Department of Environmental Studies Annual Report
June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009
David A. Sonnenfeld, Chair
Dept. of Environmental Studies
107 Marshall Hall
SUNY-ESF
1 Forestry Drive
Syracuse, NY 13210-2787
e-mail: dsonn@esf.edu; tel. +1.315.470.6636
URL: http://www.esf.edu/es
Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
At the onset of the 2007/08 academic year, the Department was charged by Provost Bongarten
with developing and implementing learning outcome assessment plans for each of its programs. In the
current reporting year, outcome assessment efforts were taken several steps further. These efforts focused
primarily on the Department's Bachelor's and new Masters degree programs. The ESF Writing Program's
long-established and well-organized learning outcome assessment program is a component of the
College's larger General Education outcome assessment effort; as such, it is beyond the scope of this
report.
BS Environmental Studies
In 2007/08, the Dept.'s Undergraduate Studies Committee produced a draft "Framework for
Evidence-Based Program Assessment" document, authored by John Felleman, with assistance from other
faculty members. The committee took up the question of learning outcomes and assessment measures for
the BS Environmental Studies program, and each of its three option areas. In the current reporting year,
the reconstituted Undergraduate Studies Committee, now under Brenda Nordenstam's leadership, focused
on further developing and finalizing an outcome assessment plan for the BS Environmental Studies
program, including laying the basis for implementing that plan through several program curriculum
changes. The BS Environmental Studies Outcome Assessment Plan is included in this report, as
Appendix O.
Two key actions were taken in the current reporting year as a result of this outcome assessment
plan:
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A new, 1 credit-hour senior capstone course was designed, formally proposed, and approved, to
commence in spring 2010 on an elective basis, and for new students entering in fall 2009 as a
required course. Any new transfer students entering in fall 2009 as juniors would be required to
take this capstone course in spring 2011.
A four-year, progressive outcome assessment plan was agreed upon, to commence in fall 2009
with assessment efforts in EST 132, Introduction to Environmental Studies (fall), and CLL 290,
Writing, Humanities, and the Environment (spring), to establish baseline standards and target
levels for the first two program outcomes: critical thinking and communication.
MS/MPS Environmental Studies
The Department's two new master's programs (MS/MPS Environmental Studies) were approved
in November 2007. In May 2008, a subcommittee of the Dept.'s Graduate Studies Committee, consisting
of Richard Smardon, David Sonnenfeld, and Ana Menezes, addressed learning outcome assessment for
that program, producing "draft learning outcome framework documents" for the two programs. In fall
2008, the new master's programs commenced. The same semester, the Department's Graduate Studies
Committee further developed learning outcome assessment plans for these programs, resulting in the
reports included in this report as Appendices P and Q.
Also in fall 2008, EST 600, Foundations of Environmental Studies, the primary first-year core
course in the new degree programs, was taught for the first time. The instructor, Sharon Moran, collected
baseline data for use in program assessment efforts, gathering "a baseline of student knowledge ... through
written and oral methods". Data collected at several points during the semester were supplemented by
student responses in course evaluation instruments administered towards the end of the course. Key
results focused on how well students understood basic interdisciplinary environmental studies concepts
coming into the program, their competence in the English language, and experiences in developing Plans
of Study as part of their masters program. Based on assessment results, Moran recommends "adjustments
of class curriculum, advisor processes, and admission process changes." The latter will be taken up by the
Department's Graduate Studies Committee in the fall.
In spring 2009, as a result of the learning outcome assessment planning efforts completed in the
fall, several modest but significant curriculum changes were proposed, submitted to, and approved by
ESF's Faculty Governance Committee on Instruction:
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EST 626, Concepts and Principles of Sustainable Development, was changed from an optional to
a required course for the MS Environmental Studies program. At the same time, the course,
which had been developed and taught for several years as a shared resource (combined graduate
and undergraduate) course was "split" into separate graduate and undergraduate courses.1
Capstone presentations were formally required for all MPS (as well as MS) Environmental
Studies graduate students.2
In addition to these formal curriculum changes, the Department's Graduate Studies Committee
recommended that:
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A formal 'exit' or completion interview by the student's Steering Committee, be added for all
students (MS and MPS), following the Capstone Presentation. Data collected in this interview
will be used for evaluating both student and program.
Recommendations were made for particular courses, as well, both to strengthen the new programs and
facilitate outcome assessment:
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1
Further develop EST 600, "Foundations of Environmental Studies", to more strongly meet
program objectives, e.g. integration of a new unit focused on development of the student's Plan of
Study.
Further develop EST 797, "Environmental Studies Seminar", to more strongly meet program
objectives, e.g. using it as a vehicle for students to further develop their written and oral
communication skills, and for MPS students to develop their synthesis project proposals.
Develop and implement a new, required course on "Social Theory of the Environment," to
strengthen this aspect of the program.
The undergraduate successor, EST 426, Community Planning and Sustainability, will become a key course in the Department's
newly expanded Environmental Policy, Planning and Law undergraduate option area.
2 They were already required for MS Environmental Students, but not clearly so for MPS students.