Spring Break
Global climate course kills four birds with one stone
Peter Hironaka
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: News
A hybrid course combining the departments of environmental studies, humanities and geology satisfies all four upper GE requirements.
The course, titled CEGHM 168, Global Climate Change, is taught by geology professor Richard Sedlock, humanities professor Cynthia Rostankowski and environmental studies professor Alex Gershenson.
The class covers nine units: six units in the Fall and three units in the Spring semesters. Students do have the option to take it in the first semester for six units, but they will not receive GE credits for the class.
The course qualifies for all upper GE areas, including 100W, but only for students whose major do not require you to take it within your department, said professor Sedlock.
The class is taught only on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 4:15 p.m. by professors from those three different departments. It is only in its second semester, but about 100 students filled the classroom last Tuesday.
Aimee Lancaster, a senior communication studies major, said she signed up for the class to fulfill her upper GE. She said the teachers have made the class fair and not too strenuous.
"I think the work load is decent," she said. "I expected more work for a class this size and this many units, but so far I like it."
Teck Liew, a junior art major, also said he has enjoyed the class so far.
"Not only does it fill the upper GE, but it has a lot of information that I find useful," Liew said.
Sedlock said he has been pleased by the success of the class.
"Last year's crowd took it pretty well," he said. "This year's crowd is responding even better because they come in with a better understanding of what the issues are."
Sedlock said he hopes to bring students a better understanding of how the climate works.
"It's a really complex system, and without looking at it from multiple perspectives, it would be the proverbial blind man with the elephant arrangement, where you only know part of the issue," he said.
He also described how the class varies with regards to global climate change. "We're beyond simply how the climate system works," Sedlock said.
"I am looking at it from an energy resources and economic point of view."
He also mentioned how Rostankowski has been talking about the philosophical aspects of the values we have and how those guide our countries' financial choices.
"We see in the world around us different value systems," Sedlock said. "Developing countries have very different opinions about what we should be undertaking."
Gershenson commented on his contribution to the course.
"My role in the course is to shed light on the biological and policy aspects of climate change," he said.
He also clarified how the class time is evenly distributed among the three professors.
"We lecture about an even amount," Gershenson said. "Usually, it's two people in one day, so one of us always has a day off."
The course, titled CEGHM 168, Global Climate Change, is taught by geology professor Richard Sedlock, humanities professor Cynthia Rostankowski and environmental studies professor Alex Gershenson.
The class covers nine units: six units in the Fall and three units in the Spring semesters. Students do have the option to take it in the first semester for six units, but they will not receive GE credits for the class.
The course qualifies for all upper GE areas, including 100W, but only for students whose major do not require you to take it within your department, said professor Sedlock.
The class is taught only on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 4:15 p.m. by professors from those three different departments. It is only in its second semester, but about 100 students filled the classroom last Tuesday.
Aimee Lancaster, a senior communication studies major, said she signed up for the class to fulfill her upper GE. She said the teachers have made the class fair and not too strenuous.
"I think the work load is decent," she said. "I expected more work for a class this size and this many units, but so far I like it."
Teck Liew, a junior art major, also said he has enjoyed the class so far.
"Not only does it fill the upper GE, but it has a lot of information that I find useful," Liew said.
Sedlock said he has been pleased by the success of the class.
"Last year's crowd took it pretty well," he said. "This year's crowd is responding even better because they come in with a better understanding of what the issues are."
Sedlock said he hopes to bring students a better understanding of how the climate works.
"It's a really complex system, and without looking at it from multiple perspectives, it would be the proverbial blind man with the elephant arrangement, where you only know part of the issue," he said.
He also described how the class varies with regards to global climate change. "We're beyond simply how the climate system works," Sedlock said.
"I am looking at it from an energy resources and economic point of view."
He also mentioned how Rostankowski has been talking about the philosophical aspects of the values we have and how those guide our countries' financial choices.
"We see in the world around us different value systems," Sedlock said. "Developing countries have very different opinions about what we should be undertaking."
Gershenson commented on his contribution to the course.
"My role in the course is to shed light on the biological and policy aspects of climate change," he said.
He also clarified how the class time is evenly distributed among the three professors.
"We lecture about an even amount," Gershenson said. "Usually, it's two people in one day, so one of us always has a day off."
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