Proposed Program: Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Geoscience

Challenge to the New Program Proposal
Author: Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

Click here for an MSWord version of this challenge to the proposal.

TO: Jean Hemzacek, Chair

College of Arts and Sciences Academic Affairs Committee

Kate Forhan, Dean

College of Arts and Sciences

Roger Gilman, Associate Dean

College of Arts and Sciences

Laura Sanders, Program Head

Department of Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics

Pratibha Varma-Nelson, Chair

Department of Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics

FROM: Diane Stehman, Chair

Department of Economics Geography and Environmental Studies

DATE: February 23, 2005

RE: Challenge to the ESCI’s proposed Environmental Geoscience major

Geography and Environmental Studies challenges the ESCI proposed New Program – Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Geosciences. This challenge is based on program duplication, lack of necessary breadth, and failure to meet the goals of the program.

Ø Program Duplication. The proposed program duplicates the current ESCI major and overlaps with the Environmental Studies major in Geography and Environmental Studies.

The proposed B.A. differs from the current ESCI B.S. mainly by replacing 25 hours in chemistry, math, and physics with either 5 hours of chemistry or 6 hours of biology and with ESCI electives being available from their current list of elective courses within the department. ESCI claims that no new courses are necessary for this program.

The ESCI proposal states that some of their students would like to study the environment more broadly, but still with a solid geological grounding. Students can already do this by taking an Environmental Studies major in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. Environmental Studies students who are especially interested in geology are encouraged to take a minor in ESCI and – with advisement – to satisfy some of the electives with other courses from the ESCI department. A review of the transcripts of Environmental Studies majors shows that most have declared a science minor. The transcripts also show that Environmental Studies students are taking science courses beyond their General Education requirements in departments other than their declared minor.

Ø Program lacks necessary breadth. The ESCI proposal requires 38 hours of ESCI courses and only one course from a science department outside of ESCI. This does not provide the necessary breadth students will need to prepare them for the potential careers (business, law, journalism, politics, land planning and development, anthropology, environmental medicine, library and information science, applied information technology, and international relations) referred to by the ESCI proposal.

To give students’ knowledge of the environment and working approaches to solutions of environmental problems, a multidisciplinary, problem-oriented major is needed. This is the philosophy of the Environmental Studies major in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and appears to be the philosophy of environmental programs at other universities. This can be summed up in the diagram below.

Environmental issues are generally very complex; they require an understanding of both the natural sciences and human/social environments. Local and international political structures, demographic forces, philosophies, cultures, and economic issues must be addressed along with the biological, atmospheric and geological ones. It is not possible to adequately prepare students to address complex issues – such as land use, water quality, waste disposal, pollution, economic growth, population pressure, resource depletion, and urbanization – from a predominantly geological perspective. The multidisciplinary Environmental Studies major provides an appropriate background for examining such complex issues.

Ø Program does not meet the stated goals.

The proposal states that this major will serve students who want to study Earth Science but “want to obtain a more liberal education in Geosciences with an emphasis on environmental issues.” This cannot be accomplished within a program that relies only on existing ESCI courses with just one or two required courses outside of ESCI. All environmental programs that we have examined, including the programs listed in the ESCI proposal, include many courses outside of ESCI to provide the student with the necessary tools to examine environmental issues.

In several of the performance criteria it is stated that a “Scientific paper OR paper/project applying principles of Environmental Geosciences to other discipline” is required as proof of stated goals. The proposal suggests that a single 300-level major course will suffice. A student will be ill-equipped to write a meaningful scientific paper without a thorough background developed through a coherent group of courses from the other discipline, as well as the proper grounding in mathematics and other sciences.

The proposed program will not be able to meet the performance criteria with a community service project without a multidisciplinary background. Without courses in a non-science discipline, students will be unable to apply geologic principles to successfully complete a community service project.

Goal 3 of the proposal states that “Students will obtain the knowledge and skills needed for good citizenship – especially the ability to make informed decisions about land-use, resources and the environment and to continue life-long learning about environmental geoscience-based issues.” Without taking any social science courses beyond General Education requirements, students will not be able to make informed decisions about land-use, the use of resources and the environment.

Statement 5 of the proposal claims that the proposed program will prepare students for multiple careers and life-long learning. The only evidence presented to support this claim is a quote about a program in Geology which includes cognate courses in math, chemistry, and physics, and not an environmental Geoscience curriculum that omits these. The proposal provides no evidence that the proposed degree will prepare students for multiple careers or life-long learning.

It is not possible for the ESCI program to adequately address the large environmental issues claimed with just currently offered courses- or without a shift of mission which will duplicate an important part of what Geography and Environmental Studies already provides. The marriage between Environmental Studies and Geography has worked well. Geography is uniquely positioned between the natural and social sciences and, like Environmental Studies, it necessarily integrates many fields. Where Environmental Studies focuses on solving complex environmental problems, geography attempts to understand patterns of spatial distribution. Questions such as “where?,” “why there,” “where next?” and “where should …?” require synthesis of parts of many disciplines from the social and natural sciences. These questions are the domain of geography, and the geographers’ approach is invaluable to Environmental Studies. Both naturally and by design, many “Geography” courses also appeal to “Environmental Studies” students, and vice-versa; indeed, the department’s combined M.A. (Geography and Environmental Studies) with 31 active students, is testament to the successful marriage. Attached is a partial list that shows that our students are successfully working in diverse environmental careers.

The faculty of Geography and Environmental Studies would like to work more closely with ESCI to improve students’ preparedness for environmental careers. A second environmental B.A. is not the best way to utilize scarce university resources.

Northeastern Illinois University

Geography and Environmental Studies

Sampling of Students and Alumni Working in an Environmental Field

March 10, 2003 – Revised February 21, 2005

Public Open Space and Natural Resource Agencies

Elected Leadership

Cary Park District (Illinois)

Phil Stanko, Board member, former president

Planning and Management

Cook County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

Chet Ryndak, Conservation Supervisor

Kane County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

Drew Ullberg, Director of Planning

John DiFulvio, Area Manager

Lake County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

James Anderson, Natural Resource Manager

McHenry County Conservation District (Illinois)

Ed Collins, Natural Resources Manager

Pat Howard, Restoration Technician

Jackie Batson, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Michael Martinez, Development and Acquisition Specialist

Will County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

Marcella DeMauro, Director of Planning and Operations

Village of Glenview

Robyn Flakne, Natural Resource Manager

Interpretation and Education

Cook County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

Irene Flebbe, Interpretive Naturalist, Sand Ridge Nature Center

Nancy Halliday, Interpretive Naturalist, River Trail Nature Center (retired)

Michelle Goldberg Motlowitz, Interpretive Naturalist, River Trail Nature Center

DuPage County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)

Margie Martinson, Interpretive Naturalist

McHenry County Conservation District (Illinois)

Patricia Runkels Sebastion, Education Services

U. S. National Park Service, Great Falls Interpretive Center, WDC

Kathleen Kelly, Interpretive Naturalist

Governmental Environmental Regulatory and Planning Agencies

City of Chicago

Ray Carrell, Director of Environment, O’Hare Airport

Nicole Kamins, Department of Environment

John Raffetto, Garfield Park Conservatory

Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission

David Clark, Research Department

Libby Hill, Associate Planner

Irene Hogstrom, Associate Planner

U. S. Department of Commerce

Adam Gibson, GIS Specialist, Federal Bureau of Fire Arms

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V

George Azevedo, Water Program

Pauline Gambill, Public Affairs

Mick Hans, Media Relations

Megan Gavin, Environmental Education Specialist

Michael Gentleman, Water Resources

George Opek, Environmental Scientist

Karen Rodriguez

Dolly Tong

Holiday Wirick

Jane Lilienfeld-Jones, Inspector General

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chicago Field Office

Kris Lah, Endangered Species Coordinator

Chivia Horton

Private Environmental, Consulting. Technology, and Service Firms

Earth Tech (Environmental Consulting)

Teri Radke, Ecologist

Geoanalytics (Geographics Information Systems, etc.)

Peter Thumb, President

Huff and Huff, LaGrange, IL (environmental consultants)

James Novak, Senior Environmental Scientist

Kowalenko & Bilotti, Inc. (Management, Engineering, and Environmental

Consultants)

Tony Bilotti, Vice President and Technical Services Director

Carolyn Cullen, Researcher

Natural Areas Ecosystem Management

Randy Stowe, President

Karen Downing Stowe, Vice President

Paramatrix, environmental consulting firm, Seattle

Pat Togher, Researcher

Red Buffalo Nursery

Jack Kaskel, Owner

Scientific Control Laboratories, Chicago

Dan Bell

Wight Consulting

Paul Jahn, GIS/FieldCoordinator

Witness Tree Native Landscapes

Mary Zaander, Co-Owner

Not-for Profit Environmentally Related Organizations

Camp Maquoketa, Frankfort, IL

Tina Riley, Guest Services Manager

Chicago Botanic Garden

Susanne Masi, Research Botanist

Joan O’Shaughnessy, Ecologist

Quaker Earthcare Witness (Headquarters in Burlington, VT)

Alice Howenstine, Member of Steering Committee

Friends of the Chicago River

Chris Parson, Manager of Education and Stewardship Programs

McHenry County Defenders (Illinois) (“Citizens Working for a Healthy Environment”)

Alice Howenstine, Member of Board of Directors and Manager

of McHenry Recycling Center (volunteer)

Barbara Day, Board Member

National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.

Janice Wolf, Senior Researcher, National Geographic Channels

International

Nature Conservancy (Illinois Chapter)

Laurel Ross, Director of Conservation Programs

Peggy Notebart Nature Museum

Cynthia Vasquez, Supervisor of Volunteer Programs

Prairie Club, (Chicago)

Lorry Davies, Environmental Consultant and former Executive Director

Land Conservancy of McHenry County

Linda Balek, Land Protection Specialist

Industry

Motorola Corporation

Kregg Salvino, Environmental Safety and Health Manager

Weyerhaeuser Lumber

David Wing, Recycling Education

Standard Parking Corporation, Chicago

James A. Wilhelm, President and CEO

Education

Joliet Junior College (Illinois)

John Schroeder, Chairman, Geography Department

North Side College Prep High School, Chicago

Jack Giles, Chairman, Dept. of Social Studies

Oakton Community College (Illinois)

David Rodgers, Faculty, Environmental Science

Northeastern Illinois University

Libby Hill, adjunct faculty

International Resource Development

Mexican Office of Ecology, Mexico City

David Salazar, Associate

Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE),

Punta Gorda, Belize

Wil Maheia, Executive Director

Published Authors of Environmentally Related Books

Richard Carter. Cabin Fever, Dialogues with Nature. St. Paul, MN: Galde Press.

1995.

Andrea Jauck (with Larry Points). Assateague, Island of the Wild Ponies. New

York: Macmillan. 1993.

___________. Barrier Island Birds. Mariposa, CA: Sierra Press. 2000.

Libby Hill. The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History, Lake Claremont

Press, August 2000.

Susanne Masi (with Thomas M.Antonio). The Sunflower Family in the Upper

Midwest. Indianapolis: Indiana Academy of Science. 2001.

Nancy Halliday, artist for Mammals of North America (Princeton Field Guides)

by Roland W. Kays and Don E. Wilson, Princeton: Princeton University

Press. 2002.

* Almost all of these students graduated with a degree in Geography, Environmental Studies or an M.A. in G&ES. A few are current students nearing completion. Several did not complete their degrees, but associate themselves with the department anyway.

Department of Earth Science

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

Northeastern Illinois University