Academics

Issues of the environment, sustainability and climate change have increasingly become part of the curriculum over the years at WCC, both in an informal way through the initiative of individual instructors, and formally as part of course master syllabi. Recently, three new programs were initiated which have a specific environmental focus: the Environmental Science Associate in Science degree, the Environmental Science and Society certificate,  and the Sustainable Building Practices Certificate .  In conjunction with the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment , the Sustainability Literacy Task Force was created and has started planning programs and resources to help move sustainability literacy forward at the College and to make sustainability part of the culture on campus.  Extra-curricular activities are also available to students.

Courses & Programs

Programs:

The Environmental Science programs are designed to prepare students to deal with environmental issues and concerns from a global point of view.  Because environmental science is an evolving, diverse field with various career options, we offer two different program tracks.  The Environmental Science Associate in Science degree is a 2-year program based on physical science which prepares students to transfer to a 4-year institution to complete their Bachelor’s in Environmental Science. This program is designed to give students first hand lab experiences in studying environmental problems from a scientific perspective, as well as propose and implement solutions to sustainability. It is ultimately preparing students for careers in resource management, waste management, sustainability, environmental consultation and the like.   The Environmental Science and Society Certificate is a 5-semester program emphasizing the social science perspective.  Both tracks integrate biology, chemistry and geology.  Two courses, ENV 101 and ENV 105 were developed to be the core courses in the program.

Courses:

For information on sustainability in courses, please refer to the Curriculum, Education and Engagement section of the  WCC Sustainability & Climate Action Plan.

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