STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to: • Identify how current social, economic, and environmental problems affect their individual lives, the lives of people in other parts of the world, and the lives of future generations. • Define sustainability, evaluate the sustainability of particular systems and practices, and analyze the political and cultural challenges of sustainability implementation. • Recognize the fundamental impacts of humans, including commerce and attitudes, on the earth's systems. • Evaluate the interdependencies and long-term thinking necessary to grow the world economy while also protecting environmental resources.
• Develop ideas to create common ground and promote the principles of sustainability to diverse groups of people. • Develop a knowledge base to enable them to choose lifestyles and careers that will promote sustainable principles. The required classes include: Biology 7: Sustaining Life on Earth, Sociology 5: Our Sustainable Future, Philosophy 5: Environmental Ethics, Economics 35: An Introduction to Environmental Economics, and a Sustainability Seminar providing students a forum to integrate and critically evaluate the various content of these courses. In addition, students can choose from one of the following courses: Psychology 11: Peace Psychology and Agriculture 10: World Food & Hunger Issues. All of this leaves no doubt that Butte College is in the cutting edge of this transformation and little wonder has been recognized as a national leader in the field of education for sustainable development. What happens when the students complete the program and move on? Mimi offered a glimpse. One of the earliest students, when studying for his degree, noticed all the green lawns in the neighborhood front yards. His study concluded these lawns must be eliminated resulting in a “community supported agriculture” campaign. Quite simply resulting in “farms” in people’s front yards. He now has an understandably high position in the Sierra Club. Another student was hired as a
youth director leading ‘hands on’ lesson in sustainability. A third student transferred to San Jose State where, upon graduation, discovered the university wanted to keep her, resulting in her having to write her own job description. This glance is not only eye opening but certainly speaks to the nature of academics with the end result of success in the real world surrounding us. The real world with job opportunities ranging from Green building construction and alternative transportation to community organizing as a social justice activist and eco tourism. The 17 unit certificate program paves the way for students to go in myriad directions and endless possibilities, perhaps ones that have not yet been considered Mimi Riley is no longer asking what happened to the movement. She delights in teaching not only the truth, but her truth as well. Mimi cannot emphasize enough the importance of, “teaching about climate change without pulling any punches.” As of now, the program has more students than ever, Mimi has four sections for the first time. However, to the woman who stayed up all night writing and planning the very program she now leads, it will never be enough. She will continue to look for the next rocket to launch. For Mimi, Alan Atkisson’s quote may say it all—“The World needs an enormous number of new innovators, change agents, and transformers dedicated to turning development in the direction of sustainability. People like you!” People like Mimi who is entrusted with the acumen of sustainability at her far out’ college with a Paradise address, Oroville zip code, and Chico phone number. What’s her message? “Tag, you're it.”
WRITTEN BY KEVIN DOLAN PHOTO BY MICHELLE CAMY & PROVIDED BY MIMI RILEY
About the Program: The Sustainability Studies Certificate program is designed to broaden and deepen students' understanding of the interconnected nature of the comprehensive social, economic, and environmental transformations of the 21st Century. This course of study will provide students with an interdisciplinary body of knowledge that focuses on the problems human civilization faces as well as the solutions and strategies that will lay the groundwork for a sustainable future. Students will develop leadership skills that inspire cooperation and mutual respect, and facilitate innovative, durable, and sustainable pathways for social and personal change, economic security and prosperity, and environmental restoration.
• Utilize critical thinking to develop a point of view regarding the problems and potential solutions for providing adequate yields of nutrient dense food and potable water for a growing global population, both in developing and developed countries. • Discuss and write about the ways in which fields such as environmental ethics, ecology, sociology, technology, and others interconnect in Sustainability Studies.
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