Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Department of ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Academic Year 2014-15 Assessment Report MISSION STATEMENT
The Environmental Studies Program seeks to provide students with the literacy, skills, and commitment needed to foster a healthy natural environment and
to create a more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful world. To these ends, the Environmental Studies Program educates and challenges students to become
knowledgeable, motivated, and engaged in environmental affairs. Our students acquire the skills and awareness to promote positive social change and
improve the environment and communities of Montana and the world, for current and future generations.
DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES and ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC ISSUES
1. Environmental science: Students gain an understanding of basic natural and social science principles that inform environmental decision
making; principles and applications of ecology and ecological systems; the scientific method, its strengths, limitations, and holistic approaches;
the use of science in environmental policy making and problem solving.
Students also gain competency in ecological field studies; analyzing the credibility of sources of scientific information; and researching,
synthesizing, and presenting scientific information in both oral and written form and using science to support social justice, and economic and
environmental sustainability.
(UM SI #1, 3, 4) Innovative/Noteworthy: Watershed Health Clinic
2. Environmental policy and politics: Students gain an understanding of policy making processes, related institutions, organizations, and decision
making tools; history and theory of natural resource and environmental law, policy, & regulation; and history, leading figures, and current issues of
the environmental movement.
Students also gain competency in researching and analyzing policy issues; communicating such analyses and political messages both orally and
in writing; and devising strategies and organizing to influence policy decisions.
(UM SI #1,2,3,4,5) Innovative/Noteworthy: Transboundary Issues Field Courses; Environmental Leadership Series; Biannual Legislative Field
Trips
3. Environmental thought, literature, and communication: Students gain an understanding of the history of Western environmental thought and
ethics and a basic understanding of non-Western perspectives and familiarity with nature writing and environmental studies “classics.”
DEPARTMENT OBJECTIVES and ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC ISSUES
Students also gain competency in applying environmental thought and ideas from history and literature to inform individual and societal actions in
the present and future; and communicating such applications orally and in writing using a variety of strategies and approaches.
(UM SI #1, 3, 4, 5) Innovative/Noteworthy: Camas, biannual student-produced environmental literary magazine; Wild Mercy, annual reading series
4. Engagement: Students gain competency in strategies and techniques for addressing environmental problems and promoting social, economic,
and environmental sustainability; develop a commitment to ethical and culturally-sensitive civic participation and other forms of community
engagement.
(UM SI #1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Innovative/Noteworthy: Environmental Leaderships Series, Biannual Legislative Field Trips, Required ug Internships; UM
FLAT
5. Disciplinary depth, subfield emphasis, and career preparation: Students gain disciplinary or subfield depth through completion of a
disciplinary minor (or second major) or an emphasis, consisting of specific coursework and an internship. Students gain skills for entry level
positions in environmental professions and for further education in environmental studies and related fields.
(UM SI #1, 3, 4, 5) Innovative/Noteworthy: Nine available faculty-advised Focus Areas for undergrads; 3 credit Required Internships; UM FLAT
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS
Goals
Measurement Tools
1. Prepare students for careers
Review of
Placement Info
and Alumni
Follow-up re:
jobs
2. Develop understanding and competence in civic, social,
community engagement
Successful
completion of 1
or 2 EVST
designated
Service Learning
courses
Review of
Internship
Evaluations –
Min. 3 credits
required for
EVST major
Successful
completion of
volunteer
projects and
reflection papers
in multiple EVST
courses required
for major
Faculty
interviews with
employers (often
EVST grad
alumni)
Successful
completion of
required 3 credits
internship
Successful
completion in
PEAS Farm or
UM FLAT
supervised
internships
Faculty
interviews with
internship
employers and
post-grad (often
EVST grad
alumni)
Whole faculty
review of
curriculum in
terms of career
preparation
biannually
Whole faculty
review, analysis,
and discussion of
Grad Alumni
Survey 2014—
170 respondents.
(This survey also
helped with
assessment in
LG’s 1,3,4,5)
STUDENT LEARNING GOALS AND MEASUREMENT TOOLS
3. Develop understanding and competence in
environmental thought, writing, and literature
Successful
completion of
multiple env.
Humanities
courses required
and elective for
EVST major:
ENST 230, 335,
373, 410, 430
4. Develop understanding and competence in
environmental science
Faculty
monitoring and
review of job and
graduate study
placement
5. Develop understanding and competence in
environmental policy and politics
Pre and post
paper evaluation
in ENST 381 Env
Law
Frequent
consultation
between EVST
faculty teaching
env. Humanities
courses at 200,
300, 400 level re:
student growth in
writing and
conceptual
abilities
Successful
completion of
out-of-dept.
science
requirements in
BIOB, CHMY,
CCS
Frequent faculty
consultation with
graduate TA’s in
undergrad
courses about
levels of student
writing and
knowledge in
areas of env.
Thought and
literature
Successful
completion of
300-level env.
science
requirement
Faculty
monitoring
competence and
understanding in
significant
number of EVST
majors doing
DHC Senior
Thesis projects
and UMCUR
presentations
Biannual faculty
science curricula
and student
progress review
Successful
proposal
completion and
reflection papers
on policy projects
in ENST 476
Env. Citizenship
Whole faculty
biannual review
and discussion of
policy courses,
curricula, and
student progress
Successful
completion of
Env. Policy
required course:
ENST 382 or
ENST 367
Ongoing faculty
advisor interviews
and monitoring
during enire
mentoring
process for
students in focus
area in Env.
Wrtg/Lit
Ongoing faculty
advisor interviews
and monitoring
during entire
mentoring
process for
students in focus
area in Env.
Science and in
Water Resources
Ongoing faculty
advisor interviews
and monitoring
during entire
mentoring
process for
students in focus
area in Env.
Justice and
PreLaw
RESULTS AND MODIFICATIONS
#1 Career: From range of
measurement tools, EVST does a good
job of career preparation, but can focus
on it more in a variety of ways.
Worked to offer graduate/undergraduate overlap through co-convened courses and program events to give
undergrads more sense of post-grad career possibilities and employer needs.
#2 Engagement: From range of
measurement tools, EVST does an
excellent job of engagement skill
development.
Continued what we di in multiple courses and a wide array of extracurricular opportunities that are not
covered in our measurement tools specifically but we know from year-round observation develops many
students’ competence and understanding in engagement on multiple levels and in multiple ways. (See
EVST website conservation calendar and weekly EVST grad and undergrad newslines as examples of
extracurricular opportunities and accomplishments in this area of engagement—understanding and
competence.)
#3 Env. Thought, Writing, Literature
from range of measurement tools,
EVST does a good job in achieving
student goals in this area. Like all
units, we are especially concerned
about writing skills and we need to find
more ways to minor writing
development across the undergrad
curriculum.
We attempted a multi-course, multi-level assigned writing assessment, paying a grad student to read and
review selected papers for 4 courses, but the design of our project was fundamentally flawed and the
assessment could not reach reliable conclusions. Finding dedicated faculty time, or finding funds to do
ongoing, reliable, and meaningful cross-course assessment, in writing, or in other learning goals-outcomes,
continues to be a severe limitation for our unit.
APPENDICES
1. EVST Curriculum Map
Worked to bring more community speakers into classes to offer sense of employment possibilities,
employer needs.
We have added new courses in Env. History and in NA Env. Issues, which have significant Env. Humanities
componenets, and will enhance the achievement of our student learning goals of competence and
understanding in this area.
FUTURE PLANS FOR CONTINUED ASSESSMENT
Design 2 Change of Major Questionnaires, Incoming & Outgoing by Spring 2015. Faculty review and discussion of results annually.
Administer Student Evaluations for Specific Course Learning Goals in key UD courses in Spring 2015. Faculty review biannually.
Design undergrad alumni survey to determine perceived levels of career preparation to be administered in 2015.
Major long-term goal: annual course release for faculty member to coordinate ongoing assessment and research, propse, administer new initiatives.
EVST Undergraduate Program Assessment: Outcomes & Courses
Learning Outcomes A: Prepare students for careers B: Develop understanding & competence in environmental science C: Develop understanding & competence in environmental policy & politics D: Develop understanding & competence in engagement & applied research E: Develop understanding & competence in engagement & applied research F: Ability to conduct research & evidence‐based analysis G: Focus on ethical decision making & direct experience with methods of science H: Be familiar with new developments in science & technology I: Understand global context of and future implications for global issues & decisions J: Ability to communicate effectively, orally & in writing K: Develop critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills L: Develop teamwork skills & the ability to collaborate with others in divers groups 1 x 2 x 3 4 x 5 x 6 x 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x EVST Undergraduate Program Assessment: Outcomes & Courses Learning Outcomes M: Ability to locate, organize, and evaluate information from multiple sources N: Ability to apply knowledge & skills to real world settings O: Develop civic & community knowledge, participation, and engagement P: Ability to think innovatively and creatively Course Key: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 1: ENSC 105: Env Sci 2: ENST 201: Env Info Resources 3: ENST 230: Nature and Society 4: ENST 225: Community and Environment 5: ENSC 360: Applied Ecology 6: ENST 396: Practicum PEAS Farm 7: ENST 335: Env Vision 8: ENST 367: Env Politics and Policies 9: ENST 373: Nature Works 10: ENST 382: Env Law 11: ENST 420: US Env Movement 12: ENST 430: Culture and Agriculture 13: ENST 476: Env Citizenship 14: ENST 480: Food, Agriculture, Env 15: ENST 487: Globalization, Justice, and Env 16: ENST 489: Env Justice Issues 17: ENST 398: Required 3cr Internship 18: ENST 460/70: Appl Tech/Alt Engergy 19: ENST 491: UM FLAT Seminar 20: