The University’s newly improved Environmental Studies and Sustainability department shows much progress after combining the two programs nearly a year ago.

The environmental studies and sustainability program consists of three different academic studies including environmental science, environmental health and environmental policy and analysis.

‘Our goals for this school year were mainly student focused,’ said Program Director Gary Silverman. ‘This program offers such tremendous job support. So we just want more students to know and to take advantage of the program.’

Silverman said the program has implemented new courses that help students in the going green process.

‘For next school year we are trying to create a minor in sustainability,’ Silverman said. ‘We want to teach students on how to use resources the right way so we won’t see the resources they use depleting in the future. Hopefully this will begin in the fall.’

Associate Professor Enrique Gomezdelcampo shared another new project the department has taken on for the school year.

‘The Environmental Impact Studies class is currently taking inventory of greenhouse admissions here on campus,’ Gomezdelcampo said, ‘and we will see the result of that concluding Spring semester 2010.’

The Interior Arts Program on campus has also implemented new sustainability features to the program.

‘We are now using a lot of books that are about both being environmental friendly and interior design,’ said Associate Professor Joy Potthoff. ‘In classes what we have been doing to implement the idea of ‘going green’ is talking about energy saving appliances and then the students will make note of those energy saving appliances on their project designs.’

Silverman said as the Environmental Studies and Sustainability program becomes more popular, an environmental studies course might become a required general education course for next year.

Six hundred fifty-six schools across the country have signed the American College and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment, implementing that a general education course on Environmental Studies and conservation be required for graduation, Silverman said.

Although the University is not among these schools, 16 in the state of Ohio have signed, the most pertinent including Ohio state, Ohio University and Toledo.

‘I am an advocate for signing the American College and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment, it is definitely something the University should look into signing,’ Silverman said.’