Environmental Studies BA Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Environmental Studies BA program delivered by the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at California State University Hayward, is to provide a quality, interdisciplinary environmental education from across the liberal arts and the sciences as the basis for achieving an understanding of the principles and processes that determine human interactions with and impacts on our local, regional and global environment. We promote the study of our environment as a core academic discipline necessary to assess ecological interdependency, building a cornerstone for the understanding of critical relationships between human beings and the other living and non-living components of our complex world. Our Environmental Studies BA program provides students with a broad-based, interdisciplinary education that requires them to acquire knowledge, synthesize information, and cultivate critical thinking skills across a range of subject areas including politics, law, economics, biology, chemistry, geography and geology. We empower our majors to become active, articulate and capable problem-solvers with respect to environmental issues and their societal implications, providing them with the suite of analytical tools, field experience, and computer techniques necessary to do so. Graduating majors are well-rounded generalists, possessing a basic familiarity with the multiple disciplines fundamental to understanding society, the economy and the environment, but also have acquired a depth of knowledge in a narrower sub-specialty in which they can directly apply the broader multi-disciplinary skill set developed through the general curriculum. Environmental Studies students also accumulate work experience and insight through one or more internships in private or public entities active in environmental management, education or other relevant endeavor. Graduates possess the fundamental skills of critical thinking, articulate communication and quantitative analysis, practice independent assessment of issues tempered by compassion, and posses the means to become informed, responsible and active citizens. Graduates are prepared and able to enter the workforce or continue on to advanced studies in the field of Environmental Studies or a closely related area of expertise.

Environmental Studies BA Program Goals

Each student will be provided with a continually developing, technologically rigorous, scientifically strong, and highly applied environmental curriculum emphasizing broad-based, inter-disciplinary knowledge acquisition, critical thinking, excellence in written and communication skills, and the learning of both laboratory and field methods.

Each student will realize and/or intensify their passionate and enthusiastic desire to become environmentally more aware and begin a life-long learning process of knowledge acquisition in this field of study.

Each student will better appreciate the theoretical and practical aspects of regional and global ecological interdependency, and thus will be more equipped to make thoughtful, meaningful and sustainable life decisions to minimize their environmental impacts at the local level and beyond.

Each student will acquire hands-on environmental field experience in urban and rural settings in the Bay Area and beyond.

Each student will complete at least one environmental internship with a public or private entity in which they will gather valuable experience and insight into their own interests, strengths, and career objectives while contributing to the implementation of some practical aspect of environmental management or education in California and/or elsewhere.

Each Environmental Studies graduate will be prepared to be ready to enter jobs closely related to the major or to continue on to graduate studies in a related field, should they desire to do so.

APPENDIX II.3 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES BA DRAFT PROPOSED ASSESSMENT TIMETABLE

ASSESSMENT METHODS / WHEN/WHERE
(COURSE/TIME) / ADMINISTERED BY / PERSON ASSESSING ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL / FEEDBACK MECHANISM TO STUDENTS / PERSON ANALYZING AND REPORTING DATA
OUTCOME (EXIT) BENCHMARK / Student self-assessment
Portfolio assessment
Program evaluation*
Alumni questionnaire / Administered prior to exit interview. Discussed during exit interview.
Before & after exit interview
When completing filing process for graduation
1 and 3 years after graduation date. / Worldwideweb or Departmental Secretary
Faculty Advisor
Departmental Secretary
Assessment Coordinator / Student
Faculty Advisor/
Assessment Coordinator
Student
Student / Exit interview
Exit interview
Final report (anonymous)
Email or letter and Final report / Assessment Coordinator
Assessment Coordinator
Assessment Coordinator
Assessment Coordinator
MIDWAY BENCHMARK
(on or around end of quarter in which student achieves senior status i.e. at beginning of final year) (note, for students that declare the major as freshpersons, there may be more than one midway assessment) / Student self-assessment
Portfolio assessment
Program evaluation* / Administered prior to midway interview. Discussed during midway interview.
Before and after midway interview
Around time of midway interview / Worldwideweb or Departmental Secretary
Faculty Advisor
Departmental Secretary / Student
Faculty Advisor/
Assessment Coordinator
Student / Midway interview
Midway interview
Final report (anonymous) / Assessment Coordinator
Assessment Coordinator
Assessment Coordinator
INCOMING (ENTRY) BENCHMARK
(on or around the date that students declare the major or transfer into the major) / Student self-assessment
Portfolio assessment / Administered prior to entry interview. Discussed during entry interview.
After entry interview / Worldwideweb or Departmental Secretary
Faculty Advisor / Student
Faculty Advisor/
Assessment Coordinator / Entry interview
Entry interview / Assessment Coordinator
Assessment Coordinator

* Note that students will turn in a compulsory program evaluation which will be unmarked and placed in a locked container by the Departmental Secretary in random order. These evaluations will not be assessed until all of the eligible students for a given catalog year have completed their evaluation and turned them in. This will guarantee anonymity of the respondent and ensure confidence in their ability to provide true and accurate assessments of the program, both negative and positive.