Information found in this online edition of the 2008-09 catalog is unofficial and for informational purposes only. By authority of the dean of the College, some factual corrections to the printed version may appear here. The official document of record is the printed edition of the 2008-09 Catalog. For more information, please contact the Office of the Registrar.
Environmental Studies
Director: James D. Proctor
Environmental studies situates environmental problems and solutions in a scholarly context and works alongside other academic disciplines to build a more livable world. The field crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries, as deeper understanding of environmental problems and solutions requires attention to a wide range of concepts and analytical methods that span the sciences and humanities.
The Environmental Studies Program benefits from the participation of many departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the School of Law and Graduate School of Education and Counseling. We offer students opportunities for environmental research and engagement on campus, in nearby Tryon Creek State Park, in the Portland metropolitan area, in the greater Pacific Northwest, and in conjunction with Lewis & Clark's Overseas and Off-Campus Programs. The Environmental Studies Program combines intellectual rigor and breadth with practical experience in a vibrant, transdisciplinary field of scholarly inquiry.
The educational objective of the Environmental Studies Program is to provide resources and cultivate an atmosphere whereby students (1) appreciate the intellectual and practical complexities of environmental problems and solutions, (2) master key concepts and methods of environmental analysis drawn from, and integrating, a broad range of disciplines, and (3) fuse this background knowledge and analytical ability with leadership and communication skills to successfully devise and implement creative, academically grounded solutions to environmental problems.
A major in environmental studies is appropriate for students who desire future employment in the environmental arena or who want a broad, systematic liberal arts background to support further scholarly study in related natural science, social science, and humanities fields.
The Major Program
The major includes core courses in environmental studies, breadth courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, and a concentration or second major. In order to build an intellectually coherent understanding of environmental problems and solutions, core courses are designed to weave together concepts and skills drawn from breadth course fields. The core sequence starts with a broad introductory course followed by development of quantitative and qualitative analytical skills and advanced treatment of environmental problems and solutions. It culminates with a senior thesis representing original scholarly research on a topic of practical relevance. Breadth courses in fields including biology, geology, economics, sociology, international affairs, history, and philosophy provide important discipline-specific tools for environmental analysis. As preparation for research culminating in the senior thesis, students choose courses defining a concentration or complete a second major in order to gain greater depth in one particular subfield of environmental studies.
All environmental studies majors are strongly urged to complete Mathematics 131 (Calculus I) to fulfill the Category B graduation requirement for scientific and quantitative reasoning.
Major Requirements
A minimum of 63 semester credits, including the following:
- Twenty-one semester credits of core environmental studies courses, including Environmental Studies 160, 220, 310, 320, and 400, plus 499 (a 1-credit independent study as preparation for 400). Ideally, 160 should be taken during the freshman year, 220 and 310 during the sophomore year, 320 during the junior year, and 400 during the senior year. This schedule may be adjusted to account for overseas study, which all majors are urged to pursue in conjunction with a number of environmental research opportunities. (See below.)
- Twenty-six semester credits of breadth courses in the natural sciences (and two of Biology 141, Chemistry 110, and Geology 150), social sciences (Economics 260 and Sociology/Anthropology 305 or International Affairs 257), and humanities (Philosophy 215 and one 4-credit humanities elective, to be approved by the student's advisor prior to taking the course).
- A 16-credit concentration, designed to build thematic specialization in a coherent research area that the student will choose for the senior thesis, plus adequate analytical preparation to do this research; or a second major. The concentration may take a natural science, social science, or humanities focus, but must be proposed at the time the major is declared, and no later than spring semester of the sophomore year. At least two courses must be upper division.
Please contact the Environmental Studies Program for proposal details. If pursuing a second major at Lewis & Clark, the student will be expected to complete a senior thesis applying this second field to environmental studies.
Minor Requirements
A minimum of 24 semester credits (six courses), distributed as follows:
- Four core environmental studies courses: Environmental Studies 160, 220, 310, and 320.
- Any two environmental studies breadth courses, drawn from Biology 141, Chemistry 110, Geology 150, Economics 260, International Affairs 257, Sociology/Anthropology 305, and Philosophy 215.
Local And Overseas Research
In collaboration with campus and off-campus partners, the environmental studies program is developing local and overseas sites for student and faculty research, as well as electronic information and knowledge resources to support in-depth inquiry into environmental problems and solutions. Research may count toward a student's concentration as Environmental Studies 499 (Independent Study). Please consult with Overseas and Off-Campus Programs for details on overseas program destinations, and with the Environmental Studies Program for information on local or overseas research opportunities and application procedures.
Internships
Environmental studies majors are urged to complete one or more practical internships as part of their education. The Portland metropolitan area and the Pacific Northwest offer many opportunities for students to learn by working for federal agencies, environmental organizations, business, city government, and other entities. In addition, students have access to a nationwide database of internship opportunities. Majors pursue internships as a partnership between the Environmental Studies Program, the Center for Career and Community Engagement, and the sponsoring entity, with the goal of providing long-term professional and career development skills to participating students, as well as practical application of the concepts and skills acquired during academic studies.
Honors
Students who distinguish themselves academically (GPA of 3.500 in the major and overall) are invited to apply to the honors program. Honors candidates work with faculty advisors to develop proposals for research theses, which must be approved by a committee of three environmental studies faculty members. Generally, the thesis will be completed as a part of Environmental Studies 400 (Senior Seminar). Each student prepares a written thesis in draft form, which must then be circulated to the committee no later than the ninth week of the student's final semester. After the student completes the final version of the thesis and makes a formal oral presentation, the faculty determine whether to grant honors upon graduation.
Sponsoring Faculty
Charles R. Ault Jr., professor of education.
Barbara A. Balko, associate professor of chemistry.
Donald G. Balmer, U.G. Dubach Professor of Political Science, emeritus.
Stephen Dow Beckham, Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Professor of History.
Paulette F. Bierzychudek, William Swindells Sr. Professor of Natural Sciences.
Greta Binford, assistant professor of biology.
Kenneth E. Clifton, associate professor of biology.
Eban S. Goodstein, professor of economics.
James L. Huffman, Erskine Wood Sr. Professor of Law.
Bob Mandel, professor of international affairs.
Jay Odenbaugh, assistant professor of philosophy.
Bruce M. Podobnik, associate professor of sociology.
James D. Proctor, professor of environmental studies.
Daniel J. Rohlf, associate professor of law.
Elizabeth B. Safran, associate professor of geological science.
Tod Sloan, professor of counseling psychology.
Gregory A. Smith, professor of education.
Herschel B. Snodgrass, professor of physics.
ENVS 160 Introduction To Environmental Studies
Proctor
Content: Scholarly perspectives on environmental problems and solutions, integrating concepts and analytical skills drawn from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Foundation for all subsequent courses in the environmental studies major. Lectures, faculty and guest presentations, regular online assignments, individual and group research projects.
Prerequisite: Biology 141, Chemistry 110, Economics 100, International Affairs 100, Sociology/Anthropology 100 or 110, or consent of instructor. Enrollment limited to first- and second-year students except by consent of instructor.
Taught: Annually (spring), 4 semester credits.
ENVS 220 Environmental Analysis
Proctor
Content: Development of research and analytical skills in environmental studies as preparation for upper-division work by majors. Emphasis on formulation, practice, and communication of research. Skills span full range of allied fields, including ecological modeling, descriptive and inferential statistics, geographic information systems, survey and interview techniques, and bibliographic research. Lectures, individual and small-group assignments, and course project.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 160. Enrollment preference given to departmental majors fulfilling degree requirements.
Taught: Annually, 4 semester credits.
ENVS 244 Practicum
Staff
Content: Nonclassroom learning experience combining theoretical concepts and skills learned in the classroom with practical work in an on-campus or off-campus setting. Additional readings and written assignments required. Arrangements for the practicum should be made during the semester prior to enrollment.
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. At least two courses from the core major requirements listed above.
Taught: Each semester, 1-4 semester credits, credit-no credit.
ENVS 310 Environmental Problems
Proctor
Content: Advanced analysis of environmental problems as they emerge from the intersection of human-environment relations, environmental change, and cultural values. Development of interdisciplinary conceptual and analytical skills to explain environmental problems, and rubric to compare environmental problems across time, space, and cultural context. Lectures, regular online assignments, individual and group research projects. Enrollment preference given to departmental majors fulfilling degree requirements.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 160 and 220, or consent of instructor.
Taught: Annually, 4 semester credits.
ENVS 320 Environmental Solutions
Proctor
Content: Advanced formulation and analysis of solutions to domestic and international environmental problems, focusing on environmental movements, environmental politics and policy, legal and institutional dimensions, and effectiveness of attempted solutions. Emphasis on the development of civic engagement skills. Lectures, faculty and guest presentations, regular online assignments, individual and group research projects. Enrollment preference given to departmental majors fulfilling degree requirements.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 310 or consent of instructor.
Taught: Annually, 4 semester credits.
ENVS 400 Senior Seminar
Proctor
Content: An advanced, integrative keystone seminar involving primary research for all senior environmental studies majors. Research theses are based on each student's concentration within the major and include both oral and written components. Students are encouraged to start planning their theses through meetings with the instructor during the previous semester or, preferably, even earlier. Students should have completed all other environmental studies core courses prior to taking this course.
Prerequisites: Environmental Studies 310, 320, and 499. Senior standing or consent of instructor.
Taught: Annually (fall), 4 semester credits.
ENVS 460 Topics In Environmental Law And Policy
Proctor
Content: Introduction to issues in environmental law and policy. Taught by environmental and natural resources law faculty of Lewis & Clark Law School, the course covers major areas in environmental law. Topics vary and may include water law, the Endangered Species Act, hazardous waste law, environmental justice, environmental law enforcement, the World Trade Organization, public lands law, the Clean Air Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Panels discuss careers in law and study of law. A unique opportunity for students interested in careers in environmental law and policy.
Prerequisites: Political Science 305 or 330. Junior standing.
Taught: Alternate years, 3 semester credits.
ENVS 490 Topics In Environmental Studies
Staff
Content: Application of concepts and skills from Environmental Studies 160 and 220 to the understanding of specific environmental issues. Potential topics include biodiversity, climate change, energy, environmental justice, international agreements, land use, natural resource depletion, pollution, sustainability, transportation, and urban sprawl.
Prerequisite: Environmental Studies 160 and 220, or consent of instructor.
Taught: Alternate years, 4 semester credits. May be taken twice for credit if topic is different.
ENVS 499 Independent Study
Staff
Content: Opportunities for well-prepared students to design and pursue a substantive course of independent learning on an advanced level. Details determined by the student and the supervising instructor. Candidates for honors will register for this course. Students should have completed all the environmental studies core courses (except Environmental Studies 400) prior to taking this course.
Prerequisites: Junior standing. Consent of instructor.
Taught: Each semester, 1-4 semester credits.