Urban and Environmental Policy Program
Environmental Problem Solving, Spring 2006
Professor Mark Vallianatos
mvalli@oxy.edu
323 259 1458
Thursdays, 3:00 to 4:30 in the UEPI conference room
The Environmental Stewards class allows students to become campus greening practitioners and to advocate for a more environmentally sustainable Occidental College. This semester, the course will focus on environmental opportunities and challenges at the College. Students will pursue projects that (1) gather information about Occidental’s environmental impacts; (2) explore how campus institutions and decision making processes react to greening suggestions; or (3) promote institutional changes that will accelerate environmental reform. During the semester, students will capture their thoughts on campus greening possibilities and on the progress of their work in a new blog hosted by the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental.
Course Readings:
Bartlett and Chase, eds. Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change. MIT Press, 2004. Available at Bookstore.
Additional articles, chapters, and memos. Available in electronic reader.
Class Schedule
January 26: introduction to course goals and methods. Brief history of stewardship and campus sustainability efforts at OXY.
February 2: avenues of environmental change on campus. What are the challenges? Who has the power? What are the processes for institutional change?
Readings:
Sustainability and University Life, chapter 7, pgs. 105-112
Greening the Ivory Tower, pgs. 11-27
Barlett and Chase, Sustainability on Campus: “Introduction,” pgs. 8-24.
February 9: strategies and tools for campus greening.
Readings:
"Memo on Resurrecting the Council for a Livable Campus"
Environmental Scorecard: page 114 in Sustainability and University Life
Talloires Declaration, http://www.ulsf.org/pdf/TD.pdf
Campus Ecology - Campus Environmental Audit Response Form in appendix - skim
“Greening Occidental” - skim
February 16: develop group or individual projects.
Readings:
February 23: discuss and begin to implement projects
March 2:
March 9:
March 16: Spring break no class
March 23:
March 30:
April 6:
April 13:
April 20: Earth Day activities this week
April 27: Reflections on class and lessons for future environmental stewards
Grading:
Class participation: 30%
Project participation: 50%
Blog writing: 20%
Office Hours:
· 2-3 pm, Thursdays at UEPI building, or by appointment.