Program Development
A proposed stepwise approach to the goal of environmental education at Bellarmine will attract sufficient students to make the undergraduate major, minor, and co-curricular programs viable in a short time. Graduate degrees and certificate programs will require more time and sufficient success in fundraising or institutional grants to underwrite the needed research facilities and a few additional faculty positions. If our first three years go as planned, a proposal for a School of Environmental Studies with graduate degree programs should be proposed as a follow-up to our institutional accreditation review in 2013.
In its academic role, the School can propose and oversee courses under the ES prefix as needed for undergraduate minors and majors as well as graduate programs. Wherever appropriate, courses will be cross-listed with existing departments. For example, an environmental economics course could be cross-listed with Business, and an ecology course could be cross-listed with Biology. As the programs grow, the School will need to add faculty with the ultimate goal of recognition as a school.
Because the proposed mission of the School involves sustainable living and environmental outreach as well, we will introduce co-curricular initiatives in concert with the academic programming. Academic offerings, outreach, and sustainability efforts will be developed in four phases, as outlined below.
- Phase I. (2009-2010) Establish a Bellarmine University School of Environmental Studies and launch minor in
Environmental Studies.
- Phase II. (2010-2011) Develop a B.S. degree in
Environmental Science, and a B.A. degree in Environmental studies.
Create academic unit to oversee Environmental Studies majors. Attract
several part-time or jointly appointed faculty for specialized
courses. Host community discussions on sustainability, and coordinate
scholarship in Environmental Studies disciplines.
- Phase III. (2011-2012) Initiate searches for full-time
faculty for the developing ES program. Establish recruiting,
internship, and advising programs for majors. Begin implementation of
sustainability plan for the campus.
- Phase IV. (2013-2014) Launch School of Environmental
Studies, offering Master's Degree and postgraduate certificate
programs. Hire full-time faculty to support research, service, and
instruction.