes environmental problem solving in service to society. 3.4 Interrelationship with Other Curricula: The Environmental Sciences major is intended to complement, and not compete with, other UW-Madison programs that have an environmental orientation. Many departments across the campus offer one or more courses with an environmental focus, and students in majors offered by those departments may be able to choose courses in a way that leads to some degree of specialization in the environment within their discipline. The Environmental Sciences major is unique in providing a breadth of understanding of science-based environmental issues, enhanced by perspectives provided by the social sciences, arts and humanities. Three programs are discussed in more detail in the Comparable Programs section below (Environmental Studies Certificate, Geography major, and Biological Aspects of Conservation (BAC) major), along with the Environmental Studies major also currently under development. While developing this proposal, we have communicated with the faculty involved in these programs, so we would be better able to define how these mutually supportive initiatives can exist in multiple units and serve separate audiences. The program outlined in this document is a full major (unlike the Environmental Studies Certificate), and is structured to allow students to pursue studies in Environmental Sciences more deeply and broadly than is possible within other majors. We have included letters of support from all of these programs. The Department of Biological Systems Engineering has an Emphasis Area in their undergraduate major Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering. This emphasis area is specified in students degree transcripts. Underlying general education and science requirements for this curriculum are similar to the proposed major; the major requirements themselves delve into engineering and management of the physical environment to greater depth. The undergraduate Environmental Engineering Option in Civil and Environmental Engineering has moderate overlap with the proposed Environmental Science major. The following are identified areas of overlap: 1. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department teaches an introductory course in Environmental Engineering and Science (CEE 320), which will have some overlap with the proposed introductory gateway course for the major. Currently, CEE 9
Environmental Sciences, Page 10 of 44 320 attracts about 20 Biology students per year. This number may be reduced with the creation of the proposed gateway course. 2. Because some faculty in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department have research programs in either Environmental Engineering or Environmental Science, there is a specific track within the option that focuses more on environmental science than on engineering fundamentals. Specifically, this track builds on the Department s expertise in Environmental Chemistry and in Biotechnology. Environmental Engineering Option students must fulfill all other course requirements within the Civil Engineering curriculum; thus CEE majors have a large number of required engineering science and civil engineering courses that will not be required in the proposed environmental science major. Therefore, the environmental science major and the environmental engineering option target different audiences. 3.5 Accreditation Requirement: There are no program-specific accreditations required or anticipated for the proposed program. 3.6 Diversity: Just as the field of environmental science benefits from the contributions of diverse disciplines, this major will benefit from the participation of diverse students and faculty. Student Diversity - Promoting racial and ethnic diversity will be a significant challenge for the Environmental Sciences major, as targeted minorities are generally under-represented in science and environmental fields; gender diversity, by contrast, may be easier to achieve. On the positive side, this challenge has been explicitly recognized as a key aspect of the environmental justice movement; for more than a decade, federal agencies have been required to include evaluation of how environmental impacts are distributed across differing socio-economic and racial segments of the population. Communities of all kinds, including socio-economically disadvantaged areas, are increasingly aware of how the environment affects their health and well-being. Students will be able to pursue other areas of emerging interest in communities of color in the Environmental Sciences major, including aspects of community and regional food systems, and the interaction of the build environment and public health. With its orientation to applied problem solving and the ability to specialize in particular topics that can be taken back to communities, we hope to provide a major that will appeal to students from currently under-represented populations. For recruitment and retention, we will connect with campus-wide efforts to attract students of color into science programs such as the PEOPLE program, the Summer Science Institute, and the McNair Scholars program. In addition, CALS is developing connections with Milwaukee high schools, as well as the Chicago and Minneapolis High Schools for Agriculture and Science around urban agriculture; Environmental Sciences is attractive to at least some of the students involved in these efforts. CALS also has connections with the two Native American colleges in Wisconsin (College of the Menominee Nation and the Lac Courte Oreille Ojibwa Community College) and has matriculated students on 2+2 arrangements. The program will also work closely with the Office of Scientific Outreach of the Institute for Cross College Biology to provide outreach and opportunities for potential students who are interested in Environmental Sciences. Summer Research Opportunity Programs (SROPs) have also proven effective in recruitment of students to programs in the college and we expect to participate in those programs as well. Additionally, the University and College have begun outreach to other populations in the state 10
Environmental Sciences, Page 11 of 44 such as those of Hispanic and Asian ancestry to increase their interest and attendance at the University. We will integrate our efforts into these activities as well. Finally, we will also direct recruitment activities toward those who are making the transition from military into civilian life, a newly targeted population. L&S is home to many of the campus programs that serve undergraduates in targeted minority groups including the Academic Advancement program and the Pathways to Excellence program, which coordinates many programs and advising experiences with American Indian, African American, Chicano/a & Latino and Southeast Asian American students. Special efforts will be made to reach out to those programs, in particular, with those programs and academic units that have demonstrated an interest in social and environmental justice, e.g., Chican@ and Latin@ Studies and American Indian Studies. In addition, the Undergraduate Research Scholars program within L&S, which is designed to help first- and second-year undergraduates get handson experience in research, can assist students in identifying opportunities to work with faculty and research staff in environmental areas thus promoting interest and support for involvement in the environmental sciences major. This collaboration is further facilitated by its integration into the capstone experience of the Environmental Sciences curriculum. L&S will also work closely in highlighting the environmental science major with campus-wide initiatives and programs designed to promote interest in science for women through the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) programs, as well as with underrepresented minorities in general through the Wisconsin Alliance for Minority Participation (WiscAMP). The strong faculty-student relations that are a hallmark of many of the participating departments will be a feature of the new major as well. All incoming students in the Environmental Sciences major, including students of color, will be assigned to advisors who are experienced and successful in their majors, creating a mentorship relationship that supports the success of all students. Faculty Diversity - Because the proposed program has been planned with the understanding that no new faculty will be hired specifically for the program, and that the current UW-Madison faculty and course array are sufficient to field the program, the diversity of the faculty is bound by the current faculty profile, and will only be influenced by patterns of hiring and promotion in participating departments. Currently, about 17% of UW-Madison faculty are minorities, and about 30% are women; specific percentages vary somewhat from department to department. The distribution of minority faculty across divisional affiliation also varies, from 19% in the Physical Sciences, to 15% of the Biological Sciences (the Arts and Humanities and Social Studies have 18 and 16%, respectively). The greatest percent of faculty in these groups are found in the untenured ranks (26% of assistant professors are minorities, and 42% are women), reflecting changes in hiring practices and the fruits of focused, strategic hiring initiatives. At the campus-level, faculty policy toward diversity in hiring is contained in Faculty Senate Document 257, which recommends that deans "withhold approval of any tenure-track appointment not accompanied by specific evidence of a search in which every reasonable effort was made to identify and interest qualified women or minority candidates." Hiring departments must file a Recruitment Efforts Plan (REP) with the campus Office for Equity and Diversity, which reviews REPs before positions may be advertised. The OED offers guidance to departments concerning how to recruit minority candidates and develop diverse applicant pools. 11
Environmental Sciences, Page 12 of 44 Efforts to expand the pool of minority and women candidates in the sciences, in particular, have been the special focus of the Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute (http://wiseli.engr.wisc.edu/), which has served as a campus- and nation-wide resource for teaching hiring committees how to overcome implicit bias in reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and making hiring decisions. All chairs of L&S search committees are required to participate in WISELI workshops; chairs of CALS search committees are strongly encouraged to participate in these workshops and most do so. Consistent with recommendations of the L&S & CALS Equity and Diversity Committees, the dean s offices in both colleges actively encourage recruitment of qualified minority candidates and women in under-represented areas. In L&S, for example, in addition to providing funds that allow departments to bring two potential faculty candidates to campus for each authorized faculty appointment, the college also funds one additional visit if the department has identified a qualified woman or minority candidate who might not be one of the two top candidates, but whom they wish to bring for a campus visit. In addition, the Office of the Provost has Strategic Hiring Funds to help fund the initial years of high-priority faculty hires, including tenured or tenure track minority faculty, and women faculty in areas where they are under-represented (see Figure 1 for long-term trends). Once faculty are hired, two key factors ensure that diversity does not decline: tenure rates and department climate. Analyses conducted by the Provost s Office of Academic Planning and Analysis show that 72% of male non-minority, 65% of female non-minority, 63% of male minority, and 60% of female minority faculty are promoted within 9 years. Efforts are under way to reduce the gap between tenure rates for minority and non-minority faculty. In L&S, these efforts are guided by recommendations made by the Equity and Diversity Committee; many of these recommendations seek to improve various aspects of the mentoring-to-tenure process. The CALS Equity and Diversity Committee recently completed a climate survey of faculty in the college that, on the whole, indicates a positive and supportive climate exists within the CALS departments. The CALS EDC has been sharing the results of this survey with the college and encouraging steps to maintain and enhance the positive climate. In addition, CALS is participating in the 2011 fielding of the UW System Climate Study, which will provide additional information that may assist with improved hiring and retention practices. 12
Environmental Sciences, Page 13 of 44 UW- Madison Faculty Hires by Minority Status 45 40 Minority Faculty Non- Asian Minority Faculty 35 30 Madison Plan Percent 25 20 15 Strategic Hires SHI - 2 10 5 0 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 Year of Hire Figure 1. UW-Madison Faculty Hires by Minority Status. Source: Academic Planning and Analysis, 2010 Diversity Report. 3.7 Collaboration with other University and Community Units: Each of the two initiating colleges has identified a department that will serve as the administrative focal point within each college. For CALS, the Department of Soil Science will provide an administrative home for students completing the major in combination with the CALS Bachelor of Science degree; for L&S, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences will serve as the administrative center. Both of these departments will work with interested faculty from other departments (regardless of college) via the program committee. The program will also have the support of the CALS Office of Undergraduate Programs and Services and L&S Undergraduate Academic Services. At a minimum, we anticipate interest from faculty in the CALS departments of Agronomy, Community and Environmental Sociology, Forest and Wildlife Ecology, Landscape Architecture and Soil Science, and the L&S departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geography, Geoscience, and Zoology. All these departments offer courses with significant environmental science content appropriate for the new major. The Environmental Sciences curriculum in this proposal includes the opportunity to create focus areas built around advanced coursework.(appendix 1). The opportunity to specify an area of focus is open for any group of faculty or department across the campus with an interest in advising students and a commitment to offering the courses. It is likely that most focus areas will have connections to CALS and L&S, though we welcome faculty participation from all schools and colleges. 13
Environmental Sciences, Page 14 of 44 The Nelson Institute has received permission to plan a new major in Environmental Studies, which (if approved) will be available to students as a second major in any college, including CALS and L&S. Discussion with leaders in the Nelson Institute continue and will ensure that this joint CALS/L&S initiative and the Nelson Institute s Environmental Studies major, will complement, rather than compete with, each other. Appendix 2 on program governance describes how these majors will articulate. Given the breadth of environmental concepts and issues that are addressed in units throughout the campus, we believe that both environmental majors, as well as departmentally-based programs can co-exist meeting separate student demand and mutually supporting each other through cross-listed courses and a wider intellectual community. 3.8 Outreach: The Environmental Sciences major focuses on education of undergraduate students. Faculty and the departments supporting the major have engaged in credit and noncredit outreach consistent with the Wisconsin Idea. We have developed and offered courses to reach practitioners using a combination of off-campus and online instruction. Some faculty members have an integrated appointment with University of Wisconsin Extension and conduct applied research, as well as provide consultation and education statewide related to environmental issues. Department faculty and staff have collaborated in conducting applied research, education and service projects that foster community building and engagement and many of these include undergraduate students. The campus has also embraced the Wisconsin Experience for undergraduate education as well. The Wisconsin Experience carries the intention that undergraduate students should have significant experience in serving others as part of their education at Madison. The Environmental Sciences program accepts this challenge and will connect with the broader community through service learning projects, internships, and capstone course research projects. 3.9 Delivery Method: The proposed program is an on-campus program. Some courses include online components, and face-to-face portions of some courses have been offered periodically off campus. These efforts make courses more accessible for practitioners who may participate along with campus students. Some courses are offered in the extended timetable and summer sessions, these options are controlled by offering departments, not the major program committee.. 4.0 NEED Our goal is to create an Environmental Sciences major that can satisfy the growing demand among entry-level students for a rigorous, science-based program that emphasizes environmental problem solving in service to society. We believe an untapped student population seeks a rigorous education grounded in the basic natural sciences, but oriented towards interdisciplinary, holistic approaches to environmental problem solving rather than traditional, discipline-based training (see Appendix 1). The University of Wisconsin-Madison has the human resources, facilities, and courses to provide a comprehensive major for these individuals provided that we work together to coordinate advising, instruction and mentoring in a coherent fashion. The demand for graduates with training in environmental sciences is expected to remain strong. The U.S. Bureau of Labor tracks employment of Environmental Scientists and Specialists. In 2006, they predicted a 25% growth in the number of jobs in this field in the next decade. 14
Environmental Sciences, Page 15 of 44 Eduventures is a private consulting company that provides assessment of national and regional trends in employment related to proposed majors. In December 2008, they reported to a Michigan university on a proposed Environmental Sciences major 8 : Environmental scientists and specialists, including health; environmental engineers; environmental science and protection technicians, including health; environmental engineering technicians; hydrologists; and geoscientists are projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations in the U.S. through 2016. Therefore demand for educational programming related to these fast-growing occupations is favorable. 4.1 Comparable Programs at UW-Madison: Two existing majors (Geography, Biological Aspects of Conservation) and one certificate (Environmental Studies) have some overlap with the proposed Environmental Sciences major. As previously noted, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is also proposing a new major in Environmental Studies. Appendix 3 elaborates why both environmental majors are needed and how they are distinctive. Geography offers numerous courses that will fulfill Environmental Sciences major requirements, including courses in three of the four thematic areas. Physical Environment, Geospatial Information Sciences and Environmental Policy and Social Perspectives requirements can all be fulfilled through course work in Geography s options in Physical Geography, Cartography and GIS, and People-Environment. However, Environmental Sciences majors will have the option of fulfilling these requirements through numerous other courses, and don t have the depth of study in geography per se. In addition, the environmental sciences major requires substantially more coursework in mathematics and physical and life sciences than the geography major. Biological Aspects of Conservation (BAC) focuses on a subset within the broader realm of environmental sciences largely concentrated in biology. As noted on the website, the program emphasizes basic knowledge of natural history, whole organism biology, ecological interactions, and conservation biology. This corresponds to the ecology core, one of four thematic areas of the Environmental Sciences major. BAC intends to prepare students for careers in conservation and resource management, while the proposed major is more oriented to environmental protection in a wide variety of areas. Conservation is one important subset of study of the environment, so we will invite the BAC faculty to propose a conservation focus area for this proposed major. The Environmental Studies Certificate is a 26-credit adjunct to any undergraduate major. It is intended to provide a broad introduction to environmental issues from the perspective of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. In this program students can learn about society's environmental problems and issues; study environmental science, policy, literature, art, and philosophy (from the Nelson Institute website). This certificate is not preparing students for careers focused on the science of the environment, though it provides evidence that students have added some understanding of the environment while completing their disciplinary major. It would be an appropriate and welcomed complement to the Environmental Sciences major by providing additional exposure to social science and humanistic perspectives on the environment. 8 Demand for and Supply of Environmental Science Programming. Custom Research Report, Eduventures Inc., December 2008. 15
Environmental Sciences, Page 16 of 44 4.1.a Comparable Programs in Wisconsin: Two UW System schools (UW-Green Bay and UW River Falls) offer an undergraduate major in Environmental Science, while UW-Milwaukee offers a major in Conservation and Environmental Science. UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point offer a major in Environmental Studies, while four campuses (in addition to UW-Madison) offer certificates in environmental studies or sciences. All of these programs have some similar features, but each is different in terms of audience and orientation. Appendix 4 illustrate a comparative summary of the in-state programs, including recent numbers of graduates. 4.2 Comparable Programs outside Wisconsin: Nationally, Environmental Science/Studies is a very popular major with literally hundreds of programs in existence. One survey from 2006 placed the number of Environmental Science programs at 4-year institutions in the U.S. at 359; the number today is likely to be slightly larger. Within the region, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Iowa State University, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) and Northwestern University all offer an Environmental Sciences major (or similar; see Appendix 4 for a comparison of programs in nearby states, including recent graduation rates). Most programs that are in Wisconsin or nearby states have modest enrollments that are stable or increasing; Iowa State has seen a slight decline, perhaps due to a major reorganization of their natural resources and environmental science programs in the early part of the decade. The program at University of Illinois is the largest Environmental Sciences major in nearby states. 4.3 Regional, State and National Needs: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that more than 93,000 people were employed as Environmental scientists and hydrologists in 2006, with a median annual income of $56,100. This number is projected to increase to more than 104,000 by 2016, a 25% increase in jobs over this ten-year period. Many of these positions are with state or federal agencies (35%), but a significant proportion (36%) exist in the private sector. Job growth is expected to be particularly strong in the areas of industrial ecology and resource recovery, climate change analysis and adaptation, pollution prevention, and environmental protection. Current graduation rates from Wisconsin colleges and those of nearby states appear inadequate to satisfy the expected demand, but these statistics do not provide the complete picture of employment in environmental sciences. The data focus on physical sciences and hydrology (programs currently exist in hydrology, geology and soil science) but additional career opportunities are expected to be available in environmental ecology and conservation, environmental chemistry and environmental biology. These areas are more interdisciplinary by nature and for which no program currently exists. In addition to specific technical skills, experience in problem solving, consensus building, information management, communication, and critical and creative thinking will be valued by those hiring environmental scientists in the coming decades. 4.4 Student Demand Future Enrollment: The administrative and curricular structure proposed here will provide sufficient capacity for the following projected enrollment and number of degrees for the first five years. 16