SUE: Minor

Sustaining the Urban Environment @ UC

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Minor in SUE at UC

The Center for Sustaining the Urban Environment (SUE) at the University of Cincinnati (UC) is pleased to announce the formation of a trans-disciplinary Minor in Sustaining the Urban Environment.

Background.

Sustaining the Urban Environment seeks to understand how urban infrastructure and environmental policies affect the long-term health and wealth of cities, and to apply this understanding for practical aims through the development of theoretical and analytical frameworks. Such theoretical and analytical frameworks do not exist, and will only be discovered and tested through sustained multi-disciplinary research and education collaborations fostered by administrative support at all levels of the University.

Justification.

In September, 2007 an email survey was distributed to approximately 35,000 students at the University of Cincinnati. Approximately 1,500 students responded to the survey, and more than 250 respondents self-identified as enrolled in the College of Engineering. Approximately 89% of the total respondents indicated that they wanted to participate in formal education about sustainability with a minor/certificate selected as the most favored option. Thus, a large pool of interested students has been identified.

Summary.

With leadership from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a multi-disciplinary minor in Sustaining the Urban Environment has been organized. Consisting of thirty credit hours, the objective of this minor is to provide students with seven learning opportunities, namely: 1) a shared experience in core courses; 2) technical depth in engineering and health; breadth in 3) planning, 4) management, 5) economics, and 6) policy; 7) with a culminating capstone experience. Recommended courses were selected with the objective that students could simultaneously complete the requirements for General Education (i.e., Breadth of Knowledge electives) and the minor in Sustaining the Urban Environment. Students are allowed to petition to substitute other courses to complete the minor.

The Minor in Sustaining the Urban Environment consists of a total of 30 credit hours which must be achieved in the following FOUR CATEGORIES:

1. Required Basic Courses (Student must take both courses - for a minimum of 6 credit hours):

20 CEE 398 Readings in Sustaining the Urban Environment (3 credit hours), Autumn, Oerther; Spring, Oerther
20 CEE 649 Introduction to Sustaining the Urban Environment (3), Winter, Kupferle

(To aid in scheduling, check out how these courses are listed as part of the General Education Breadth of Knowledge requirements at http://www.uc.edu/gened. They also do not require any pre-requisites. This will enable any student within the University to take these courses.)

2. Technical Electives Courses (Students to select at least TWO courses - for a minimum of 6 credit hours):

20 CEE 204 Introduction to Environmental Assessment and Remediation, Autumn, Kupferle (3)
20 CEE 472 Practical Aspects of Building Energy Audits, Spring, Harrell (3)
20 CEE 600/601 Millennium Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability, Autumn, Oerther (3)
20 CEE 605/23PLAN659 Travel Demand Forecasting I (3)
20 CEE 644 Environmentally Conscious Engineering, Spring, Adjunct (3)
20 CEE 664 Air Quality Management (3)
20 CEE 675 Green Construction (3), Spring, Salem
26 EIH 707 Principles of Occupational Exposure Assessment (3)
26 OCCM 786 Basics of Occupational Medicine (3)
26 OCCM 987 Basics of Environmental Medicine (3)

3. Breadth of Knowledge Electives Courses (Students to select at least ONE course from each of the following FOUR sub-categories - for a grand total of 12 credit hours):

a. Planning (Students must select ONE course - minimum of 3 credit hours)

15 GEO 323 Urban Geography (3)
15 GEO 522 Urban Problems (3)
23 PLAN 352 Understanding the Urban Environment (3)
23 PLAN 606 Environmental Processes and Programs (3)
23 PLAN 609 Environmental Policy and Planning (3)
23 PLAN 621 Sustainable Development in the City, Spring, Chifos (3)

b. Management (Students must select ONE course - minimum of 3 credit hours)

15 EVST 399H Sustainable Development (3)
15 EVST 610 Environmental Risk Analysis (3)
20 CEE 614 Solid Waste Management (3)
20 CEE 657 Basic Principles of Environmental Law (3)
20 CEE 679 Construction Project Management (3)
20 CEE 680 Construction Planning (3)
20 CEE 696 Watersheds: Theory and Management (3)
20 MINE 640 Management of Professionals (3)
22 IS 555 Information System Project Management (3)
23 ARCH 357 Site Systems, Spring, Russell (3)
32 CM 555 Sustainable C/LEED, Winter, Elzakra (3)

c. Economics (Students must select ONE course - minimum of 3 credit hours)

15 ECON 506 Urban Economic Problems, Autumn, Brasington; Winter, Erhardt (3)
15 ECON 557 Economic Development, Winter, Erhardt (3)
15 ECON 575 Economic Development (3), Autumn, Erhardt
15 EVST 620 Conservation & Economic Development
20 CEE 677 Engineering Economics (3)

d. Policy (Students must select ONE course - minimum of 3 credit hours)

15 EVST 600 Environmental Law & Policy (3)
15 EVST 601 International Environmental Law & Policy (3)
15 EVST 602 Global Biodiversity: Law & Policy (3)
15 POL 231 Government and Public Policy (3)
15 POL 420 Public Opinion (3)
15 POL 534 Emergency Management Policy and Administration, Stever (3)
15 POL 536 Security and Intergovernmental Relations, Stever (3)
23 PLAN 603, Environmental Resource Analysis (3)
23 PLAN 609 Environmental Policy and Planning (3)
23 PLAN 679 International Development o f Planning Policies (3)

4. Required Capstone Course (Students must select ONE course/experience worth a grand total of 6 credit hours). A capstone course/experience for Integrated Sustainable Development with multi-disciplinary teams of students across the University – Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Political Science, Health, Economics, Planning, and Management

15 EVST 501, 502 Senior Capstone Design
20 CEE 504, 505, 506 Integrated Design Sequence
Habitat for Humanity House (course credit provided through independent study)
Solar Decathalon (course credit provided through elective studios)
Engineers Without Borders (course credit provided through independent study such as CEE 400, CEE 401, and CEE 402)

Students interested in completing the Minor in Sustaining the Urban Environment, should contact us at sue@uc.edu.

Questions? Contact Center for Sustaining the Urban Environment.
Room 765 Baldwin Hall; P.O. Box 210071
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0071, USA
(513) 556-3685; (513) 556-2599 (fax)