SUST 140 / 3 Credits

This course will introduce students to ecological systems and principles and how these are applied to natural ecosystems in the context of agriculture and food production. It will discuss ecological, economic and social sustainability. Course topics include trophic levels in ecosystems, biomes, and global biogeochemical cycles (such as the hydrologic, carbon, and nitrogen cycles). Other subjects include organismal interactions (competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism), population ecology (genetics, structure and dynamics), agriculture, forestry, and biodiversity.

ENVS 216 / 3 Credits

A broad interdisciplinary examination of the issues surrounding environmental sustainability and stewardship. The course includes an examination of the scientific method as it applies to the study of ecosystem structure and function. Ethics, economics and public policy are examined as they relate to resource use, population growth, food production, pollution, biodiversity protection, and energy consumption. Central to discussion are Judeo-Christian perspectives on environmental stewardship as they pertain to responsible/sustainable living.

GIS 245 / 3 Credits

A Geographical Information System (GIS) is a cross-disciplinary computer-based data processing program designed to manage and analyze spatial information. The emphasis of this course is on software training using ArcGIS Desktop, a PC-based software package used for visualizing, exploring, querying, editing and analyzing data linked to geographic locations. Students will develop a core base and general skills on which they can build further expertise in ArcGIS Desktop. Expectations: Basic skills in MS Windows, spreadsheets, and databases. Students from all majors are welcome.

SOAN 212 / 3 Credits

Holistic, comparative approach to the study of humankind that draws on a variety of disciplines such as archeology, linguistics, and ethnology to understand the nature of culture. Topics include cultural diversity and adaptive strategies, language, personality, marriage and kinship, religious beliefs and rituals, politics, economics, art, types of groups, social change, and issues of culture contact and cultural survival.

SOAN 310 / 3 Credits

An introduction to the issues, both national and global, associated with our food system. Particular attention will be paid to the industrial food production and consumption, social food movements, food politics, and the cultural ways in which societies engage with food. The course will draw on literature and perspectives from sociology, anthropology, and sustainability to unpack how inequality, environmental, and social degradation are results of our global food system. Students will then explore ways in which actors are working against these powers to reclaim food security, justice and sovereignty. Course has a 15-hour Service-Learning experience with a social service agency working in the food system.

SUST 495 / 3 Credits

This course is a problem solving seminar reviewing the philosophical underpinnings of sustainable development and extending them by solving problems. Students will explore the fundamental assumptions of sustainability; call upon the skills learned in their specific tracks of study and work together as an integrative team to vocationally address an unsustainable situation in a specific geographic location. Course will include exploration of sustainability studies as a Christian vocation, explicit focus on project management, work tracked in increments relative to goals, and development of portfolios for each participant for use in seeking future employment. Course is intended for Seniors.

ECON 117 / 3 Credits

Introduction to the nature and application of the methods of economic analysis to the problems and issues associated with the environment. Deals with case studies and policy options relevant to local, national, and international environmental concerns.

POLI 113 / 3 Credits

An introduction to the structure and operation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal government, with special attention to the impact of the electorate, parties, and interest groups on the federal policy-making process. Required of all Politics Majors.

SOAN 315 / 3 Credits

Survey of the spread of global urbanization from pre-industrial times until today. Emphasis placed on understanding urban life in different cultures and societies, with analysis of urban problems and possibilities in a broad range of countries. Attention will be given to the role of the church in shaping urban cultures and vice versa.

STAT 269 / 3 Credits

Descriptive measures, normal distributions, one-sample and two-sample hypothesis testing and estimation, correlation, and analysis of variance.

INTE 391 / 1-3 Credits

This practical work experience will provide juniors and seniors with a means to explore career options and to enhance their skill set under the professional supervision of the Internship Center staff.

SOCI 391 / 1-3 Credits

Field experience for junior and senior Department of Sociology majors wishing to clarify vocational goals. Students work under professional supervision for a minimum of 40 hours per credit. Ten additional hours of reading and other integrative activities per credit required.

ENVS 315 / 3 Credits

A seminar course contrasting Judeo-Christian with other religious and humanistic views of environmental ethics. Emphasis is on developing an individual ethic within a Biblical framework of Creation Care to address environmental issues such as pollution, resource use, and others related to human population. Course also addresses the connection of environmental stewardship with issues of justice in developing countries.

THEO 3105 / 3 Credits

BIOL 172 / 4 Credits

An introduction to the diversity of life, including biological systematics, evolutionary theory, natural history and plant biology. Topics include the processes and patterns of evolution, speciation and phylogenies, and the major clades of life. Of particular emphasis is the diversity of plants and their natural histories in relation to their respective form and function. Plant anatomy, physiology, genetics, pathology and ecology will be discussed with specific reference to economically and medicinally important plant groups. While this course meets the QuEST Laboratory Science requirement for all majors, it is taught at a level appropriate for science majors.

BIOL 336 / 4 Credits

Restoration ecology focuses on repairing structure and function of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Students will gain an understanding of plant community ecology, plant propagation, restoration design, management, and assessment in the context of normal disturbance regimes (fire, browsing, etc.) as well as mitigation of impacts of invasive species and climate change. Students are assessed through execution of practical skills and project planning. Laboratory includes field trips, applications of concepts to ongoing restoration projects, and assessment of established projects.

CHEM 103 / 4 Credits

Principles of chemistry for allied health majors. Topics include the periodic table, chemical bonding, stoichiometry, chemical equilibria and molecular structure and properties of organic and biological molecules.

GEOL 201 / 4 Credits

This course covers foundational concepts in geology: mineralogy, rock formation, soil formation, depositional processes, tectonics, seismicity, and groundwater, with consideration of historical aspects of the field. A background in high school chemistry is expected.

ENVS 270 / 2 Credits

This course will provide project-driven experience in the application of landscape navigation and mapping techniques, data gathering and analysis methods for terrestrial systems. The student group operates as a consulting company with an outside client being the recipient of the course products.

ENVS 271 / 2 Credits

This course will provide project-driven experience in the application of landscape mapping techniques, data gathering and analysis methods for wetland and aquatic systems. information will be applied to wetland permitting and watershed management. The student group operates as a consulting company with an outside client being the recipient of the course products.

BIOL 302 / 3 Credits

A field-intensive experience of the geology, flora, and fauna of the northern Rocky Mountain region. Focus is on identification of ecological principles and small group research projects to test understanding of those principles. Students will also discuss and understand human impacts and the policies driving these impacts, with particular attention to water supply and climate change. Accommodations are primarily camping. Students are expected to hike distances of up to 10 miles per day, at elevations up to 14,000ft at temperatures from 20?F to 80?F. Course fee for travel.

BIOL 304 / 3 Credits

Students will explore the structure, function, history, biodiversity, and conservation of tropical ecosystems in Costa Rica and Panama. Attention will be given to lowland rain forest, montane cloud forest, paramo, dry forest, savanna, mountain complex, riverine, and marine ecosystems. This course encourages learning through context-based biological research and cultural interaction.

BIOL 456 / 4 Credits

The course will examine the modern birds (Neornithes) through cladistic and taxonomic approaches, while emphasizing avian morphology physiology, ecology, biogeography, and behavior. Field and laboratory experiences will develop the skills and knowledge necessary for professional application.

BIOL 458 / 4 Credits

This course will examine the modern amphibians (Amphibia) and reptiles (Reptilia) through cladistic and taxonomic approaches, while emphasizing their respective morphology, physiology, ecology, biogeography, and behavior. Field and laboratory experiences will develop the skills and knowledge necessary for professional application.

ASI 301 / 4 Credits

A systems-level perspective on land forms and ecosystems. Includes analysis and interpretation of field data, remote sensing data derived from satellites and aircraft and geographic information systems (GIS), including field trips to and analysis of forests, wetlands, lakeshores, and rivers. Includes application to policy and land use planning.

ASI 302 / 4 Credits

Field study of lakes and other freshwater systems with applications to planning and management. Includes an introduction to limnology and investigation of representative lakes, streams, and wetlands of the region and compares the North American Great Lakes with the other great lakes of the world and their stewardship.

ASI 303 / 4 Credits

Ecological Agriculture focuses on how agricultural systems can be developed to better resemble natural ecosystems to achieve multiple outcomes: food for communities, vibrant economies, and healthy ecosystems. Focus is on learning agricultural principles that can be applied in rural, urban, temperate, and tropical settings. Issues of justice and public policy are also discussed. This course employs a discussion format both in classroom and field settings. It grapples with difficult practical and ethical problems and issues that require interdisciplinary analysis.

ASI 310 / 4 Credits

Analysis of the policy making process at local, national, and international scales with examination of environmental policy challenges including climate change, resource management and energy development. Students will interact with regional policy-makers and land managers in the field to consider linkages between policy and science and ways for science to inform the policy-making process. Environmental ethics, environmental justice, and environmental advocacy will also be considered.

ASI 318 / 4 Credits

Biology of marine plants and animals in the field. The focus of the course is on intertidal life and marine ecology in oceanic and geophysical context. Includes trophic dynamic relationships of eel grass communities and the intertidal zone, workings of the island systems of Puget Sound, ecological roles of sea birds and fishes, population and community structure dynamics, exploitation and oceanic microbialization, and biogeochemical processes and their linkages with the biosphere. Marine stewardship and effects of human activity on the marine environment are examined in all course components.

ASI 342 / 4 Credits

Introduction to the relation of freshwater fish species and their environments in lakes and streams with concurrent examination of techniques and technologies employed to manage populations and species for conservation, recreational use, and commercial harvest. This course will provide understanding of freshwater fish taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships, habitat requirements of major fish species by life stages, stream habitat assessment, population measuring and monitoring, and strategies for management of recreational and commercial species and conservation of threatened and endangered species.

ASI 343 / 4 Credits

An introduction to sustainability and tropical agriculture with applications for working with resource-poor farmers. Topics include the scientific basis of low cost techniques, tropical crops and their requirements, and on-site work. Issues in Christian missions and development, urban gardening and small animal techniques are also covered in the context of agricultural employment and economy. This course includes several trips to different ecosystem regions of Costa Rica.

ASI 345 / 4 Credits

Ecology, conservation, and stewardship of wildlife and their habitats. Includes examination of growth and structure of populations, environmental and human social factors affecting wildlife communities, and theories and applications of wildlife conservation. Set in the context of the historical development of the field from management to ecology to the land ethic of Leopold. Includes management and stewardship of non-game and endangered species, and long-term prospects of wildlife in changing environmental, climatic, and social contexts. Prerequisite: one course in biology, or permission of professor.

ASI 368 / 4 Credits

ASI 371 / 4 Credits

Introduction to site-level, landscape and multi-stakeholder approaches to forest management, including strategies of climate change adaptation and mitigation. Theory, application, and techniques of forest management for specified values and objectives including instrumental (economic/utilitarian and life support such as wood production, habitat and watershed protection and climate moderation) and non-instrumental values (such as aesthetic, moral/spiritual values e.g. recreation). The course will address the evolution of forest management practice and some specific practices, methods and techniques of growing trees and the development and care of forests (silviculture) as applied to natural forests managed for various objectives.

ASI 381 / 4 Credits

Rapidly expanding human populations and the heavy dependence on technology have intensified the human impact on ecosystems. Urban areas have expanded and are increasingly altering environmental conditions. It is important to understand the conditions present in these human-altered environments and the impact on wildlife. This course focuses on issues relating to the vertebrates that have chosen to live in urban areas. Using Chicago as a resource, we will explore real issues and concepts including the impact of habitat fragmentation and modification, synanthropy, and issues such as the predator paradox and population management. Site visits frame opportunities for active engagement.

ASI 471 / 4 Credits

Principles of conservation biology with applications to sustainable human society and biospheric integrity. An integrative approach to biology and society that interrelates population biology, ecological principles, biogeochemical cycles, ecosystem functions, and human society in the context of biospheric degradation. The course develops a stewardship perspective rooted in biological principles and directed at conservation of plant and animal species, biotic communities, ecosystems, and human society, including topics in human development, poverty, and economic growth.

BIOL 3105 / 3 Credits