Laurence E. Winters, Ph.D.

Director, Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies

Petrocelli College, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Geology—Provides historical context for climate changes and impacts since the dawn of civilization and before

Meteorology—contributes thermodynamics, hydrostatics, and other experimental perspectives on the atmosphere, and the impact changes in atmospheric changes have on the broader environment

Genetic/Evolutionary Science—Provides the mechanisms of the dynamic interaction between speciation, extinction, and the adaptation (or failure to adapt) of life forms to environmental niches

Ecology or Environmental Science—is the largest perspective on issues of ‘climate change’ and land, air, and water degradation

Anthropology--Provides long-term records of how humans interact with their environments, but also explores what people value and how they behave

Economics—Provides the mechanisms for understanding and evaluating strategies for both short and long term sustainability

Geography--use of natural resources, natural resources assessment, global and regional changes of environment and climate, social-economical geography, ecological regional planning, sustainable regional development, applied aspects of geography and ecology, geoinformatics and ecological cartography, ecological problems of oil and gas sector, preservation of biodiversity, health and environment, and education for sustainable development

Social Psychology—Provides an analysis of ‘social cognition’ in an effort to understand and overcome the gap between environmental beliefs and actions

Philosophy—Provides understanding of cognitive dissonance concerning nature and our relation to it and to ourselves

“Integration…involves critically evaluating disciplinary insights and locating their sources of conflict, creating common ground among them, and constructing a more comprehensive understanding of the problem.” Repko (2014), p.52

The problem or problems at hand are, then, the guiding thread for the interdisciplinary approach. The problem confronted and its urgency help us avoid wandering and the one more book syndrome

The chosen problem when approached in an interdisciplinary manner comes into focus in all its inherent complexity through ‘multiple perspective taking’.

Repko argues that the problem centered approach has “… no systematic process for choosing the best theories, methods, or disciplines, or for placing disciplinary insights in contest.” p.187

Later in his Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies (2014), Repko proposes a ‘broad model to Integration’. In this proposal, he proposes the creation of “…common ground among disciplinary insights on the basis of one or more key assumptions, concepts, or theoretical explanations, thereby melding conflicting insights until the contribution of each becomes inseparable.” Repko (2014) p.188.

Environmental sustainability--Improvements in the standard of living that do not cause long-term damage to the environment that impact future generations

Economic sustainability--Development that includes everyone, where everyone has the right of economic improvement. The development should be long-term and devoid of corruption and burdening debt

Social sustainability--Development that is inclusive and ensures an improvement in the standard of living for all. It should incorporate everyone and ensure equal access to healthcare, education, resources, etc. while respecting individual cultures.

Environmental sustainability is the rates of renewable resource harvest, pollution creation, and non-renewable resource depletion that can be continued indefinitely. If they cannot be continued indefinitely then they are not sustainable.

Interdisciplinary research is a mode of research by teams or individuals that integrates information, data, techniques, tools, perspectives, concepts, and/or theories from two or more disciplines or bodies of specialized knowledge to advance fundamental understanding or to solve problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice.

--National Science Foundation

“…problems whose solutions are beyond the scope of a single discipline or area of research practice.”

Climate change is just such a problem “beyond the scope of a single discipline”

Designed and implemented the curriculum to provide an integrated experience to the students in a semester by semester and, even daily and weekly way. So, students might move from a course in environmental economics down the hall to a course in natural resource management, or from an introductory course in Interdisciplinary studies to a course in ‘evolution, ecology, and climate change’. This was only possible in a curriculum constructed from scratch.

Team building within the faculty, team teaching, mutual consultation and assistance were employed to enhance the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum and the experience of the students. We have met on a regular basis for socializing and to share ‘best practices’.

Rather than drawing the courses from existing programs around the campus, most of the sustainability courses were designed from the start as interdisciplinary.

Rather than creating a biology ‘lite’, or a program in ‘green washing’ we chose a middle ground. The environmental science will be extensive but focused on the problem set surrounding sustainability, and on the needs of our students in their likely ‘green’ careers

Our students will develop skills in advocacy, conflict resolution, multiple stake holder management, and community engagement

As well, they will be exposed to the skills in GIS, ‘green’ accounting, and other sustainability management technologies and techniques

At Fairleigh Dickinson University, Petrocelli College, our research has determined that our students once graduated from the Interdisciplinary sustainability program would be working in the space between community groups, public, and private institutions.

The curriculum for this reason includes such studies as conflict resolution, public speaking, and multiple stakeholder, public-private management

Disciplinary and collegial territoriality

This has been the biggest obstacle. Departments and colleges do not want to give up their territory or there students to anyone, for any reason. Anything new, let alone the object of political disagreement is suspect, and the more deeply into disciplinary research departments and individuals are, the more threatened they feel about some thing ‘new’.

Previously existing sustainability courses and programs. Fairleigh Dickinson has several sustainability programs with few if any students and no interdisciplinary focus. Why do we need anything new? I found very few individuals who were not in agreement with the need for a functioning sustainability ‘concentration’ and, as few who were willing to commit the time to getting our program off the ground.

Climate Change skeptics—political disagreements. There are few at the University, but they are in positions of authority with effective veto power. Some faculty members are contrarians, relishing debate, but holding up the development and implementation of our program.

Financial disincentives—promotion and tenure decisions. Interdisciplinary programs do not fill the image of ‘peer reviewed’, professional outlet for professional productivity. Our instructors are mostly adjuncts, with little commitment to the institution. It is difficult to ask for the kind of extra effort that a genuinely interdisciplinary program needs.

Cynicism and passive acceptance. Colleagues have thrown up their hands about the situation. Environmental groups selling out to fossil fuel companies. (Klein, 2014)

Missed deadlines and politicians caving in to corporate donors and media ‘balance’ lead to frustration and detachment

First courses offered this semester. Courses chosen for their potential to attract students from outside Interdisciplinary Studies. Introduction to Sustainability and Environmental Law

Changes in the curriculum of our well populated concentrations put students into the first courses and will do so, again, in January

Success or failure of the program going forward, then, depends on recruitment of new majors internally, and at the high school and community college level

Introduction to Sustainability

Environmental Law

Introduction to Environmental Science with lab

GIS—Geomapping

Environmental Policy, Public—Private Cooperation

Environmental Economics

Ecological Economics

Natural Resources

Sustainability Operations and the Supply Chain

Sustainability Metrics and Reporting

Sustainability and the Urban Community

Introduction to Environmental Planning

Sustainability Leadership and Change

World Food, Water, Population, and Health

Social Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Problem Solvers

Public Relations

Professional Communications