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INTRODUCTION AND PHILOSOPHY

"A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE"

Concept

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 students must complete, and in which faculty from all four 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.

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 collaborative 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, (click here for a list of the nine FGCU Student Learning Goals)
• to enable a working understanding of sustainability, of environmental education, and of ecological literacy.

Study will be through reading and discussion, writing, and extensive 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, Powerpoint presentation, 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.