St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 10
Environmental Issues
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
1.
Prepared by: Anthony I. Akubue
Phone: 8-3219
Proposal Number:
Email: akubue@stcloudstate.edu
2.
Requesting Unit: COSE
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: ETS 185 Energy Resources and Issues
4.
New Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
Existing Course
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
No
Yes
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
Goal Area 8: Global Perspectives
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
A discussion of energy production, consumption/utilization, technologies, politics, and environmental
impacts.
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
This course is open to all SCSU students, from in-coming freshman through senior undergraduate
students, wishing to take a course in goal areas 10 and 8
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
None
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
N/A
11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment has not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
12/11/2009
The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
12/11/2009
12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 10: Environmental Issues
Examine the interrelationship of humans and the natural worlds from scientific and socio-cultural
perspectives and the complex environmental challenges that result.
At a time when fossil fuels are the major sources of energy worldwide, energy production and consumption
constitute a major source of environmental pollution and alteration of the natural landscape. The emission of
Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, and Nitrogen Oxides can cause global warming, acid rain, and ground-level
Ozone or Smog. These all have human health and ecological implications.
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 10, it must address at least 4 of the 5 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Explain the basic structure and function of various ecosystems and human adaptive strategies within those
systems.
2. Discern patterns of interrelationships of bio-physical and socio-cultural systems.
3. Describe the human institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, and religious) that deal with
environmental and natural resource challenges.
4. Analyze environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships,
ecosystems, and institutions.
5. Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems including issues involving sustainability.
14.
Explain how each of the learning outcomes checked above is achieved by this course.
SLO # 2: Students will be able to explain the interconnectedness of systems through education for energy
literacy. Students will also be able to identify and explain the implications of anthropogenic activities that over
exploit nonrenewable natural resources in a finite environment.
SLO #3: Students will be able to present and explain the precautionary measures being established to deal with
the unintended consequencies brought on by our reliance on fossil energy. Governments of the world are enacting
laws aimed at protecting the biosphere, and international agencies such as the United Nations are convening
conferences to raise public awareness of the impacts of producing and consuming fossil fuels. Energy efficiency,
end-use opproach to energy, and energy conservation are being introduced to curb over exploitation and depletion
of nonrenewable energy sources.
SLO # 4: Students will be able to explain the indispensable role of ecosystems as the source of our dominant
sources of energy--oil, coal, natural gas, Uranium, and the fact that the exploitation of these resources has
accelerated as advancing technology has facilitated access to them no matter their location. Students will also be
able to discuss the nonrenewable nature of these resources and the consequences of their exhaustion before
substitutes for them become technologically reliable and adequate to meet human needs. We know that the
economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the reverse. What happens to the global economy
when the source of its sustenance loses its regerative and assimilative capacities and the effects of emissions from
hydrocarbon-based energy that wither away forests and impair soil productivity is anybody's guess.
SLO # 5: Students will be able to argue persuasively the urgency of establishing a technologically and
economically viable renewable energy industry conflated with with practices of energy efficiency, conservation,
12/11/2009
and end-use energy methods to ensure the longevity of our nonrenewable energy resources and curb
environmental pollution and degradation resulting from accelerated use of fossil fuels. Incorporating
environmentally appropriate renewable energy technoliogies in the global energy mix will promote evironmental
preservation, social development, and economic growth. This, in turn, will engender sustainability.
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further.
Energy supply and sources 10% SLO # 2
Energy demand and consumption 10% SLO # 2
Effects of supply-oriented energy use and energy consumption 10% SLO #4
Energy from coal and effects 10% SLO #s 4 and 3
Energy from petroleum and effects 10% SLO #4
Energy from natural gas and effects 10% SLO #s 4 and 2
Energy from nuclear fission and effects 10% SLO # 2
Direct solar energy systems and effects 10% SLO # 3
Indirect solar energy systems and effects 10% SLO # 5
Energy conversion, efficiency, and conservation 10% SLO #5
12/11/2009
St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department: Environmental and Technological Studies
Course or Course(s): ETS 185 Energy Resources and Issues
Department or Unit Chair Signature
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
12/11/2009
Remarks:
Date