Ph.D in Sustainability Education

“As a media studies scholar, I have tried to fit sustainability into other programs, but due to their limited epistemological scope, I was too much of a round peg fitting into an academic square hole. Prescott College offered me the opposite experience. Because of its open, interdisciplinary framework, I’m able to pursue my interest in media education while simultaneously incorporating principles of sustainability. There is no other program that I am aware of that offers such a holistic perspective. The fact that I am able to get a “crash course” in ecological education is absolutely amazing and essential. I can’t imagine finding the same balance of materials anywhere else.”

Antonio Lopez, ’12

INTRODUCING PRESCOTT COLLEGE

About Prescott College Prescott College began in the 1950s when leaders of a small town in the stunningly beautiful pine and chaparral country of central Arizona were searching for a new cultural identity. Drawing on the Congregationalist tradition of founding over 50 leading colleges and universities in America, beginning with Harvard in 1636, and including other leading colleges and universities such as Middlebury, Dartmouth, Amherst, Smith, Yale, Oberlin, Grinnell, Whitman, Colorado, Pomona, and Scripps, Dr. Charles Franklin Parker, minister of Prescott’s First Congregational Church, and Prescott College founder, announced an ambitious project of creating the Harvard of the West, Prescott College. Many of the philosophical and educational principles that form the foundation of Prescott College – designed to produce the leaders needed to solve the world’s growing environmental and social problems – emerged in 1963 in a significant conference of state and nationally-known leaders from higher education funded by the Ford Foundation’s Fund for Post Secondary Education, Business, and Industry.

In a Changing World . . .

Dr. Parker’s vision “for a pioneering, even radical experiment in higher education” and “to graduate society’s leaders for the 21st Century who would be needed to solve the world’s growing environmental and social problems” seems especially prescient today.

Human society is coming to terms with the fight against global warming and its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects. Society is also looking to new models of education to better prepare students of all ages for their role as global citizens.

Making a difference in the World.

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College Without Walls

Knowledge Without Boundaries

Prescott, Arizona, 2009

INTRODUCING PRESCOTT COLLEGE

Education Where You Live and Work Prescott College students complete their coursework wherever they are – in rural communities, small towns and large metropolitan areas – without interrupting jobs, family life, or connections to their own communities. Students live in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and throughout the West, Pacific Northwest, and New England.

Education Unplugged Prescott College offers three low-residency degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Ph.D.; and two low-residency Certificates: Post-Bachelor of Arts; and Post-Master of Arts, in a wide variety of subject areas, all of which cater to the adult learner who has already accrued valuable life experience. The average age is 35, and women represent 70 percent of total enrollment. The College’s academic programs are “unplugged” from such conventional practices as the departmentalization of knowledge; confining learning to the classroom and textbooks rather than real experience; and thinking of college as preparation for life, rather than life itself. Prescott students learn critical thinking and research and how to apply them to real-life problems and their own passions by living them, testing them out in real time. At Prescott College the best learning is collaborative, and the best teaching is individual. Education at Prescott College is grounded in the fundamental idea that the student is in control of her or his learning, and learns best through self-direction and real-life experience. Programs of study at all levels are individualized; no two paths taken by students are identical.

An Emphasis on Teaching Students are empowered at Prescott College because the faculty views students as co-creators of their educational experience rather than as consumers. Like professors at other distinguished colleges and universities, Prescott College faculty author books, publish in prestigious journals, speak at international conferences, and receive competitive grants to support their research and creative work. What distinguishes Prescott College faculty is a commitment to put their students first.

While faculty are supported and encouraged to make strides in their fields, they are first and foremost passionate educators, emphasizing teaching over research and other scholarly activities.

Student-Directed Learning Envision your educational goals, design your course of study, and complete coursework under the guidance of an expert.

Faculty and advisors work with each student to co-create an individualized concentration within a degree area. This collaborative approach ensures valuable learning for teacher and student alike. Students work at their own pace, driven by their own passions, and guided by experts in their chosen fields.

Hybrid Low-Residence/Online Instruction Model Prescott College’s low-residency programs are unlike any other educational experience, combining self-directed, individually mentored, and online distance education with a limited-residency requirement. This approach offers the opportunity to design a meaningful program that is carried out with the support of faculty and mentors who work with students in their chosen field of study.

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Contents...

About Prescott College

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Education Where You Live and Work

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The Ph.D. Curriculum

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Ph.D. Program Mission Program in Sustainability Education How the Program Works Phase One Phase Two Phase Three Phase Four Residency Requirements

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Student Profile –Jens Deichmann

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The Ph.D. Program at Five Years

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Student Profile – Bill Crowell

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Student Profile – Mary Whitney

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Foundation Courses

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Blended Learning via Moodle

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Dissertation Proposal Presentation Dissertation Presentation The Doctoral Committee Program Completion Time Limit Requirement

Program Plan Examples Student-designed Courses Practicum Experiences Dissertations/Projects

Student Resources Prescott College Library Student Life Health Insurance Housing Services Services for Students with Disabilities

Costs and Financial Aid

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30 30 31 31

32 32 32 32 32 32

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The Financial Aid Office Applying for Financial Aid Cost of Attendance 2010-2011 Loans Graduate Plus Loan

33 33 33 34 34

Applying to Prescott College

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Admission Schedule Minimum Requirements for Admission International Students The Personal Statement The Program Proposal

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Sustainability Education Symposium

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The Journal of Sustainability Education

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Alumni Profile – Jared Aldern

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Ph.D. Program Application

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Student Profile – Joy O’Neil

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Ph.D. Program Request for Recommendation

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Student Profile – Liz O’Connell

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Alumni Profile – Gregory Roberts

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Faculty

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Program Requirements and Policies

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Graduation Requirements Practicum Credits Dissertation Proposal

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Ph.D. Curriculum Ph.D. Program Mission The Ph.D. Program in Education, concentrating in Sustainability Education, provides an opportunity for advanced, interdisciplinary, student-centered learning that addresses important global and local issues. It is based on the traditions, values, and educational philosophies that have differentiated Prescott College from other educational institutions since the 1960s. This Ph.D. Program emphasizes rigorous scholarship, critical thinking, and community-engaged, action-oriented research. The program fosters open discourse through respect for diverse perspectives and scholarly collaboration. Integrated, interdisciplinary thinking promotes the evolution of ecological understanding, psychological/philosophical consciousness, and social learning for a humane and sustainable future.

Program in Sustainability Education The Prescott College Ph.D. Program in Education views education broadly – as social learning that occurs in settings that are both formal (educational institutions, for example) and non-formal (such as families, community events, media, and businesses). Furthermore, the term education is considered to mean both the act or practice of educating or being educated and the study of education as a process (Richardson, 2003; Sterling, 2001).

Education for sustainability, therefore, is the act or practice of learning how to achieve global and local sustainable communities. It is a life-long, individual, and social learning progression that challenges the dominant ecological, psychological, economic, and social paradigms. The desired outcome is an informed, involved citizenry with the social and scientific literacy, commitment, and creative problemsolving skills to engage in responsible individual and cooperative actions toward a sustainable society.

Education as sustainability, on the other hand, is the study of the educational process with the goal of reforming education itself. Specifically, it is a response to the dominant transmissive educational methodology of imposed instruction and transfer of information. In contrast, transformative educational methodology engages the learner through experience, participation, and reflection in the construction of meaning and knowledge (Mezirow et al., 2000).

Although these two aspects of sustainability education can be defined differently, are often studied independently, and are practiced separately, they are interdependent. Achieving sustainability in all dimensions of human existence depends on adopting an education paradigm that manifests and supports change toward a sustainable, secure society. In other words, “you cannot learn without changing, or change without learning” (Kosko, 1994). Since sustainability education should be “…essentially transformative, constructive, and participatory” (Sterling, 2001), all doctoral students in the program are invited to participate in and study the transformative educational paradigm, even if their primary focus is education for sustainability.

The Ph.D. Program strives to contribute to synergistic learning and change in consciousness, education, culture, and, ultimately, society.

How the Program Works This program enlarges the mission of Prescott College, which is, in part: … to educate students of diverse ages and backgrounds to understand, thrive in, and enhance our world community and the environment.

We regard learning as a continuing process and strive to provide an education that will enable students to live productive lives while achieving a balance between self-fulfillment and service to others. Students are encouraged to think critically and act ethically, with sensitivity to the human community and the biosphere. This philosophy stresses experiential learning and self-direction within an interdisciplinary curriculum.

The doctoral program in Sustainability Education logically derives from and brings together several current undergraduate and graduate (master’s level) curricular specialties of Prescott College. These are Education (especially Alternative and Experiential Education), Environmental Studies (especially Environmental Education and Sustainability Science and Practice), Humanities (especially Social Justice and Peace Studies), and Psychology (especially Ecopsychology and Educational Psychology).

The design of the program is flexible enough to accommodate many individual learning goals, but is focused suffi7

ciently to generate collaborative and challenging scholarly discourse within an innovative academic concentration.

Breadth is achieved through participation in a shared sequence of Foundation Courses and a common area of interdisciplinary inquiry (Sustainability Education). Depth is achieved through study of individually designed courses and the dissertation/project process.

This low-residency program uniquely combines expansive, interdisciplinary inquiry with intense, individualized research and practice. Four years of concentrated study and research culminate in a dissertation/project that reflects the

“I think that the main attraction to Prescott over more traditional programs for me is the ability I have had to live in my own community and to apply my scholarly inquiries in the real world. A big part of the academic rigor of Prescott graduate programs is the expectation that students will put theory into practice.”

Jared Aldern high academic rigor expected of any doctoral dissertation and also includes a socially significant application.

The primary mode of academic engagement for doctoral students is foundation courses instructed by the Graduate Faculty, independent study guided by Doctoral Mentors, and engagement with Doctoral Committee members during the development and completion of the doctoral Dissertation.

Each student’s Committee consists of a Prescott College Ph.D. Faculty member, two Doctoral Mentors, and an External Consultant Reviewer. The Ph.D. Faculty oversee the students’ academic program and facilitate interactions between the students and other Doctoral Committee members. The Ph.D. Faculty member normally chairs the Doctoral Committee but, in exceptional circumstances and with approval from the Ph.D. Faculty, another chair may be assigned.

In consultation with the doctoral student, the Ph.D. Faculty member approves selection of the two Doctoral Committee members during the third year of the student’s program. The External Consultant Reviewer joins the committee during the dissertation/project proposal and writing phase to provide additional expertise and critical review of the student’s work.

The Ph.D. Faculty, Doctoral Mentors/Committee Members, and External Consultant Reviewers are recruited on the basis of personal and professional understanding of sustainability education, as well as expertise in the student’s planned individual focus area(s).

Fulltime students in the Ph.D. Program are expected to complete a minimum of 20–30 study hours per week. The amount of time spent reading, studying, and writing, will vary depending on the balance among theory and practice; field and li8

brary research; participation in coursework, workshops, etc., at other institutions or organizations; and involvement with publishable paper production, dissertation writing and revisions, action-based projects, and the development and design of sustainability-related education and social programs.

Phase One The first phase of the program is devoted to participating in Foundation Courses facilitated by the Ph.D. Faculty. Interdisciplinary and exploratory, this coursework is designed to help students develop a broad understanding of sustainability education as well as prepare for more specialized studies. During this first phase, students refine and revise their overall program study plan and also create personal learning plans for individual focus areas.

• Complete Sustainability Theory and Practice in Education I and II • Complete Sustainability Education and Transformational Change I and II • Complete Modes of Inquiry: Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Design I and II • Submit Revised Study Plan as a whole and coursework for the next phase • Identify Independent Study Mentors and submit names to Ph.D. Faculty for approval

Phase Two During the second phase, students participate in a planned, individualized program of learning that reflects their personal, academic, and specialized orientations. With support from faculty members and their cohort, students design four to six independent study theory courses (see page 30 for examples). These courses are supervised by Doctoral Mentors. Specific course requirements are negotiated between Doctoral Mentors and students and then approved by the Ph.D. Faculty members. Doctoral Committee members are chosen and negotiated with Ph.D. Faculty for the committee to be in place for the next phase.

• Complete at least two 6-credit or equivalent Independent Study courses per semester • Submit a Study Plan for the third phase

Phase Three The third phase is organized around four major learning projects: intensive and advanced study of Research Methodologies and Methods; the Practicum; the Qualifying Paper; and the Dissertation/Project Proposal. Each student designs and/or participates in at least one Research Methodologies and Methods course (which may be done in the second phase) relevant to the individual focus area and dissertation/project.

Each student also creates and/or participates in one or more Practica that have been approved by the Doctoral Commit-

tee or Committee Chair. The emphasis of this project is on providing service through action research to a community and learning from the experience. Each student is also required to submit a publication quality 30- to 40-page Qualifying Paper (QP) to demonstrate the ability to write a doctoral level research paper. Finally, for the Dissertation/ Project Proposal, the student chooses a topic, poses challenging research questions, conducts an applicable literature review, constructs a conceptual/theoretical framework, proposes appropriate research methodologies/methods, and describes the applied or action-oriented aspect of the dissertation/project.

Students in this phase must demonstrate ability to integrate and synthesize knowledge in a comprehensive and scholarly manner. The Dissertation/Project Proposal is presented to the Prescott College community during a Colloquium.

These third phase projects demonstrate the student’s ability and readiness to begin the dissertation/project, and the student advances to candidacy when these learning projects are complete and the Dissertation/Project Proposal has been approved by the Doctoral Committee.

Phase Four The fourth phase is devoted to the implementation and completion of the Doctoral Dissertation/Project, which consists of two separate but closely interrelated components.

One component is a traditional doctoral dissertation providing documentation of rigorous scholarship and research methodology that supports the project. The other, the project, is a practical application of the student’s expertise in an individual focus area. Through this process, the student learns how to frame and solve problems in a scholarly fashion, considers multiple perspectives on a subject matter, articulates the context of the study, reveals an academic understanding of the project’s boundaries, and demonstrates the ability to apply research to real-world problems.

The last steps in the process are final evaluation and approval of the dissertation/project by the student’s Doctoral Committee, and a presentation to the Prescott College community at the last Colloquium of the academic year or the adjoining Sustainability Education Symposium, sponsored by the Ph.D. Program. The successful dissertation/ project demonstrates the student’s ability to be an effective, reflective, and passionate scholar/practitioner.

Residency Requirements The Ph.D. Program operates on a low-residency format.

Doctoral students will complete approximately 35 days of residency at Prescott College during the program. The Colloquia are opportunities for scholarly collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, presentation, research, and teaching about topics and issues related to the doctoral students’ programs of study.

SOCIETY’S LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Student

Jens Deichmann ’12 Jens Deichmann works as Director of the Natural Resources Division for Parametrix Inc., an environmental science, planning and engineering firm operating in the Western United States.

“I have been interested for a long time in understanding why human societies behave as they do despite the seemingly obvious imperatives for change. That interest has influenced the direction of my research in linked multi-scale adaptive cycles in social-ecological systems, and the theories developing within conceptual frameworks such as system resilience, social contracts, and punctuated equilibrium.

“Instances of the practical application of these concepts appear to me every day in the technical and managerial aspects of my work in natural resource consulting, and in my teaching of business students in the foundations of sustainability thinking. An awareness of the complex nature of the linkages and unpredictable interactions between system components helps to inform and suggest more thoughtful insights and decisions by individuals, planners, resource managers, teacher/learners, and business and governmental leaders.”

Jens’ advice for people considering the Sustainability Education Ph.D. Program? “You don’t have to have a clear idea of where your specific study interests will lie, but it is important to have a goal for your program. Remain sufficiently flexible in your studies to take advantage of the many learning opportunities you encounter. Have fun with it and continually remind yourself of why you are doing it.

“The most meaningful part of my experience at Prescott College has been to become part of a community of learners in an environment that has given me the opportunity and freedom to explore areas of inquiry while providing sufficient structure to help me navigate the broad expectations of doctoral-level study.”

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PROGRAM HISTORY

The Ph.D. Program at Five Years The Prescott College Ph.D. in Sustainability Education came into being in response to student requests for opportunities to further sustainability education in their own areas of service while gaining academic credentials and participating in a community of scholars.

At the five-year mark, a look back reveals impressive accomplishments.

The Ph.D. Program has graduated its first two cohorts; it offered two public Symposia on Sustainability Education, with national and international speakers (p. 16); and students and faculty have collaborated in developing the Journal of Sustainability Education, www.jsedimensions.org (p. 17).

But true understanding of what the program has accomplished only comes through a look at work rippling out of the classroom into student’s lives and engagements – the true classroom.

Today Prescott College Ph.D. students are working to effect change in rural areas, in cities, and in the institutions they serve, both here and in other countries.

Student projects and interests range from community development in the Sky Islands region of the Arizona–New Mexico border to developing guidelines for working with Indigenous peoples, among them the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, helping them to preserve their values and adjust to the impact of the modern world.

Other students are developing peace-training programs for young women in Israeli and Palestinian communities; online networks and resources for non-formal and community-based environmental education; and eco-financing opportunities for populations who have lost traditional sources of income.

Many recent graduates are mid-career working professionals or college professors who are deepening their career path through the Ph.D. program, using adventure education and nature immersion from Belize to the Adirondacks to connect students with nature as a path to sustainable thinking.

Others are activists and policy makers working toward social and environmental sustainability here and in places like the Gaza Strip and Bolivia. Some work as entrepreneurs with

focuses including fair trade, and in sustainable community design and planning.

While the program has seen growth and some changes, according to faculty member and Program Chair Rick Medrick, “Our original design has held up pretty well.”

He added, “Of course, as the program developed, we were designing on the fly to some degree. In the third year students present their dissertation proposals, an intensive process of identifying all the components that go into their dissertations and presenting the proposal for review by committee and peers.

“The process now in place emerged collaboratively with students as they tried it out in the first couple of cohorts and provided feedback.”

One thing that has changed, or “deepened,” as Rick put it, is his own understanding of sustainability.

“It applies to all areas of our society; there is no area that it is not related to. Sustainability education is about educating and preparing, helping make people aware of all the levels at which this is an issue … to empower people to respond to life in a sustainable fashion.”

As the first Ph.D. program in Sustainability Education, Prescott College’s initiative, Rick feels, sets an important example.

“I think Prescott College’s Ph.D. program is the most important program in the field of helping shift the understanding and commitment of people to addressing what’s happening in our world and society.

“Through the program people are being encouraged and supported to go out and work for change, knowing that there is a framework that supports them, and that others are doing the same in their own communities.”

The program boasts an exceptionally diverse student body from across the globe and many walks of life – a diversity that has been there from the beginning, Rick noted. The latest group of incoming students includes two women from Africa who have been working in the United States for some time and want to introduce change in their home countries.

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SOCIETY’S LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Student

Bill Crowell ’11 Bill Crowell ’11, Director of the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program in Raleigh, N.C., is investigating how environmental educators conceptualize, express, and address sustainability and sustainability education in their work. His dissertation research will explore how educators understand and teach about sustainability issues, allowing them to share their own definitions and visions of the concept, rather than reacting to his definition or one from literature.

“My proposed study is significant as it approaches the environmental educators’ experience through a naturalistic inquiry of their phenomenological perspective,” he explained.

“The study will highlight the importance of learning about the perspectives and lived experiences of environmental educators, through their own words.”

The study will be conducted in partnership with the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and the North Carolina Environmental Educator Certification Program.

The Office will use the results to assist with program improvement. The results from the study will also be used to guide the development of a course on sustainability to be administered by North Carolina State Parks.

When considering Prescott College’s Ph.D. Program in Sustainability Education, Bill encourages potential students to “ask yourself, ‘What is my passion? What do I want to understand better? Am I willing to make the commitment to learn and communicate with others?’”

“I have truly enjoyed the dialogue, the process of learning, and expanding horizons. The breakthrough course for me was Advanced Research Methods and Methodologies. This course allowed me to synthesize antecedent investigations and learning into a format that enabled full development of my research questions. All my courses led to new learning,” he said.

The most meaningful part of Bill’s Ph.D. program has been the opportunity to share his experience with a cohort group.

“The mixture of personalities, experiences, perspectives, ideas, and insights is inspiring. They have challenged my perspectives and opened new doorways to understanding.

They have made me investigate and understand the issues of sustainability beyond the boundaries of my own experiences and perspectives in a manner that is transformational.”

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SOCIETY’S LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Student

Mary Whitney ’13 Mary Whitney ’13 currently serves as the Sustainability Coordinator at Chatham University in Pittsburgh. But she doesn’t see her work toward a sustainable future limited to eliminating the carbon footprint of one university. “I am not doing the Prescott sustainability degree because I’m a sustainability coordinator. I’m actually doing it because I want to teach sustainability education.”

Like the proverbial ripples in a pond, Mary’s work, preparing her students to become sustainability educators themselves, reaches a far greater number of individuals – her students’ future students – thus effecting change on a larger scale.

Mary’s dissertation examines how civic engagement affects sustainability education. “Any success in sustainability is going to depend on an engaged and active citizenry, and I mean that politically. We have to change laws if we’re going to make any significant advances.” And, according to her, that citizenry is going to need to be mobilized in the cities.

“The reason I do urban work is because the footprint of cities is huge. If we don’t get involved in cities we’re never going to be sustainable,” she said. “We can’t just all run off to the wilderness and ignore it.”

For Mary, one of the keys to a sustainable future is understanding what really makes people act and think the way they do. “Nonprofits and people involved in urban ecology have these ideas about how people think about nature or how people think about property, and develop programs to motivate action accordingly, but I’m not sure that’s as well informed as it could be.”

It was Mary’s active commitment to learning what motivates people toward sustainability that brought her to Prescott College. “[The College] lets me keep working in the field that I already love, doing the thing that I already love.”

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Foundation Courses Doctoral students must complete three Foundation Courses in the first phase (year) of their program. This experience will provide students with a shared, broad platform of knowledge upon which to build their future studies in sustainability education. Students develop a background to prepare them to understand and analyze controversial issues, research topics, information sources, modes of scholarly inquiry, and potential individual focus areas. Collaborative participation in these courses also helps form a cohort of cooperating doctoral students each year and provides students opportunities to exercise initiative and leadership.

Course Descriptions Sustainability Theory and Practice I and II Right now, there are about 350 definitions of sustainability floating around, and thus it is a bit difficult to settle on a definition. Usually, sustainability is thought of as a paradigm for bringing about a future that balances environmental, economic, and societal forms and processes. Among others, Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest (2007), defines sustainability as the task of creating balance between the two most complex systems on earth – the natural system and the human social system. Echoing that notion, this course suggests that the task of learning sustainability is to reorient the human species to become beneficial members of an abundant biosphere. Further, it proposes a partnership model of sustainability to unravel the intersection between ecology and economy, on the one hand, and equity and biocultural diversity, on the other (Parajuli, 2003, 2009).

The first part of this year-long foundational doctoral course focuses primarily on the axis between ecology and economy. At the end of the course, participants are expected to be ecologically and economically literate. We cover the historical evolutionary trajectory of the disciplines of economics and ecological sciences. In the second semester, we will revisit these themes and dive deeper into the axis of social equity, ecological justice, and biological and cultural diversities in the partnership model. We will examine these in the global North as well as the global South. We will also focus on the appropriate scale and scope of ecology and economy as they intersect with the class, ethnic, gender, and racial formations at the global, local, as well as “glocal” situations.

As one of the core foundational doctoral seminars, the course will involve readings and discussion revealing how the various themes in economy and ecology have evolved and how, in most cases, the relation between them has been uneasy and even conflicting. Despite the fact that both economy and ecology originate from the same root, oikos 14

(Greek, “household”), the two disciplines developed without the necessary recognition of or integration with each other. In order to bring the earth household (ecology) and the human household (economy) into harmony, we will examine several ways to go about achieving such integration.

Authors and texts examine various options to create such beneficial partnerships: the concept of natural capitalism, valuing biomass and ecosystem services, calculating ecological footprint, investing in eco-economy, developing cradleto-cradle ecological design, transitioning to post-carbon economy, using appropriate technologies, pursuing sustainable harvest regimes, and respecting Indigenous ecological knowledge (also see themes and keywords below).

With faculty guidance, in this course students individually and collectively examine the intellectual history and current status of the concept of sustainability, and explore potential applications of various sustainability narratives in addressing the problems and patterns of global unsustainable development. Most important, students will consider how these theories and practices can inform their own areas of special interest in sustainability education. The course is demanding and deserves the utmost attention.

Faculty expect students not only to comprehend the key concepts/themes but also to demonstrate the ability to translate those concepts and apply them to a particular policy in a local and/or bioregional context.

Transformational Learning and Sustainability Education I and II Education as Sustainability explores the theories, processes, and conditions through which individuals, groups, and organizations learn and transform in ways that support a sustainable future. This entails an examination of current educational approaches and strategies as well as innovations that challenge traditional assumptions and practices. This investigation may take place in such arenas as public and private education, community development endeavors,

business and economic ventures, government training programs, and through all the social and ecological networks critical for human survival.

Sustainable Education is the process by which individuals and organizations engage in new learning that challenges existing norms and draws upon the resources and initiative of those involved in this learning. This approach to education aims to contrast the predominant managerial and mechanistic paradigm of learning, such as exists in most public education settings and in much of higher education, with a more holistic and ecological model that emphasizes the realization of human potential and the interdependence of social, economic, and ecological wellbeing. This mode of learning is more engaged and experiential, and it addresses the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components of our roles in the world and in human society. Such learning has its base in the core values of lifelong learning, the recognition of diversity, cooperation and collaboration, personal reflection and values, integrative understanding, responsibility and faith in others, and developing learning communities with a commitment to the good of the whole.

in a team approach to collaborative inquiry and participatory research.

Blended Learning via Moodle Students in the Ph.D. program use a variety of technologies to exchange information, submit completed work, host discussions, interact with faculty, collaborate, and keep in touch with members of their cohort. Moodle is the online learning management tool that students use extensively during the first year of the program. The Foundation Courses are launched in a traditional classroom environment during the first Ph.D. Colloquium. Following the Colloquium students transition to Moodle to keep the momentum going from their home communities. Students use Moodle in Phases 2-4 of the Ph.D. program to exchange ideas, share relevant information, communicate with faculty, and update each other on their lives and progress with completing selfdirected coursework, their Practicum, and the Dissertation.

“I am excited by the fact that [at Prescott College] I can study sustainability and focus on an area that relates to my occupation and interests,” he said. “I’m very happy that I chose the Prescott model, because basically you are able to focus on what you really want to accomplish; the program in that respect is just amazing.”

Darien Ripple, Ph.D. ’10 Education as Sustainability is the means through which we educate our citizenry to the values, opportunities, and choices each person has to develop the self as an aware, independent, responsible, and active agent of one’s own fate, and hence contribute to the future of our society and ecological systems.

Modes of Inquiry: Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Design I and II This course takes an overview of scholarly thinking, research, and writing. In the realm of scholarship, the course addresses such issues as: how to select a research problem or question; how to conduct a literature review; how to formulate an appropriate research design; how to incorporate theory and epistemology; how to limit research parameters, and how to decide on the appropriate research methodology(y)(ies) and method(s). Since systems analysis and thinking are critical to effectively applying scholarship to problem solving and social action, these will also be included as subjects of this course. Finally, the course examines: the role of inquiry or research in the context of focused efforts to promote social learning and change; how to identify important and doable action or project-based research; how to collect and analyze data to improve the work of scholar/practitioners; and how to include and foster participation by other educators and/or community members 15

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Sustainability Education Symposium After several years of planning, the Ph.D. program debuted the first annual Sustainability Education Symposium in 2009 in conjunction with the graduation of the first Ph.D. cohort.

The now-annual May event includes three to five days of workshops across the spectrum of sustainability, presented in collaboration with other programs of the College including the Sustainable Community Development Program and the Institute for Sustainable Social Change.

Presenters have included Gibrán Rivera of the Interaction Institute for Social Change; Dr. Sandy Grande, speaking on Planetary Politics and the End of Wealth; Jeffrey Ball, the Wall Street Journal’s environment editor, speaking on economics, the environment, and oil policy; Dr. Devon Peña; and Chet Bowers.

The Symposium highlights student research, attracting cutting-edge international scholars in sustainability activism, education, and policy. It also offers an opportunity for graduating students to present their dissertations to a larger audience, and for students to organize panels to address various sustainability topics.

Members of the local community as well as sustainability leaders from across the nation have participated in presentations and workshops with Prescott College faculty, Ph.D. students, and graduates on subjects ranging from the effects of climate change on the “third pole” (the Himalayas) to fair trade, local food and food justice, and grassroots community organizing.

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Previous Symposium Guest Speakers Jeffrey Ball: Squeezed and Confused: America at an Energy Crossroads Chet Bowers, Ph.D.: The Challenge of Exercising Leadership in an Era of Radical Ecological and Cultural Transformations Glen Cosby, Ph.D.: Sustaining Wilderness: Self-willed Land and the Future of Humanity Andrés Edwards, M.A.: Thriving in the New Economy: The Individuals and Organizations Creating a Better World Sandy Grande, Ph.D.: Planetary Politics and the End of Wealth: Notes from the Edge of Empire Devon Peña, Ph.D.: Dances with Binaries and the Ghosts of the Primitive Accumulation: Environmental Justice and Immanent Autonomous Communities of Practice Gibran Rivera: How Do We Really Make Change Happen?

FEATURE ARTICLE

Journal of Sustainability Education Peer-reviewed, trans-disciplinary journal features research, editorials, and news from the field In Spring 2010 the Ph.D. program, with funding and support of the College’s Sustainability Committee (SEED), published the first edition of the online, peerreviewed Journal of Sustainability Education (JSE).

JSE formed as a group initiative of the third Ph.D. cohort. Several students from each cohort serve on the board, including two alumni each from the first two graduating classes.

JSE serves as an open access forum for research, practices, and initiatives that foster integration of the economic, ecological, and social-cultural dimensions of sustainability within formal and non-formal educational contexts.

“I hope JSE, together with Prescott College, will be one of the natural ‘leading institutions’ that come to people’s mind when looking for solutions to change people’s thinking, behavior, and ideas with regard to sustainability.”

The inaugural edition included opinions and contributions from Fritjof Capra of the Center for EcoLiteracy; Paul Rowland, Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE); Anthony Cortese, President of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment; Dennis Martinez of Indigenous People’s Restoration Network; marine toxicologist Riki Ott; and Wendy Church from Facing the Future.

As of summer 2010 the Journal registered 7,000 users each month, receiving about 14,000 hits, and hosting readers from over 70 countries.

“The Journal is a great outlet for the works of Ph.D. students and faculty, while at the same time allowing for collaboration and synergy with other similar programs,” Larry said.

“The most meaningful part of my experience at Prescott College has been to become part of a community of learners in an environment that has given me the opportunity and freedom to explore areas of inquiry while providing sufficient structure to help me navigate the broad expectations of doctoral-level study.”

Jens Deichmann, Ph.D. ’12

JSE will publish opinions, media reviews, brief reports, and case studies on a rolling basis. It invites and features submissions from scholars, activists, practitioners, and individuals across all walks of life that are engaged in sustainable pursuits. The journal is available at www.jsedimensions.org.

“Right now, putting the two words Sustainability and Education together in a serious media format that carries deep academic and intellectual roots is a real attention-getter,” said editor Larry Frolich.

“Public response and interest was intense from the start.

We were able to attract very high-profile names to contribute to our initial edition.”

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SOCIETY’S LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Alumni

Student

Jared Aldern, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. ’10

Joy O’Neil ’13

Prescott College Associate Faculty member and double alumnus Jared Aldern’s, M.A. ’02, Ph.D. ’10, doctoral research in Sustainability Education focused on helping California tribes to regain stewardship and a collaborative voice in management of water resources. Jared examined use of Indigenous stories that demonstrate historic stewardship of the land and resources, as well as giving voice to Native American viewpoints, which are increasingly influential in cases examining sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Jared was working as a schoolteacher in a rural school district that served two Indian reservations when he began to collaborate with people from those tribes and others in the area to integrate American Indian history, culture, and education into his lesson plans. This led to his master’s work at Prescott.

His M.A. thesis, on ecological restoration, told the environmental history of the San Felipe Valley in San Diego County.

“Back in the mid 90s I read Ghost Bears by [Prescott College faculty member] Ed Grumbine … He mentions using pioneer’s diaries or other historical documents to build a picture of past environments. That was my first glimmer that there was even a field called environmental history. The rest, as they say, is history,” he laughed.

“I think that the main attraction to Prescott over more traditional programs for me is the ability I have had to live in my own community and to apply my scholarly inquiries in the real world. A big part of the academic rigor of Prescott graduate programs is the expectation that students will put theory into practice.”

Post-graduation, the Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) has contracted with Jared to customize for California “Lessons of Our Land.” The Head Start and K–12 classroom curriculum focuses on American Indian perspectives on land and contemporary land policy while meeting State curriculum standards.

Jared will coordinate the effort as Director of the College’s newly established Land Tenure Education and Restoration Project, “a groundbreaking opportunity to develop innovative curriculum that aligns California state academic content standards with American Indian culture, history, and lore, while addressing current land and water issues at the core of the lessons,” he says.

During his dissertation work, Jared collaborated closely with North Fork Mono Tribal Chairman Ron Goode (pictured left). The new ILTF curriculum work allows their collaboration to continue as they integrate education and restoration of Native American land and water.

As an instructor at San Juan College in Farmington, N.M., Joy O’Neil ’13 is implementing curriculum created in one of her self-designed Ph.D. courses as a series of Sustainable Living classes.

“Courses will encourage students to become mindful and informed citizens in all areas of sustainable living, and implement these practices personally, professionally, and in their communities,” according to Joy’s course description.

“Students will learn hands-on sustainable living practices and solutions for living a healthy lifestyle while reducing their impact on the environment.”

Designed to be practical and community-minded, the five classes cover topics ranging from sustainable food and wellness systems to energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, with a combination of hands-on, interactive, and online delivery methods.

“Because sustainable living varies from person to person, the classes are open to the general public,” Joy writes. “In addition to learning the basic life skills on how to live sustainably, the student will learn the ‘whys’ and ‘whats’” – “Why recycle?” “Why buy local and grow organic foods?” “What is sense of place?” and “How can I empower my community?” among others.

The classes are funded as part of federal Recovery Act (“stimulus funds”) awarded to schools, colleges, tribes and other agencies to improve energy efficiency across the state of New Mexico.

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SOCIETY’S LEADERS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Student

Alumni

Liz O’Connell ’12

Gregory Roberts, Ph.D. ’10

When it comes to teaching about sustainability to teenagers, Liz O’Connell ’12 heads straight for the trash. For her dissertation project Liz is creating research aimed at educating for sustainability by teaching high school students to become teachers and advocates for waste stream reduction.

She plans to send them out in teams to measure the garbage at different households in their community.

It’s commonly said of the environmental movement that its strongest supporters come from the middle class. The logic seems reasonable enough: as people’s income rises and they consume more resources, thus having a greater and greater effect on the environment, they also have the leisure to pursue environmentalism and other goals not directly related to survival and personal advancement.

Over 16 weeks Liz hopes to open student’s eyes in her rural town about waste – about “why they should care, why it’s a problem, and how we can address the problem,” she said.

“Most importantly, I’ll show them how they can … reduce the amount of waste that they generate as individual consumers.”

Gregory Roberts Ph.D. ’10, Associate Dean of Student Life at Spokane Falls Community College in Washington State, was curious to understand how low-income students perceive sustainability. His dissertation, “An Exploration of Sustainability Education: Conversations from the Lived Experiences of Low-Income Community College Students” describes how these students perceive the notion of sustainability – what sustainability means to them and how sustainability applies to their personal daily lives.

Halfway through the course students will break up in to teams, and each team will have four to five households – none of them their own families – which they will visit to measure trash and recycling each week.

“We put a lot of emphasis on kids in the elementary level on environmental awareness and recycling. Once they get to high school the emphasis is on college preparation and standardized testing. Environmental education just falls to the side.

“When you teach kids who are eleven and twelve years old environmentally responsible behaviors, and then you don’t mention that again to them until they’re adults, pro-environmental behaviors are not necessarily part of their psyche when they go to make a household on their own.

“I’m hoping that the kids will become the educators of the adults in these non-familial households. My hypothesis is that everyone’s trash will go down, because whenever you start measuring anybody’s stuff, they start paying attention to it, and they will start noticing little things.”

It was this practical aspect of the dissertation project that really made Prescott College stand out to Liz above other programs – “the fact that they really emphasized doing something that was going to benefit the community that you were living in, as well as contribute to your own research.

“I definitely would say the program [has] exceeded my expectations.”

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The dimensions of sustainability he studied included harmony in communities, both local and global; personal empowerment that sustains or fulfills one’s life; and educational practices that enhance sustainability among individuals and their local and global communities.

“Their stories will contribute to the understanding of sustainability and its significance in the lives of the poor … in the context of sustainability education … that is mindful of the student’s whole life and environment,” Gregory explained.

In his work life, Gregory is responsible for administration of student and campus support services and student-funded programs. He plans to work with a team to integrate his findings “in facilitating sustainability principles throughout campus operations, curriculum, administration, and thereby the campus culture.

“As an individual aware of my challenges (time management of other commitments, including family, full-time employment, and study time) … I believed that Prescott College’s nontraditional method of education would provide me with the greatest opportunity to successfully complete its doctoral studies.”

Faculty 21

Randall Amster Sustainability Education, Graduate Chair of Humanities, Cultural and Regional Studies Ph.D., Arizona State University, Justice Studies, 2002; J.D., Brooklyn Law School, 1991; B.S., University of Rochester, Physics & Astronomy, 1988.

Before coming to Prescott College, Randall worked as an attorney, a judicial clerk, and an instructor in the School of Justice Studies at Arizona State University. He is a homeless-rights advocate, a sustainable-community activist, a peace organizer, and publishes widely on subjects ranging from anarchism and ecology to the global justice movement. Teaching courses at Prescott College in Peace Studies and Social Thought has provided a unique opportunity for Randall to combine his scholarly pursuits and his activist passions, and to continue his explorations of social justice, political action, and peace education. Randall has been named the Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Studies Association (www.peacejusticestudies.org) making Prescott College the home to its national headquarters.

Joel Barnes ’81 Director of the Graduate Teaching Assistant Program, Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Studies, Adventure Education Ph.D., Union Institute & University, Environmental Conservation and Education, 2005; M.S., California State University at Humboldt, Natural Resource Studies in Wilderness and Water Resource Management, 1991; B.A., Prescott College, Environmental Sciences and Education, 1981.

Over the past 25 years Joel has designed and taught a number of interdisciplinary university programs across the Colorado Plateau and Mexico, Latin America, Alaska, and New Zealand. His professional interests emphasize the integration of environmental studies and adventure education with backcountry travel and bioregional explorations. Joel’s areas of expertise include adventure-based environmental education and wilderness leadership, watershed management and river conservation, restoration ecology, and desert landscape studies.

Joel’s doctoral studies had him conducting research in the Grand Canyon National Park to support a Wild and Scenic River designation for the Colorado River and its tributaries.

Paul Burkhardt Dean, Adult Degree and Graduate Programs; Chief Academic Officer Ph.D., University of Arizona, Comparative Cultural & Literary Studies, 1999; M.A., University of Arizona, Comparative Literature and Literary Theory, 1993; B.A., University of Arizona, English & American Literature, 1991.

Paul grew up in the border town of Yuma, Ariz., and remains deeply committed to the people and places of the Arizona-Sonora border region. Paul believes that student learning and faculty scholarship can be most effective and transformative when integrated through participatory, field, and community-based projects. Paul’s academic background in interdisciplinary cultural studies focuses him on the role of cultural discourse around the built and natural environment in movements for socio-economic and environmental justice in western communities. Paul has developed these interests into a range of interdisciplinary, community and field-based learning environments on topics such as Fire, Water, Desert Lands, Community-based Management, and Social Movements. His current research explores the internal and external factors critical to sustainability of innovative, mission-oriented institutions of higher education.

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Jeanine Canty M.A. ’00 Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty, Liberal Arts, Education Ph.D., California Institute of Integral Studies, Transformative Learning and Change, 2007; M.A., Prescott College, Cultural Ecopsychology, 2000; B.A., Colgate University, International Relations, 1992.

Education, awareness, and transformation are revered processes for Jeanine. She believes that teachers, activists, and leaders have immense power for creating change and awakening critical thinking skills. Her areas of passion include ecopsychology, consciousness, transformative learning, environmental and social justice and cultural studies. She is very interested in the process individuals go through to reach heightened awareness of environmental and social justice. Jeanine is involved with multiple social justice and consciousness-based organizations. Much of her understanding has come through her experience as an African-American woman living in privileged communities.

Richard Cellarius Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Studies Ph.D., The Rockefeller University, Biological Science, 1965; B.A., Reed College, Physics, 1958.

Richard is an Emeritus Member of the faculty at The Evergreen State College, where he taught for 27 years and was Director of the graduate program in Environmental Studies before retiring to Prescott. Richard has been an active volunteer with the Sierra Club for over 30 years, including two years as its national president. He is also the primary Sierra Club Representative to IUCN-The World Conservation Union and a member of the IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy. His current interests focus on global environmental sustainability. Richard has a broad range of teaching interests, including all aspects of environmental studies, particularly ecological principles and environmental history, philosophy, and policy, plant physiology, technical writing, biological energetics and statistics.

Joan Clingan Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, Sustainability Education, Humanities Ph.D., Union Institute & University, 20th Century U.S. Literature and Culture, 2008; M.A., University of Santa Monica, Applied Psychology, 1992.

Joan teaches research design in the College’s Ph.D. and master’s programs covering a breadth of methods and methodologies and with a particular focus on justice, action, and community-based research. Joan’s areas of academic interest include class and culture as they relate to sustaining diversity in the US, life, scholarship, and activism. Her teaching and research interests focus on the politics of social constructs such as class, race, nation, sexuality, and gender; the interconnection of social and ecological justice; issues of oppression and resistance; and the potential created by coalitions and solidarity. Her research uses 20th century US literature to examine issues of supremacism, marginalization, and oppression, and consideration of and action toward change, justice, and sustainability. Joan’s dissertation, “Who is We?: Toward a Theory of Solidarity; Toward a Future of Sustainability,” develops a critical theory based on the philosophies and practices of solidarity and sustainability.

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Steven Corey Executive Vice President, Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty Ph.D., University of Arizona, Higher Education Finance, 2007; M.B.A., Cumberland University, 1996; M.S., Arizona State University, 1990; B.S., California State University, Fresno, 1988.

As Executive Vice President at Prescott College, Steven is responsible for planning and directing all aspects of the College’s administrative and operational policies, objectives, and initiatives. He is also responsible for directing all the College’s financial policies and overseeing all financial functions. Steven serves as an adjunct faculty member in the areas of nonprofit management and other business and educational management related areas. Prior to his time at Prescott College, Steven was Fellow for Administrative Collaboratives with the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA). Prior to TICUA, Steven served as Vice President for Administration at Cumberland University in Tennessee. In 2006, Steven was appointed to serve on the Arizona State Commission for Post-secondary Education and in 2008 was named Chair of the Commission.

Anita E. Fernández Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty, Education Ph.D., University of Arizona, Language, Reading and Culture, 2001; M.A., University of Arizona, Teaching and Teacher Education, 1997; B.A., University of Colorado, Boulder, English, 1990.

Anita has a passion for working with future educators, particularly in the area of anti-racist, multicultural education. She is committed to issues of equity and access to education, particularly in public school settings. As a former high school English teacher in Tucson, she understands the need for compassionate, caring and committed teachers who put students’ lives at the center of their curriculum. Before joining the Prescott College faculty in 2005, Anita was faculty in the teacher preparation program at California State University, Chico.

Her areas of research interest include the use of autobiography in teacher education, multicultural, anti-racist education, expeditionary learning, and education as the practice of freedom. She has published articles in a variety of journals including Multicultural Education (Spring 2008).

Thomas Lowe Fleischner Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Studies Ph.D., The Union Institute, Eenvironmental Studies, 1998; M.S., Western Washington University, Biology, 1983; B.S., The Evergreen State College, Field Biology, 1977

Area of expertise Tom’s interests include nature writing, the historical and philosophical aspects of the human-nature relationship, and the relationship between science and public policy. Tom’s field studies of birds and marine mammals have taken him from the Pacific Northwest to the Alaskan Arctic to the Sonoran Desert. He is an active conservation biologist regionally and nationally. Tom co-founded and directed the North Cascades Institute, an environmental field school, and worked for the National Park Service. “I believe in the life-changing power of a simultaneous immersion in wild nature and rigorous educational process.” Publications Fleischner, T.L., Singing Stone: A Natural History of the Escalante Canyons. University of Utah Press. 1999.

Fleischner, T.L., Desert Wetlands. In Press. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. Fleischner, T.L., Diversity Deep and Wild. Conservation Biology 17 2003: 952-953.

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Dan Garvey Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty Ph.D., University of Colorado, Boulder, Social and Multi-cultural Foundations, 1991; M.A., Cambridge-Goddard Graduate School of Social Change, Social Change, 1974; B.A., Worcester State College, Sociology, 1973.

Dan is the recipient of the University of New Hampshire School of Health Studies 1998 Outstanding Teaching Award, the 1997 Kurt Hahn Award, and the 2002 Julian Smith Award. He has authored books and articles on the broad topic of experiential education. He serves as a Trustee of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), and is on the Board of Directors of Project Adventure. He was appointed to the Arizona State Commission on Service and Volunteerism, and was a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire. Dan has had a 25year career as an administrator and educator focused on education reform and improvement. He is a former VISTA Volunteer and Upward Bound Director, and President and Executive Director of the Association for Experiential Education. He served as Dean of the Semester at Sea Program, was Vice President for the American Youth Foundation, and served on the AmeriCorps Executive Committee.

Jack Herring Dean of the Campus Based Undergraduate Program, Sustainability Education Affiliate Faculty, Environmental Studies Ph.D., University of Washington, Atmospheric Sciences, 1994; B.S. University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Chemistry, 1989.

In his academic career, Jack has focused on understanding the Earth as an integrated system and exploring to what degree human activities are interfering with that system. Current research projects include a study of cancer-causing air pollutants in Phoenix and monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions from different ecosystems in Arizona. Jack is also keenly interested in how we can solve environmental problems by developing consensus among stakeholders. He is involved with collaborative groups that are tackling some of the key environmental issues in Arizona, including the protection of our public forests and watersheds.

Rich Lewis Library Faculty, Adult Degree and Graduate Programs; Library Director M.L.I.S., University of Arizona, Library and Information Science, 2003; B.A., University of Washington, English, 1988.

Rich originally comes from the Pacific Northwest, but has lived in Prescott since 1994. His varied background includes installing alternative energy systems, teaching computer networking, studying abroad in both Nepal and France, welding in Alaska, and being a rock climber – a career that ended after an abrupt run-in with terra firma. Besides being immersed in all things library, he is actively involved with the Prescott College Ultimate Frisbee team as well as the Prescott College Muppet coed softball team. “We are living in a tremendous time. Information is hovering all around us, waiting for us to turn it into knowledge. I truly want to enable students to be able to find the information they seek.”

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Rick Medrick Ph.D. Chair of Sustainability Education Ed.D., University of Northern Colorado, Humanistic Psychology and Experiential Education, 1985; University of Colorado, graduate studies in Philosophy, Psychology and Organizational Development, 1963-73; B.A., Dartmouth College, Philosophy and Literature, 1963.

Rick has been an adventure guide and experiential educator with a special interest in personal transformation, deep ecology, and ecopsychology.

As founder/director of Colorado-based Outdoor Leadership Training Seminars (OLTS), and as an Outward Bound director, professional mountain guide, ski instructor, and river outfitter, he has spent many years training instructors and developing programs for a wide audience. The role of the educator is one of mentoring, coaching and facilitating a lifelong learning commitment that engages students at the deepest level of their social, ecological, mental, emotional physical and spiritual being. This process recognizes the potential of each person to change and help create a society that honors our interdependence with the natural world and our responsibility for its wellbeing. Rick believes that the challenge for all educators is to develop programs and processes to help students become agents of change for a sustainable future.

Denise Mitten Sustainability Education, Graduate Chair of Adventure Education Ph.D. Education, University of Minnesota, 2003; Master of Forest Science, Forestry Ecology, Yale University, 1977; Bachelor of Forest Science, Forest Resources, University of Washington, 1974.

Dr. Mitten has worked for over 30 years in adventure, outdoor and environmental education with many populations, including women and youth, homeless people, nuns in recovery, survivors of abuse, women with eating disorders, women felons, and men in prison. Through this work, she developed a nationally recognized leadership training program as well as one of the first ecotourism-based companies in the US.

Pramod Parajuli Director of Program Development for Sustainability Education and Faculty, Ph.D. Program in Sustainability Education Ph.D., Stanford University, International Development Education, 1990; M.A., Stanford University, Anthropology, 1989; B.Law, Tribhuvan University (Kathmandu, Nepal), 1976; M.Ed., Tribhuvan University, Education, 1976.

Pramod has 30 years of interdisciplinary scholarship, activist passion, and cutting-edge pedagogical innovations. A whole systems thinker and a permaculture practitioner, he is interested in the four Ls: Life, Livelihoods, Learning, and Leadership. He envelops all four Ls within the emergent fields of sustainability, social justice and bio-cultural diversity. His inquiry unravels the interplay between the ecosphere, the human sphere and the learning sphere. He has designed and developed academic and community empowerment programs including the Learning Gardens and the Leadership in Ecology, Culture and Learning at Portland State University. He sees rich potential in creating Bio-regional Learning Community HUBS for Prescott students, alumni and mentors in each bioregion. He imagines the Prescott College community engaged in restoration and regeneration of water and food systems in the Colorado plateau and Sonoran Desert bioregion.

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James Pittman ’97 Director of Sustainability, Resource Consultant, Environmental Studies Faculty M.Sc., with distinction, University of Edinburgh, Ecological Economics, 2004; M.A., Antioch University Seattle, Whole Systems Design, 2001; B.A., Prescott College, Ecopsychology, Education and Sustainability, 1997.

James has served as faculty in all of Prescott College’s undergraduate and graduate programs. He is an ecological economist and professional sustainability consultant by training, and most recently served as the Managing Director of Earth Economics, a company focused on sustainability economics, ecosystem service valuation and public policy analysis. His lifelong passion is applied sustainability assessment with graduate research in participatory assessment of both organizational sustainability transitions and regional water resource management strategies. James has served as a consultant to the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, the USDA Forest Service, The United States Department of Energy and various other federal agencies, corporations, nonprofits and public utilities. James is a published author and public speaker and also teaches at the prestigious Bainbridge Graduate Institute in the Sustainable Business M.B.A. Program. James also has strong entrepreneurial inclinations; he’s worked with others to found and/or manage a number of non-profit organizations and green businesses.

Dereka Rushbrook Humanities Faculty Ph.D., University of Arizona, Geography, 2005; M.S., University of Texas at Austin, Economics, 1997; B.S., University of Pittsburgh, Economics and Political Science, Certificate in Latin American Studies, 1985.

Dereka’s doctoral work centered on the global political economy and human-environment interactions of resource-intensive artisanal production in the highlands of central Mexico. Her graduate studies in economics were also focused on issues of development and social justice in Latin America, specifically agricultural export diversification in Central America. Her areas of academic interest also include sexuality and space, border studies and immigration, and social justice movements, especially along the Arizona-Sonora border. In addition to her work at Prescott, Dereka teaches classes at the University of Arizona including Gender and Geography, Arizona and the Southwest, and Urban Growth and Development.

Peter Sherman Chair of Graduate Programs in Environmental Studies Ph.D., Behavioral Ecology and Tropical Community Ecology & Conservation, School of Natural Resources & Environment University of Michigan, 1997; MA, Biology, Physiological Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, State University of New York at Binghamton (now Binghamton University), 1992; BA, Microbiology, Oberlin College, 1986.

Trained as a systems ecologist, Peter studies the world's most complex and sustainably functioning ecosystem: the tropical lowland rainforest, specifically how animals influence plant species diversities. Recently, Peter has begun to apply his system's level understanding of nature's most complex and sustainably-functioning ecosytem to the business and industrial sectors.

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Priscilla Stuckey Humanities Faculty Ph.D., Graduate Theological Union, Religion and Gender, 1997; M.A., Pacific School of Religion, Historical Studies, 1985; B.A., Goshen College, Interdisciplinary: Music, Bible, Religion, 1979.

In her doctoral work Priscilla studied feminist theory and world religions, investigating the constructions of gender and nature in religious groups using theory from history, anthropology, and philosophy. Gender justice was at the heart of her master’s program as well, with its emphasis on American women’s religious history. She has worked as a professional book editor and coached many authors toward completion of their manuscripts. In her spare time she advocates on behalf of urban creeks and was the founder and first president of a small land trust preserving creek headwaters in Oakland, Calif. Her academic work now spans the humanities, drawn together by issues of spirituality, culture, and the environment. She is researching and writing on animism, the philosophy derived from indigenous cultures of relating to nature beings as persons, and on the implications of animist ways of knowing for a Western worldview.

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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES

Program Requirements and Policies Ph.D. Graduation Requirements

to the Prescott College community at the last Colloquium of the academic year.

Minimum of 96 semester credits

The Doctoral Committee • Completion of Foundation Courses – 24 semester credits • Completion of Student-Designed Courses – 24 semester credits • Advanced Research Methods – 6 semester credits minimum Each student designs and/or participates in at least one Research Methodologies and Methods course relevant to the student’s individual focus area and dissertation/project.

In consultation with the doctoral student, the Ph.D. Faculty member approves selection of the two Doctoral Committee members during the third year of the student’s program.

The External Consultant Reviewer joins the committee during the dissertation/project proposal and writing phase to provide additional expertise and critical review of the student’s work. The Ph.D. Faculty, Doctoral Mentors/Committee Members, and External Consultant Reviewers are recruited on the basis of personal and professional understanding of sustainability education, as well as expertise in the student’s planned individual focus area(s).

Program Completion Time Limit Requirement • Practicum Credits – 6-12 semester credits Each student creates and/or participates in one or more Practica that have been approved by the Doctoral Committee or Core Faculty. The emphasis of this project is on providing service through action research to a community and learning from the experience.

Doctoral students complete the Sustainability Education program in four phases over a minimum of four years.

There is also a maximum time limit of seven years from the date of entry through the completion of all degree requirements, including the dissertation/project.

Computer Literacy Requirement • Comprehensive Assessment – 6-12 semester credits Each student is expected to submit a publication quality 30-40 page qualifying paper that is reviewed and approved by the Doctoral Committee • Dissertation Proposal – 6-12 semester credits The student chooses a topic, poses challenging research questions, conducts an applicable literature review, constructs a conceptual/theoretical framework, proposes appropriate research methodologies/methods, and describes the applied or action-oriented aspect of the dissertation/project.

Candidates are expected to enter the Ph.D. program with a level of technology competency sufficient to function effectively in the program. Proficiency is defined as knowledge of computer concepts, email, spreadsheet, word processing, graphics, and database applications.

Doctoral students must be able use message boards or computer conferencing to communicate with others, download and upload files, and attach files to email. Students are required to have full-time access to a computer that has a reliable Internet connection.

• Dissertation Proposal Presentation – 24 semester credits The student delivers a presentation of the dissertation proposal to the College community during a Colloquium.

• Dissertation Presentation The student delivers a presentation of the dissertation 29

EXAMPLES OF STUDENT-DESIGNED COURSES, PRACTICUM IDEAS, AND DISSERTATION TOPICS

Program Plan Examples Examples of Student-Designed Courses Sustainable and Local Food Systems Today, food and water are considered two major predicaments as well as arenas of promise for global renewal and regeneration. This course explores the analysis of the trends towards global food economy on the one hand, and the emergence of local and sustainable food economy on the other. Course readings will cover authors such as Vandana Shiva, Michael Pollan, Prescott College graduate and sustainable foods pioneer, Gary Paul Nabhan, Francis Moore Lappe, and Wendell Berry, as well as hundreds of thousands of initiatives to localize food in North America and globally.

Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Development This course focuses on the multidisciplinary applied science of restoration ecology and the practice of ecological restoration, especially as they relate to wildlife restoration. First, students will explore the sociocultural context through examination of restoration-related philosophical, psychological, political, and economic issues. Second, students will focus attention on some of the paradigms, concepts, and theories relevant to restoration ecology – for example, space-time scales, ecological-evolutionary processes, historical ecology, ecosystem health, and traditional knowledge. Finally, the class will review practical methods of planning, implementing, and evaluating ecological restoration projects, especially as they relate to 30

wildlife restoration in general and large carnivore restoration in particular.

A Place in the Web: Indigenous Sustainable Practices A survey of case studies and related issues illustrating the use of Indigenous sustainable practices to inform decision making, or for use in rethinking unsustainable practices in “developed” countries. The initial idea for the core content of my project was to use case studies illustrating Indigenous sustainability practices and build/collect supplemental materials to support the use of those case studies in teaching about sustainability. Although this may change as my studies progress, I’m still interested in this topic as a way to focus on decision making in sustainability. The ultimate objective would be to determine best practices for using digital systems to make Indigenous knowledge available globally.

Environmental Ethics, the Conservation of Biological Diversity, and Sustainability Education This course undertakes a more advanced examination of the cultural, socioeconomic, philosophical, and political issues in the management and conservation of biological diversity. Topics include human use of endangered species, human/wildlife conflicts, people and protected areas, attitudes and values, and legal and organizational structures. In particular, the course focuses on the nature of human motivation, the formation of personal ethics, and the role of interpersonal ethical frameworks as both causes and effects of intercultural attitudes, conflict resolution, human decision-making, and sustainability education. Students will review and analyze case studies, both international and from the United States, of issues involving the conservation of biological diversity and wildlife, especially large carnivores.

Cultural History of the Borderlands and Sky Islands Region A survey of the human history of the region and an introduction to the impacts humans have had on the biodiversity and environment forms the core of this course. From the arrival of the Clovis Culture and the simultaneous collapse of the Ice Age megafauna to the rise of Indigenous agriculture, students will document the cultural changes in response to the rapid environmental changes during

the Holocene Period. The arrival of the Spanish forever changed the world of the Indigenous peoples through the often brutal and sometimes welcomed acculturation. Students will finish with a search for the effects of the partition of the land between Mexico and the United States into two states, Sonora and Arizona. How has that affected the Indigenous peoples and the descendants of the early Spanish settlers?

Examples of Practicum Experiences Example 1 This internship is based on the premise that constructive, long-lasting changes toward resolving environmental problems are most effective when supported by affected local human communities. Working with the Northern Rockies office of the Defenders of Wildlife, the student will assist in the research and re-design of a community-based wolfhuman reconciliation program that seeks to create significant local tolerance for wolves in the Central Idaho and Yellowstone wolf reintroduction regions. Objectives of this new collaborative conservation program, developed during the internship, will include: preservation and sustainability of wildlife habitat, wolves, and livestock ranching; development of a community partnership with full stakeholder investment in the process; demonstration of tangible economic benefits, in addition to livestock loss compensation payments, for human communities adjacent to wolf territories; and, fostering philosophical, cultural, and political shifts in public attitudes and practices regarding large carnivores and wolves in particular.

Example 2 Resilience Scale (RS) is the best metric currently available for measuring how resilient students are pre-course, and for measuring their growth in resilience (Shellman, 2010; Ewert, 2008; Ahern, 2006; Neill, 2001). This project aims to administer the RS to NOLS students in prepost format to compare NOLS students’ pre-course scores to Wagnild’s published norms (2009); to compare NOLS students’ scores to Outward Bound students’ scores; to determine which resilience factors change as a result of exposure to outdoor education; to query students post-course about mechanisms that support development of resilience facets; to explore correlations with the NOLS Course Quality Survey; and to collectively explore the utility and limitations of Wagnild’s Resilience Scale in a wilderness education context.

Possible Dissertation/Projects Example 1 The primary objective of this research and the resulting project will be to analyze existing cases of wildlife/human conflict resolution currently accomplished through collaborative conservation and cooperative management. Exist-

ing cases of large carnivore conflict resolution and collaborative conservation from Africa, Canada, and Europe will be examined by field and library research. The project will employ a comparative, multiple-case study approach (Yin, 1989), utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research. The overall purpose of the analytical phase will be to further develop theory and “construct” a general model for wildlife conflict resolution and collaborative management of large carnivores, especially wolves. This model will then be applied as a project to the recurring human/wolf conflicts in the Northern Rockies region of the United States. The ultimate “test” of the theory and model building research will be its effectiveness in helping human individuals and communities learn to live sustainably with “big fierce animals.”

“We are looking for students who want to join the greater scholarly community, shape and define their positions within that community, and make original contributions to it.”

Jared Aldern Example 2 My research project will be derived from my action research project and the academic foundation will be based on educators and developmental psychologist who believed that the “sensitive period” ages birth to five years to be the times when an individual is particularly primed to develop in certain ways, given certain environmental stimulations. Research in neuroscience has recently backed that idea (Bransford, 1999).

The Millennium development goal calls for universal primary education for all by 2015. It is estimated according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, that this goal will not be achieved in some sub-Saharan countries like Sierra Leone. The question should be asked why the illiteracy rate in Sierra Leone 70%? Why is it children in rural communities do not attend school? Why are parents not taking an active role in sending their children to school?

How can schools become meaningful to students? The answers to these questions will be outlined in my dissertation project and in the design of the pre-kindergarten school in Sierra Leone. I believe that the answers to some of these questions lie in early childhood education.

I will have to reconstruct a “new school” or “Day Home” for young children that will meet their needs and will be relevant to their lives. The teachers will have to relearn how to teach these children and how they learn. The parents and the community members will be part of the learning and teaching process and they will be in charge of how and what their children learn. The adult learners will help determine what literacy skills they need to be engaged in the global world and in creating a sustainable future, a just society for the present and future generation.

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STUDENT LIFE

Student Resources Prescott College Library

Prescott College Learning Commons

The College provides access to library services and resources essential for attaining superior academic skills regardless of where students and faculty are located. Librarians work with students to develop competency in new and traditional research techniques. They offer instruction in using online resources, provide books and journal articles, and assist students in learning to use their local resources.The library supplements its collection of books, audio/video materials, with electronic access to thousands of additional resources through online databases. They also provide instructional and informational handouts (many available online) to help navigate the library and its resources. Contact the library at (928) 350-1300 or (877) 350-2100 ext. 1300, library@prescott.edu, or www.prescott.edu/library

The Prescott College Learning Commons is a hub for academic writing consultations, information on world language and culture courses, and help with basic math, science, and technology questions. The Commons is located in the Library with hours announced each semester, or contact them by phone, Skype, or email.

Journals and Articles • Over 20,000 unique full-text journals online (in databases such as EBSCOhost, JSTOR, and ProQuest) • Over 200 current print journals subscriptions • Ability to get nearly any article through ILL within 3–5 business days (almost always free) ProQuest Research Library • Database with over 3,200 full-text journals (most are peer-reviewed). You can search both the Dissertations & Theses database and the new Research Library database at the same time, or search each separately.

EBSCO Host EBSCO Host is a database with over 6,000 full-text journals covering a wide range of subjects with excellent coverage in environmental studies, counseling psychology, humanities, educaton, and more.

RefWorks This program is used to keep track of citations while doing research. It allows students to enter citations as they write, and it creates a bibliography in any desired citation format. It is free and available to all students, off-campus and on.

Books Off-campus students can request any circulating book in the library’s catalog. The 40+ libraries in the county library network permit Prescott College to send their books to off-campus students. The College covers the cost to mail the books to students, who then cover the cost of mailing back to the library. This increases the College’s available collection to over a million books.

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For assistance with developing a language course in a language other than English, contact the Language Coordinator at nmattina@prescott.edu.

For advice and feedback on an expository writing task, email your request for assistance to writingcenter@ prescott.edu.

Writing center coaches help students plan, develop, revise, and edit their writing for a specific audience and purpose. Online writing support is available at www.prescott.edu/academics/writing.

Student Life Career Services provides counseling services to assist students with career development. A dynamic program of assessment, education, and personalized career counseling is offered to promote awareness of options and choices. Services include: individual career counseling; résumé, cover letter, and portfolio development; interviewing techniques; job search strategies; local, regional, national and international employment listings; and access to local and national volunteer and servicebased learning opportunities through the Ripple Project.

Health Insurance The College offers an optional student Accident & Sickness Insurance. View a copy of the plan at www.prescott.edu/student_services.

Housing Services Student Life maintains an updated list of rentals throughout the tri-city area. Visit www.prescott.edu/student_services/housings. The list of short-term, temporary options follows the long-term listings. Contact the Housing Coordinator at (877) 350-2100 ext 1005 or (928) 350-1005 with housing questions.

Services for Students with Disabilities The Director of Educatonal Access and Disability works with students with learning-related differences and disabilities. Any requests for academic accommodations must be supported by appropriate documentation. For further information contact Student Services at (928) 350-1005 or (877) 350-2100, ext.1005.

COSTS AND FINANCIAL AID

Costs and Financial Aid Financial Aid Office (877) 350-2100 • (928) 350-1111 • finaid@prescott.edu Federal School Code: 013659

Applying for Financial Aid • Complete and file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after January 1 as possible. (See www.fafsa.gov.) Don’t forget to include Prescott College’s school code, 013659. The sooner you apply, the sooner you’ll hear from us regarding an award offer!

• The data reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines the expected family contribution (EFC). The EFC is then subtracted from the cost of attendance for the academic year. The resulting figure is called demonstrated financial need.

COST OF ATTENDANCE - EFC = DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED

• Anticipate that the FAFSA will be processed within 2-3 weeks if you have applied via FAFSA-on-the-Web. If you apply with a paper application, anticipate 4-6 weeks.

• Once the FAFSA is processed, the FAFSA federal processor will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR).

We encourage you to review the SAR to insure that all information is correct. Prescott College will receive an electronic version of the SAR and will then begin determining eligibility for all forms of financial aid.

• Prescott College begins its awarding in March each year. The College continues its awarding based on FAFSA information thereafter.

• In your award offer, it may indicate that you are required to submit additional documents in order for your offer to be finalized. Be sure to complete and submit all documents requested as soon as possible.

Costs and Financial Aid Cost of Attendance 2010-2011 DIRECT COSTS Tuition ($855/credit) Sustainability Fee Transcript Fee Total Tuition and Fees

First Term $ 10,260 $ 50 $ 50 $ 10,360

Second Term $10,260 $ 50 $ 0 $10,310

TOTAL $ 20,520 (Full-time enrollment of 12 credits) $ 100 $ 50 $ 20,670

INDIRECT COSTS1 Meals & Lodging Books & Supplies Transportation Total Indirect Costs

First Term $ 1,300 $ 878 $ 300 $ 2,478

Second Term $ 1,300 $ 878 $ 600 $ 2,778

TOTAL $ 2,240 (year 1: 15 total days of residency) $ 1,756 $ 900 (3 trips to Prescott, AZ) $ 5,256

Total Direct & Indirect

$ 12,838

$13,088

$ 25,926

1

Meals, Lodging, and Travel expenses are estimated for travel to and from required Orientation and Colloquia and will vary depending on distance from campus and mode of travel. Most meals are covered by the Ph.D. program during Orientation.

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Loans Loans are borrowed funds that must be repaid with interest. You are automatically considered for federal student loan funds by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Prescott College participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program, which means the funds come directly from the federal government. These loans are available to all degree-seeking students who are enrolled at least half time and meet the general eligibility requirements as detailed on the FAFSA.

Federal Direct Loans There are two types of Direct Loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. A student must have financial need to receive a Direct Subsidized Loan. The U.S. Department of Education will pay (subsidize) the interest that accrues on a subsidized loan during certain periods. Financial need is not a requirement to obtain an unsubsidized loan. Students are responsible for paying the interest on unsubsidized loans.

Doctoral candidates may borrow up to $10,250 per term; however, no more than $ 4,250 of this amount may be in a subsidized loan. Interest is fixed at 6.8%.

Repayment begins six months from the date you graduate, drop below half-time enrollment, or otherwise leave school.

Students have a choice of repayment plans.

Graduate PLUS Loan In addition to the above loan program, students may apply for a credit-based educational loan called the PLUS Loan for Graduate and Professional Degree Students.

The Graduate PLUS Loan is a credit-based educational loan and has a fixed interest rate of 8.5 percent. Interest will begin to accrue with the first disbursement to the school.

Repayment of principal and interest payments can be deferred while you are in school. Graduate students may borrow up to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid funds and resources received.

Ph.D. Fellowships and Assistantships To help students manage the costs associated with pursuing an advanced degree, the Ph.D. program offers a number of generous multi-year Fellowships and Assistantships. Assistants work directly with Ph.D. faculty to support the Ph.D. grant writing process and drive new initiatives, such as the launch of the Journal of Sustainability Education, and assist with the coordination of the Annual Sustainability Education Symposium. All applicants meeting the April 15 final application due date will be considered.

Contact Admissions for more information: admissions@prescott.edu

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APPLYING TO PRESCOTT COLLEGE

Applying to Prescott College Prescott College welcomes twelve to fourteen new students into the Ph.D. program each August. To support such a selective system, the Admissions Committee must take a holistic approach when reviewing applications. The Committee considers each applicant, giving special attention to individuals who demonstrate a preparedness to enter into a student-directed low-residency Ph.D. program.

Admission Schedule The College welcomes new students into the program each fall. Because admission is competitive and enrollment limited, it is essential that students complete their applications by the April 15 deadline. Applications received after the class is full will be put on a waitlist, and the Admissions Committee will evaluate them if openings in the class occur.

Applicants will receive an admissions decision four to six weeks after April 15. Admitted students who choose not to enroll must notify the Director of Admissions in writing that they would like to have their application considered for the next enrollment period.

A complete application consists of the following elements: • Application, completed and signed • $50 application fee • Official transcripts documenting the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in sealed envelopes from the degree granting institution(s) • 3 letters of recommendation, including the recommendation forms sent directly to Admissions • Resume/Curriculum Vitae • Personal Statement • Program Proposal The personalized nature of the admissions process transcends the need to require standardized test scores. The insight gained through the Personal Statement and the Program Proposal allows the Admissions Committee to evaluate each applicant on her or his own merits and readiness for doctoral study.

Minimum Requirements for Admission • Completion of a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university • Life/work experience related to the area of study • Evidence of self-direction • Previous relevant academic experience • Excellent writing skills

International Students Prescott College welcomes international student applications. International students whose native language is not English must exhibit a competency in the English language, with a TOEFL score of at least 500 on the paper-based test or at least 173 on the computer-based exam.

Accepted international students must demonstrate ability to meet educational expenses while studying at Prescott College for the first year. This is called “financial certification.” (Students living in Canada and Mexico are also required to document financial certification.) This is the same standard that consular and Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) officers will use to determine a student’s financial stability. Students should anticipate that they will be required to present documentary evidence of financial support at the time they apply for a visa and again to the CIS when they arrive in the United States. Funds may come from any dependable source, including scholarships, fellowships, sponsoring agencies, personal funds, or funds from the student’s family. Documentation of personal or family funds should be on bank letterhead stationery, or in the form of legally binding affidavit from CIS. It is wise to get several sets of original financial documents.

International applicants must submit official transcripts translated into English to Admissions. International applicants are also required to have non-U.S. school transcripts evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.

The applicant is responsible for all costs associated with this service. Applicants will need to provide Admissions with a general report or basic statement of comparability.

Recommended credential evaluation service: International Education Research Foundation (IERF) P.O. Box 3665, Culver City, CA 90231 (310) 258-9451 http://www.ierf.org/SFstandard.asp

The Personal Statement In three to five pages, articulate your extent of knowledge and preparation in the field; capacity for introspection, reflection and critical thinking; and how your personal history has brought you to this point.

Yourself in relation to your proposed doctoral studies.

• What events in your life have led you to want to earn a Ph.D. in Sustainability Education?

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• What have been your life and learning experiences in this field?

• How large a part does this field play in your life and learning?

Your Learning Goals • What do you want to know that you do not presently know?

• What do you want to do that you haven’t already done?

• How do you want to be different than you are right now?

• How did you handle the isolation that often comes with completing projects independently?

• What expertise and kind of relationship are you looking for with adjunct faculty?

The Program Proposal In three to five pages, articulate your readiness to conceive and carry out independent doctoral work in Sustainability Education. A complete proposal will include the following sections and information: Introduction: A discussion of your understanding of sustainability education Phase One: • Refer to the Foundation Course descriptions on page 14 of this catalog. Re-envision these course descriptions so they relate directly to your specific area of interest.

Phase Two: • Create four to six courses that reflect your specific area of focus.

• Include a title and a three-to-five-sentence description for each.

• Add a proposed bibliography of three to five titles per course.

Phase Three: • Propose a relevant Research Methodologies and Methods course.

• Include a proposed bibliography.

• Create ideas for one or more Practica where you would provide service to a community and learn from the experience.

Phase Four • Submit a preliminary idea for a Dissertation/Project.

Submit Applications to: Prescott College Admissions 220 Grove Avenue, Prescott, AZ 86301 admissions@prescott.edu www.prescott.edu

Merging Interests and Course of Study • How does this new learning relate to your Program Proposal?

• What are some of your personal, social, or work-related interests that might become areas of research?

Your Readiness for Doctoral Study • What experience do you have initiating and directing independent projects?

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Prescott College

Ph.D. Program Application Full Name

Last

First

Middle

Former Name

Preferred Name

Social Security number

E-mail address

Mailing address City

State

Home phone

Zip

Work phone

Cell phone

State and country of birth

Country of citizenship

US permanent resident registration #

Visa type

Date of birth

F-1

H-B

J

Gender

The following is optional and will be used for statistical purposes only. Check all applicable boxes.

African American

Native Hawaiian/other

Caucasian

Native American/Alaska Native

Hispanic

Asian

Two or more races

How did you hear about Prescott College?

For which enrollment year are you applying? August 20 Do you intend to apply for financial aid?

Y

N Are you a veteran?

Y

N

List the colleges and universities where you received your Bachelor’s, Master’s or other degrees.

College/University

City/State

Dates Attended To/From

/ / / / /

Degree/major/date received

List the individuals who will be sending letters of recommendation for you. Note their academic or professional relationship to you.

Name

Relationship

Name

Relationship

Name

Relationship

Have you previously applied to Prescott College?

Have you previously attended Prescott College?

If so, which program

RDP

ADP

Y Y

CIBTE

N N

Term applied for Dates attended

MAP

I certify that the information in this application and personal statement is, to the best of my knowledge, complete, true, and solely my creation. I understand that my application and acceptance into Prescott College may be rescinded if I have not complied with this statement.

Signature

Date

Prescott College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Prescott College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, condition of handicap, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, or any other college administered program.

Prescott College

Ph.D. Program Request for Recommendation Three letters of recommendation are required. You may make additional copies of this form.

This part to be completed by the applicant Be sure to inform your recommender of the application early submission date of April 15.

Applicant’s Name

This part to be completed by the recommender The person named above is applying for admission to Prescott College’s Ph.D. Program in Sustainability Education. We would appreciate your opinion of (a) the quality of the applicant’s academic or creative achievements; (b) the applicant’s intellectual ability and capability to complete advanced work through a self-designed doctoral program; (c) those aspects of the applicant’s personality and character significant to doctoral studies; and (d) the applicant’s special skills and experience where demonstrated in a vocation or profession. We would appreciate knowing the extent of your contact with the applicant and any special opportunities you may have had to observe him or her.

Please mail this form, along with your letter of recommendation, to Prescott College, Ph.D. Admissions, 220 Grove Ave., Prescott, AZ 86301. (For information about Prescott College, see www.prescott.edu.)

Recommender’s Signature

Title

Name Printed

Organization

Address

Address

Telephone

E-mail

How to get here Prescott College’s main campus is located in Prescott, Arizona, a twohour drive from Phoenix.

Take Interstate 17 north to Highway 69, Cordes Junction exit. Follow Highway 69 into Prescott. As you enter Prescott, take Gurley Street until Grove Avenue (past the Courthouse Square). Take a right on Grove Avenue and a left at the first stoplight, which is Sheldon St. The Admissions Office is located near the corner of Grove and Sheldon at 306 Grove Avenue.

Rental cars are available at Sky Harbor International Airport and other off-site locations. Horizon Airlines (www.alaskaair.com) provides flights from LAX to the Ernest A. Love Airport in Prescott.

Ground transportation from Phoenix is provided

by Prescott Transit a Greyhound bus lines ticket agent (800-445-7978), and Shuttle-U-Enterprises (800) 304-6114. Make reservations at least 24 hours in advance.

Visit www.prescott.edu to learn more about the following degree programs: Resident Bachelor of Arts Low-Residency Bachelor of Arts Low-Residency Master of Arts Low-Residency Teacher Preparation and Certification Programs Low-Residency Professional Licensure Programs in Counseling Psychology

This catalog was writen by Melanie Bishop, Ted Bouras, Jason Leo, Mary Lin, Ashley Mains, Rick Medrick, and Tim Robison; designed by Bridget Reynolds, and edited by Ted Bouras, Joan Clingan, Mary Lin, Ashely Mains, Candace McNulty, Rick Medrick, and Tim Robison. It is with gratitude that we thank everyone involved with this catalog. Photography contributions by Jared Aldern, Walt Anderson, Michael Byrd, Joan Clingan, Brendan Gebhart, Sher Shah Khan ’09, Jason Leo, Mary Lin, Ashley Mains, Travis Patterson, Bridget Reynolds, Kate Rinzler, Marie Smith, Craig Tissot, Weddle Gilmore Architects, and IStock Photo. Additional photos provided by Bill Crowell, Jens Deichmann, Carol Eichert, Denise Mitten, Peter Sherman, and Mary Whitney.

“Our culture has forgotten that the words ecology and economics come from the same Greek root Ecos, which means Home. Ecology is the study of the Home, while economics is the management of the Home.

How can we possibly understand the relationships of ecology and economics if we have lost the meaning of Home?�

Professor Doug Hulmes

Accreditation Prescott College grants Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Ph.D. degrees and is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602. (800) 621-7440. The Teacher Education Program is approved by the Arizona State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification. The College is accredited by the Association of Experiential Education. Prescott College operates all its academic field-based programs under permits issued by federal and state governments when required.

This catalog was manufactured by Courier Graphics Corporation and printed on Forest Stewardship Council Certified paper that is Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) using vegetable based inks.

Please pass on or recycle!