Course Overview

College Eight is rolling out a new core course effective the academic year 2009 - 10. The three quarter sequence will be taught by senior tenured professors from the Social Science, Physical and Biological Science, and Engineering Divisions of UCSC. The goal of the core course sequence is to provide students with a solid scientific and policy foundation for environmental citizenship.

Fall Quarter:

CLEI 81A (The Environment and Us), taught by Ravi Rajan, Provost of College Eight (Department of Environmental Studies); and

CLEI 80 A or B (Environment and Society), taught by College Eight and UCSC Writing Program Faculty. This course gives a broad overview of the history of the environmental movement, as well as the challenges we face now and into the future, with a particular focus on environmental justice.

Note: BOTH courses are mandatory for all freshmen.

Winter Quarter:

CLEI 81B, Fundamentals of Environmental Science, taught by Parker, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Patrick Cheung, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences. The purpose of this course is to learn about how science works to evaluate information and make smart decisons in terms of policy and personal choices. Students will also have the opportunity to do hands-on experiential learning.

56556 - CLEI 81B, Principles of Environmental Science. This 5-credit class will satisfy the IN and the Q requirement. MWF 2:00-3:10

This course addresses major issues in physical, biological, and environmental sciences and provides tools to critically evaluate, debate, and make informed choices regarding one's own impact on the environment. Topics include: climate change, water resources, air pollution, evolution, ecology (from populations to ecosystems), and conservation. Quantitative problem solving is an integral part of this course.

Writing 2 The four Writing classes listed below are specially designed to work in tandem with CLEI 81B. This course will draw on the readings and lectures from CLEI 81B. Note, CLEI 81B is a co-requisite for the Writing 2 classes listed below.

50277 - Writ 2-10 MWF 12:30-1:40 McKercher, Patrick

50285 - Writ 2-15 MWF 3:30-4:40 McKercher, Patrick

50305 - Writ 2-26 TTh 10:00-11:45 Hagen, Joy

55783 - Writ 2-34 TTh 12:00-1:45 Hagen, Joy

Spring Quarter:

CLEI 81C, Technological Innovation and Environmental Challenges, taught by Ken Pedrotti, Professor and Chair of Electrical Engineering and Ali Shakouri, Professor of Electrical Engineering. This course explores the critical issues of energy, and investigates solutions. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a group project that will come up with its own creative solution to a real problem.

Writing 2 will be offered.

Note: 1. Admission to the Winter Quarter and the Spring Quarter Core Courses will be open to about half of the incoming class, as well as current College Eight Sophomores, who can take them for General Education Credit. Interested students are strongly advised to enroll as soon as the portal opens in order to be assured of a place.

2. The Winter and Spring courses need not be taken in sequence. Students are welcome to take one of them in their freshmen year and the other in their Sophomore year.

3. Students who take all three courses will receive a College Eight Certificate in Environmental Citizenship.

4. Students who complete all three courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 and above will receive Honors in the Core Course.

5. Students who complete the entire core sequence will receive the following general education course credits: T2, T3, C1 or C2, IN, and Q. Students who take either one or two of the three quarters will receive GE credit appropriate to the courses they have passed. For more information, please contact any of the College Academic Advisors.