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| Student Alison Koper has been involved in the creation of the ESS program. "鈥淲hat鈥檚 unique about the program is that it allows you to go beyond just 鈥榚nvironment鈥� or 鈥榖usiness,鈥� but earn a degree in sustainability that has all of these aspects to it,鈥� she says. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Educating a new generation of environmental leaders. Training global citizens for a sustainable century. Tackling the most difficult challenges facing our society with bold, interdisciplinary approaches to learning.
Not exactly modest goals. Then again, AV俱乐部鈥檚 new College of Sustainability and its flagship program鈥擡nvironment, Sustainability and Society鈥攁re hardly modest endeavours.
Wednesday, the college was formally unveiled with a news conference in the D-Drive lab in the Goldberg Computer Science Building. It was followed by a public celebration in the atrium of the Rowe building, with well over 250 members of the AV俱乐部 community crowding the floor and filling the staircases to learn more about the college and program.
鈥淭his initiative reflects what AV俱乐部 does best: find innovative and meaningful ways to tackle urgent challenges,鈥� said President Tom Traves, crediting AV俱乐部鈥檚 mix of disciplines and intimate academic culture for making the college possible. 鈥淚t鈥檚 truly a bold step forward for the university.鈥�
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| Steven Mannell, a professor of architecture, is the college's director. "What began as grassroots enthusiasm for the program quickly gained support from all ends of the university." (Nick Pearce Photo) |
The college聽had its genesis less than a year ago, when聽about 100 members of the AV俱乐部 community gathered for a two-day workshop to discuss how the university should approach the challenges of climate change, the environment and sustainability. It will be home to educational programs, research initiatives and community outreach activities, and will begin accepting students into the Environment, Sustainability and Society program (ESS) for聽this September.
The ESS program is the first of its kind in Canada, allowing students to take a double major or combined honours program in ESS and a host of other disciplines, from Arts and Science to Management and Community Design. Its professors are drawn from six faculties and dozens of academic disciplines, creating a uniquely interdisciplinary classroom experience linked with sustainability projects on campus and throughout the community.
鈥淲hat began as grassroots enthusiasm for the program quickly gained support from all ends of the university,鈥� said Steven Mannell, director of the college. 鈥淚t鈥檚 proof that when ideas are strong, we can make change happen.鈥�
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| The announcement of the new college and program in the Rowe Building atrium聽attracted a聽large crowd. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Also present at the news conference were John Crace, an expert on green building design with WHW Architects, and David Walden, secretary-general of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Both spoke positively of the program鈥檚 potential to train sustainability leaders, with Mr. Walden noting the ESS program is precisely in line with the United Nation鈥檚 objectives around sustainability and education. He also said the College of Sustainability has been selected as the only North American exhibitor at the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development.
As if the large crowd at the public event wasn鈥檛 evidence enough of the enthusiasm for the college, the ESS program already has聽more than聽60 applicants prior to its formal announcement. The expectation is that 150 students will be admitted this fall, with the number of first-year students eventually growing to 300. Within five years, there will be聽more than聽1,000 undergraduates enrolled as part of the College of Sustainability.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 unique about the program is that it allows you to go beyond just 鈥榚nvironment鈥� or 鈥榖usiness,鈥� but earn a degree in sustainability that has all of these aspects to it,鈥� said Alison Koper, an environmental science student who has been involved with designing the ESS program. 鈥淭his is a program that would have drawn me to AV俱乐部, and it鈥檚 a program that I will be proud to support as an alumnus.鈥�