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About COE

Wesleyan created the College of the Environment in 2009 with a belief in the resilience of the human spirit and a desire to develop a long-term vision of human and ecosystem health. We believe that the high productivity and interdisciplinary nature of Wesleyan's faculty; the intellectual, questioning, activist nature of its students; and the intimate relationship of the faculty-student teaching experience create opportunities for Wesleyan to make significant contributions to re-orienting our nation's and the world's trajectory.

 

Mission of the College of the Environment (COE)

The College of the Environment will:

  1. Graduate students:
    1. who can interpret scientific, environmental  information
    2. who are able to engage both scholars and the lay public in discourse about environmental issues (mode of expression varied)
    3. who understand connections between environmental issues and social or political issues
    4. who can formulate well-considered opinions and develop compelling arguments about environmental issues
    5. who have been engaged with scholars in the field who are making important environmental contributions
    6. who have both practical and theoretical experience in environmental issues by undertaking a senior project (includes theses, essays, performances, etc. - depending upon student area of specialization - not required for Certificate recipients)
  2. Gather annually a group of Wesleyan faculty, scholars of prominence, and undergraduate students into a year-long academic think tank on a critical environmental issue.  The aim of the think tank is not only to generate a deeper understanding of the thematic issue, but also to produce scholarly works that will influence national/international thinking and action on the issue. The think tank should serve as a focal point for the global intellectual community concerned with the environment.
  3. Community & Outreach
    1. Continually engage the entire Wesleyan and greater Middletown Community in education and discussion about environmental issues through a variety of public events (e.g., festivals, invited speakers, workshops, etc.)
    2. Facilitate internships (non-credit-earning) to provide students with research opportunities and "real world" experience (e.g., internships with NGO's, governmental organizations, businesses, etc.)

 

The College of the Environment will integrate the following components

  • a curricular component comprising the newly established environmental studies major and the environmental studies certificate
  • a think tank
  • a student research/internship program and Collaborative Research Initiative community outreach

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