Greening Gators: UF offers new minor in sustainability studies

June 3, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To strengthen its commitment to the environment, the University of Florida has established a new undergraduate minor in sustainability studies.

Housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the interdisciplinary minor is a compilation of courses already offered across the university, with the exception of a newly created introductory course, Facets of Sustainability, and a new capstone course that features internships, Sustainability in Action. Students choose from four tracks of study, which include diverse course offerings from several UF colleges and departments. The tracks are:

• Ethics, Culture and Human Behavior
• Economics, Law and Policy
• Production Systems and the Built Environment
• Ecology and Environmental Stewardship

The minor was created at the request of Student Government, and a student-faculty ad hoc committee worked on the project with the support of UF’s Office of Sustainability. The faculty adviser for the program, political science professor Leslie Thiele, said the minor has the capability of becoming the most popular on campus.

“The minor can complement any major,” Thiele said. “The idea is to bring the knowledge and skills of sustainability to students, no matter what career field they choose.”

The College of Design, Construction and Planning is in the process of establishing an undergraduate major in sustainability and the built environment. These new academic programs are just one step toward UF’s goal of becoming a leader in sustainability. The University Relations office recently launched “Think Before You Ink,” a campaign aimed at reducing printing and photocopying on campus. The Office of Sustainability has rolled out a Green Team initiative, supporting volunteer ambassadors across campus committed to greening their departments and units.

“UF plays a leading role in training the scientific, social, political and cultural leaders who will make a difference in the world,” said Dedee DeLongpré Johnston, director of the UF Office of Sustainability.

“Whether the world is a more livable place for future generations is in no small part a function of the knowledge and skills we impart to our students and the values they develop in their years here.”

For information on the new minor, go to http://www.clas.ufl.edu/sustainability/.