We have made a commitment as a university to make environmental education
an integral part of our identity. One of our university-wide outcomes
is that all students will develop "an ecological perspective." A way
to accomplish this perspective is to devise a course, or group of
experiences, with an environmental focus that all FGCU undergraduate
students must complete, and in which faculty from all five colleges
would be involved. Because "ecology" applies to our total living space
and interrelationships, human and natural, it is relevant to all our
disciplines and professions. Thus, an ecology course would touch on
all nine of the university-wide goals and outcomes, and more. Students
would not only be introduced to FGCU values, they would participate
in them.
Mission Statement
Florida
Gulf Coast University continuously pursues academic excellence, practices
and promotes environmental sustainability,
embraces diversity, nurtures community partnerships, values public
service, encourages civic responsibility, cultivates habits of lifelong
learning, and keeps the advancement of knowledge and pursuit of truth
as noble ideals at the heart of the university's purpose.
Approved
by the FGCU Board of Trustees December 2, 2002.
Guiding Principles
Informed and engaged
citizens are essential to the creation of a civil and sustainable
society. The University values the development of the responsible
self grounded in honesty, courage, and compassion, and committed to
advancing democratic ideals. Through service learning requirements,
the University engages students in community involvement with time
for formal reflection on their experiences. Integral
to the University's philosophy is instilling in students an environmental
consciousness that balances their economic and social aspirations
with the imperative for ecological sustainability.
Goals
The University
Colloquium is an interdisciplinary course designed to explore the
concept of sustainability as it relates to a variety of considerations
and forces in the environment. In particular, we will consider ecological
, social, ethical, historical, scientific, economic, and political
influences. The course goals are:
-
to
provide a "sense of place" and an understanding of the unique
ecological features of the environment of which you are a part,
-
to
assist in achieving the Florida Gulf Coast University learning
goal of developing "an ecological perspective" and in teaching
the related outcomes that the student will analyze and evaluate
ecological issues locally and globally, participate in projects
requiring awareness and/or analysis of ecological and environmental
issues,"
-
to
provide experiences to assist in moving toward achieving the eight
other FGCU learning goals and their related outcomes.
-
to
enable a working understanding of sustainability, of environmental
education, and of ecological literacy.
Process
Study will
be through reading, writing, and field experiences. Students will
reflect upon and demonstrate their learning through analysis in short
papers and a reflective journal. The integration of these learning
experiences will be expressed in the form of a final paper, poem,
web page, song, artwork, or other mode of expression negotiated by
the student and the instructor. Successful completion of the course
requirements will earn three-credit hours and completion of this requirement
for graduation from Florida Gulf Coast University. Grades will be
earned based on an assessment rubric which provides the weighting
of the standards for assignments.
Introduction/DL
Colloquium/Spring 2006