Curriculum and Research
Course "Smattering" Descriptions
A smattering of courses available across disciplines in four of the five schools; over 100 courses explore of issues of sustainable development from a variety of perspectives.
225-12300
Systems Thinking and Design: Undisciplined, Out of Control
SS LA 3 credits
An introduction to the perspectives and approaches of systems science and design, particularly emphasizing the usefulness of their combination in planned change in organizations. Sample topics include: thinking across and beyond disciplines; systems types and views; complexity; rational and creative (out-of-control) processes; and the consequences of innovation. Most assignments and projects are set in the context of organizational communication and learning, but their relevance and value extend well beyond.
303-10400
Environmental Biology
NS LA 2a 3 credits
Blends general ecological concepts with evaluations of several environmental problems. Compared to 303-10500, this course deals with fewer topics in greater detail. Topics include the growth and regulation of natural populations compared to human populations; our use and future supplies of energy, from food to nuclear power; and the preservation of wildlife. The pollution of our environment by human activities is emphasized.
303-10600
Plants, People, and Food Production
NS LA 2a 3 credits
Major emphasis is placed on the structure and function of plants; the use of plants in food production; the structure of agricultural technology; the relationship between world food supply and the population problem; scientific, social, and economic aspects of food production.
303-11200
Food, Health, and Federal Control
NS LA 2a 3 credits
Composition of food; basic nutrition; metabolism; roles of microorganisms in food processing, food spoilage, and food-related diseases; government inspection of food; modern methods of the food industry; regulation of the food industry; and the organic food movement.
303-15100
Environmental Science I
NS LA 2a 3 credits
Focus on the biological principles fundamental to understanding human impact on the environment. Discussion of how human activities modify the environment and how their effects can be reduced through changes in individual and societal behavior. An interdisciplinary approach ties together the political, social, economic, and ethical aspects of environmental studies with biological and chemical principles.
303-15200
Environmental Science II
NS LA 2a 3 credits
Continuation of 303-15100. Emphasis is placed on applying underlying scientific principles of environmental problems to current environmental concerns. In-depth examination of specific issues in environmental science, such as renewable and nonrenewable resources; hazardous and solid waste; global warming; ozone depletion; preservation of wilderness and endangered species; and pollution of water, air, and soil.
303-27100
General Ecology
NS LA 4 credits
Presents the basic concepts of ecology with balanced treatment of plant and animal examples. Topics include the interactions among individuals of a population, interactions in their abiotic environment, and interactions with other species. Also discussed are growth, regulation, diversity, and stability of populations and the interactions among populations at the community and ecosystems levels. Laboratories include field and laboratory work and statistical analyses of data.
303-27500
Field Biology
NS LA 4 credits
Survey of the ecosystems of central New York. Areas of emphasis are direct experience of the diversity of ecosystems and their structure and function; adaptations of organisms to specific ecosystems; recognition of dominant and indicator species; human impact on ecosystem function and species diversity; and the methods used to measure these parameters. Lectures emphasize the unique attributes of different ecosystems and the techniques of data gathering and analysis. Analyses of societal impact and management of ecosystems are included.
303-27800
Environmental Health and Medicine
NS LA 3 credits
Discussion of a variety of environmental vectors of disease (air, food, drinking water, and liquid and solid wastes), routes of exposure (occupational, residential, and the unavoidable), physiological effects, and techniques to diagnose, treat, and regulate environmentally induced diseases. Additional topics include recent advances in epidemiology, biological monitoring, and risk assessment.
303-37800
Environmental Toxicology
NS LA 4 credits
Environmental toxicology is the study of how chemicals in the environment adversely affect biological systems. This course explores how organisms respond to pollutants at the cellular, tissue, and organismal level. Lecture topics include the behavior in the environment, routes of exposure, modes of action, mechanisms of bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and biodegradation of common pollutants. The laboratory component focuses on experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation of field and laboratory studies. Laboratory topics include the detection of pollutants and their effects on tissues, biomonitoring, toxicity testing, and the use of this information in assessing risk of exposure to toxins.
303-47900
Aquatic Ecology
NS LA 4 credits
Explores the biological, chemical, and physical features of lakes and streams, features that are related to general ecological concepts and environmental concerns. Focuses on the invertebrate and fish communities and the physiological adaptations of species to the aquatic environment. Theoretical approaches and practical techniques will be addressed.
304-10200
Contemporary Chemical Issues
NS LA 2a 3 credits
A description and discussion of new compounds and materials made by the chemical industry during the past 100 years that have properties superior to those of naturally occurring products. Many of these advances have significantly improved modern living; however, by-products of some of these advances have also decreased the overall quality of life. After an introduction to the language and symbols of chemistry, topics related to contemporary problems and examples follow some compounds from research curiosities to industrial products.
304-10500
Energy and the Environment
NS LA 2a 3 credits
Description and discussion of types and sources of natural resources with a special emphasis placed on energy resources. Background is presented in terms of simple chemical principles understandable to students with majors other than the sciences. Topics of societal concern include air pollution, acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, and upcoming energy shortages. Viable solutions to these problems are discussed.
304-10800
Introduction to Technology
NS LA 2a 3 credits
A course for non-science students with an emphasis on the applications rather than the theories of science. This course examines those technologies, primarily nuclear technology (civilian and military) and biotechnology that will significantly affect our lives in the years to come.
304-11700
Environmental Chemistry I/II
NS LA 2a 3 credits (each)
General principles of chemistry needed for the study of environmental science. Topics include mathematical methods, electronic structure of atoms, stoichiometry, equilibria, acids and bases, thermodynamics, kinetics, and nuclear chemistry; polymers; mechanisms of organic reactions; and nomenclature, structure, and reactions of organic compounds and biochemicals.
306-28100
Environmental Economics
SS LA 1b 3 credits
Introduction to the study of environmental problems with the perspective, analytical ideas, and methodology of economics. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of environmental policy. Topics include the relationship between economic activity and environmental quality, the role of economic analysis in environmental policy decisions, economic analysis of pollution control strategies, and economic analysis of environmental policy in both the U.S. and the international community.
306-28200
Natural Resource Economics
SS LA 3 credits
Introduction to the field of natural resource economics. Topics include the relationship between economic activity and the environment as a source of natural resources and the economics of: depletable stocks of oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium; recyclable minerals; renewable stocks of water, land, forests, fisheries, and wildlife; and species and natural area preservation.
306-30400
Economics of Health Care
SS LA 3 credits
Peculiar economic characteristics of the health care industry. Supply of and demand for health care services; causal and remedial forces of institutionalized frameworks, market mechanisms, and governmental intrusions. Analysis of pricing in terms of the above forces and productivity. Ideal economic characteristics of medical insurance, as contrasted with several proposals for national health insurance. Production for national health insurance. Production function, cost-effectiveness, and benefit-cost analysis.
310-12900
Introduction to Global Studies
SS LA 1b, g 3 credits
The connections between the industrialized nations of Europe, North America, and the Pacific (the "North") and the "third-world" nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (the "South"). From interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives, the course examines a number of global issues - that is, issues transcending national boundaries, such as food and famine; population; foreign aid, debt, and development; natural resources, energy, and the environment; national security and militarism. National and international public policies relating to these issues are examined critically and policy alternatives are explored, as are individual responses and responsibilities. The course emphasizes geographic literacy and global awareness.
310-36600
Environmental Politics
SS LA 3 credits
Examines environmental protection (and destruction) from numerous political perspectives and in relation to various political ideologies. Looks at policy-making aspects of environmental protection. Traces the development of national and international environmental movements. Considers environmental issues in terms of race, gender, and class politics.
311-27000
History of American Environmental Thought
HU LA 1b,h 3 credits
A pervasive theme in the occupancy of North America is the changing and often conflicting perception of the environment. This course focuses on the history of environmental ideas, values, and attitudes. Topics include capitalist, Romantic, and ecological thinking; the goals of conservation and preservation; recent rethinking of primitive experience; and today's dialogue between mainstream environmentalism and deep ecology, the latter including ecofeminism, sustainable development, and biodiversity. Students examine the profound impact each of the paradigms has had on human-environment relations in America.
311-27200
History of the Future
HU LA 1b,h 3 credits
An examination of historical perceptions and visions of the future. Utopian thought and societies, science and technology, war and peace, the environment, and gender relations are the historical themes assessed.
311-483000
History and Global Environmental Change
SS LA 3 credits
The purpose for this course is to develop a scholarly understanding of some of the issues and problems historians are studying in the field of global environmental history. How has the environment affected the social, political, and economic development of different regions of the world and vice versa? Although it is impossible to cover thoroughly the diverse range of human-environmental interactions throughout the world, the course will survey broadly these interactions on six continents, mostly confining in time to the period from 1800 to the present.
314-25000
Environmental Ethics
HU LA 1a 3 credits
A critical examination of various moral problems raised when considering environmental issues. Questions regarding the moral status of animals, future generations, and the environment as a whole are explored. Also taken up are the moral aspects of famine relief, population control, and resource use. These issues, and others, generate challenging and fundamental questions of moral philosophy: What is the basis of obligation? Do animals have rights? What does it mean to say something is intrinsically valuable?
331-40200
Society and Nature
SS LA 3 credits
Explores the assertion that the central activity of the individual and collectivities of individuals must be ecological. Students are asked to investigate their capacity to be ecologically "knowing." What does it mean to define our relationships to the places in which we live? Where is this place? What is relationship? What does it mean to "know" or to "experience" ecologically?
335-45000
Capstone Seminar for Environmental Studies/Science Majors
LA U 3-4 credits
An integrative course that encourages students to apply ideas and concepts learned as an environmental studies major toward a specific area of environmental inquiry or a particular environmental problem. The specific subject matter of the course is determined by the professor teaching it, but common to all capstone seminars is class involvement in a rigorous research agenda, drawing on methodologies from natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Course topics generally focus on local or regional environmental issues, showing their interconnections to global environmental concerns. Students are encouraged to move out of the classroom to conduct research projects. Public presentations of research findings are strongly encouraged.
339-37500
Environmental Anthropology
SS LA 1b, g 3 credits
Examination of the cultural dimensions of the sustainable use and management of natural resources in the context of global efforts to effect social change and economic development. Much of the focus is on less developed countries' indigenous peoples, rural peasants, urban underclass, and their ethnoecologies. Critical attention is also paid to industrialized nations' impact on peoples and cultures of the third world and to their role as dominant forces in establishing global environmental policy. Included in the course are case studies of the United States' "culture of consumption," an examination of the relationship between development and the environment, and a discussion of public policy alternatives.
377-31900
Writing as a Naturalist
HU LA 3a 3 credits
Advanced expository essay course focusing on human interactions with the rest of the natural world. Readings are selected from the writing of naturalists, environmentalists, scientists, legislators, artists, poets, and philosophers. Writing assignments include field observation, description, analysis, and argument.
640-36000
Front Page Public Health: Policy and Epidemiology
SS LA 3 credits
History and theories of the public health perspective. Detailed analysis of major contemporary public health issues in the context of political, economic, and social factors. Theories and uses of epidemiology as a descriptive, analytical, and political tool of public health. Community, regional, national, and/or international public health policies are studied. Attention is paid to current public health issues in the news.
661-27700
Ecotourism and Natural Resource Management
LA 3 credits
Examines ecotourism from an international perspective. Emphasis is placed on management of the natural resources necessary in delivering a variety of ecotourist attractions (wildlife, plant life, scenery). Additionally, cultural resources associated with aboriginal cultures are explored. A majority of the course is spent traveling to various private and public ecotourism ventures (e.g., whale watching, hiking, sea kayaking). Students engage in the ecotourism ventures, as well as meet leisure service personnel who own, operate, and direct these ventures.
662-21300
Wellness for Life
LA 3 credits
An overview of the dynamic nature of the wellness movement. Its historical, social, political, cultural, and economic variables are critically examined. A wide range of wellness modalities, including those that fall under manual, mind-body, herbal, movement, and bioelectrical fields of practice, are included. Cross-cultural paradigms of health and healing are examined and compared. Prevention of chronic disease and health promotion are integrated into the concept of wellness, and disease etiologies and treatments are presented from multiple perspectives. The implications of and opportunities for prevention specialists in schools and communities are emphasized.
662-22900
Disease and Lifestyle
LA 3 credits
Focuses on the leading causes of death and disability in the U.S. today, with emphasis on health promotion through awareness of risk factors associated with these diseases. Topics reviewed include symptoms, morbidity rates, mortality rates, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and psychological and social aspects.
662-32200
Nutrition for the Older Adult
LA 3 credits
Introduces various aspects of aging that involve consideration of nutrition. Emphasis is placed on the physiological and psychological changes that may alter food intake, affect nutrient utilization, and result in different nutrient requirements. Ways that the nutritional status of older adults is affected by prescription medications, chronic disease, poverty, altered mental status, social isolation, and/or physical disabilities are examined.
882-48000
Cases In Contemporary Management
NLA 3 credits
This course is the capstone course for the management concentration with an emphasis on current topics and issues in management. Selected cases are analyzed, integrating knowledge and skills that students acquired from management and management-related courses. Focus is placed on an understanding of the requirements of effective management in various organizational and institutional environments; the role of managerial leadership in guiding employee contributions to the attainment of organizational goals; the need for ethical and socially responsible management, and the role of managers in their relationships with various stakeholders.
882-49700
Sustainable Strategic Management
NLA 3 credits
The course examines the impact of technology on society and the natural environment. We focus on the role of business organizations in managing their impact on the natural environment. Environmental management processes and strategies are reviewed along with the regulatory environment that establishes the minimum environmental performance standards for business. Particular attention is given to current environmental programs so to understand the persistent need for sustained improvements in corporate environmental performance.
887-39700
Environmental Law and Policy
NLA 3 credits
This course is a survey of environmental law and the policies and goals of key federal environmental statutes. Students will examine the role of the Environmental Protection Agency in implementing and enforcing environmental standards, as well as significant case law developments. The course will also focus on domestic and global environmental dilemmas in light of conflicting views over what form of collective action is necessary to achieve the goal of sustainable development.
