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SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
INSTITUTE Introducing the Sustainable Environment Institute West LA College Offers Nation's First AA Degree in Climate and Environmental Studies Valley EcoAdvocates Working through the Summer The Revitalization of the LA River LA Harbor Opportunity for LACCD Students News Briefs |
West LA College Offers Nation's First AA Degree in Climate and Environmental Studies
West LA College has just launched an AA degree program in Climate and Environmental Studies. While other community colleges, such as SMCC and De Anza, offer degrees in sustainability, this is the first in the nation to focus on climate change. The interdisciplinary major will include core courses in global climate change, environmental ethics, and statistics, and students will be able to select from a variety of electives, ranging from chemistry and geology to the economics of globalization and American social problems. Just approved by the state this spring, the degree is designed both for those who plan to transfer to four-year institutions and those who want to add value to their current careers. With a BA in the field, students will be able to work as sustainability consultants, environmental scientists, green building/construction professionals, air and water quality specialists, renewable energy technicians, and science educators, among other possibilities. There are currently just eleven people signed up, but that number is expected to grow this fall. The program is under the direction of Assistant Professor Jennifer Cole, who has been at WLAC just since 2017. She credits the support of college president, Dr. James Limbaugh, for the quick development of the degree. Limbaugh told the Community College Daily that he’s been “concerned about climate change for the last couple of decades…I realized I have a moral responsibility to help students from urban areas like Los Angeles become aware of climate issues. Students need to understand that climate change is the biggest single problem we are facing globally.” |
