Higher education could be getting a little greener. Syracuse University has filed a proposal for its first major with a broad focus on the relationship between humans and the planet.

If approved, the “Environment, Sustainability, and Policy” integrated learning major between SU and SUNY-ESF will assess the ways in which “careful stewardship of natural resources requires the integration of multiple scientific disciplines and an understanding of the complexities of human societies,” said Shere Abbott, a professor of geography at SU’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and the vice president of sustainability initiatives at the university. The major is on track to be certified by the fall semester.

The beauty of ESP is it can be combined with other majors, which would allow students to incorporate a focus on sustainability into their primary field of study. This flexibility is powerful because if the future of the planet — and our species — is important to us, we must start integrating sustainable initiatives into every discipline. This includes everything from law and politics to engineering and agriculture.

And it’s high time such a major appeared at SU. More than 100 American colleges offer a sustainability studies major, according to StartClass’ 2017 analytics.

Abbott said the need for communication between scientists and politicians is becoming more prominent as environmental issues grow in complexity. That’s why the ESP major is designed to help students view the human-environmental relationship through a holistic lens.

“The purpose (of the major) is to blend natural and human sciences thinking and to integrate science and policy,” Abbott said.

To achieve this integration, students pursuing the ESP major will be required to maintain their “base major” in one of the schools at SU. Students will also be expected to take core courses in environmental science, environmental humanities and data analysis in addition to a major-specific course on scientific policy, as well as a senior capstone project.

The combination of a base major and the ESP major would allow students studying anthropology, biology, geography, engineering or other disciplines to add the integrated learning major to their base major.

And this eco-conscious initiative isn’t mutually exclusive to Syracuse. Cornell University unveiled its own sustainability major this past fall. Kathryn Boor, dean of Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said student demand and practical necessity coupled to bring about the major.

“Not only are students interested in environment and sustainability, but also there is a strong, growing need for students who can understand environmental issues from different disciplinary vantage points,” Boor said.

The excitement about sustainability at SU, Cornell and elsewhere in academia is a promising sign. With an ESP major on the horizon, students can be the change they wish to see in an eco-friendly world.

Maizy Ludden is a senior biology major. Her column appears biweekly. You can reach her at mtludden@syr.edu.

Published on March 7, 2018 at 10:58 pm