Many of us have posted syllabi to the UMBC Box file. If you haven’t done so yet and have a syllabus to contribute, please do so.
We will restart communication across disciplines/methodological approaches by having group discussions, and then report back at the next meeting, which will be October 2. The groups:
Alan, Dawn, Elaine
Matt, Brian, Chris
Ali, David, Jason
Andy, Roy, Anna
One purpose of these discussions is exchanging information about course content and about pedagogical approaches.
Of particular interest, which which we should highlight when reporting about our smaller group discussions, is the extents to which we define and interpret both climate change and sustainability. Some members noted that their syllabi needed explanation, as climate change or sustainability isn’t explicitly a focus of their courses.
We also discussed:
ongoing political attacks on science of climate change;
the moral imperative of educating students about the existential challenge of climate disruption;
the interaction of this issue with questions of social and economic justice; and
the desirability of helping students identify and evaluate potential solutions/responses.
Other topics we covered in the context of identifying goals and potential outcomes for the FLC:
the desirability of generating a broader network of involved faculty interested in the focal topics as we proceed over the year;
considering over this academic year the potential of developing a large intro course on the topic; and
creating a seminar speakers program, perhaps structured as debates on important climate issues where there are justified uncertainties.
We will restart communication across disciplines/methodological approaches by having group discussions, and then report back at the next meeting, which will be October 2. The groups:
Alan, Dawn, Elaine
Matt, Brian, Chris
Ali, David, Jason
Andy, Roy, Anna
One purpose of these discussions is exchanging information about course content and about pedagogical approaches.
Of particular interest, which which we should highlight when reporting about our smaller group discussions, is the extents to which we define and interpret both climate change and sustainability. Some members noted that their syllabi needed explanation, as climate change or sustainability isn’t explicitly a focus of their courses.
We also discussed:
ongoing political attacks on science of climate change;
the moral imperative of educating students about the existential challenge of climate disruption;
the interaction of this issue with questions of social and economic justice; and
the desirability of helping students identify and evaluate potential solutions/responses.
Other topics we covered in the context of identifying goals and potential outcomes for the FLC:
the desirability of generating a broader network of involved faculty interested in the focal topics as we proceed over the year;
considering over this academic year the potential of developing a large intro course on the topic; and
creating a seminar speakers program, perhaps structured as debates on important climate issues where there are justified uncertainties.