Saturday, October 19, 2024

Climate Change Course Comes to College

According to the Education Data Initiative's website, approximately 19 million people went to college this fall in some capacity: full or part time, freshman through senior. undergraduate or graduate status. 

As a parent of "big kids," I know a few of those 19 million people.

The purpose of college follows this quote of Oprah Winfrey:
“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.” 
Additionally....
  • Education is a lantern that lights up our mind, illuminating knowledge. 
  • It's a compass that guides us to navigate through fact, fiction, mis- and disinformation, understanding, and perspective. 
  • College is a bridge to new ideas, an avenue to insight, and a doorway to the future. 
This year, one college is opening that door even further for their new first-year students. UC San Diego has added the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement. This new course requirement was named for a long time professor of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in November of 2023.

Beginning this fall, student schedules over their college tenure will need to have a one-quarter class on the subject of climate change. (UC San Diego runs on a quarter system.) Students have a choice of selecting one of many classes from a range of many cross-disciplinary options. Why? Being a school that has had long ties to climate research, UC San Diego and its administration solidified this commitment to broaden global awareness and create a mindset of environmental problem solvers. This change in their college requirements does not affect the total number of requirements as this class will overlap with the current general education/diversity requirements.

Click here to see the approved courses, nearly 50 classes ranging from Climate Justice, Religion & Ecology, Climate Ethics, Ocean Studies, Literature and the environment, and more.

Imagine a world where 19 million people heightened their awareness by taking a class in eco-stewardship.  Think about where we our world would be.

If this has gotten you curious to expand your own climate change knowledge, check out UC San Diego's Scripps Institute of Oceanography Climate Change Resources page.

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