Academics & Curriculum

Undergraduate Program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

The program was launched in 2012 after the development of a new minor in environmental and sustainability studies. This minor is focused on the humanities and social sciences, but it also includes exposure to the natural sciences. The minor in Earth and Environmental Sciences is also available for students who wish to pursue a more natural science-oriented curriculum.

Learn more about the Undergraduate Program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

American Studies Sustainability Project

Sustainability Project programming will engage the campus community on the issue of sustainability in multiple and creative ways throughout 2011-2012. The ultimate goal for this year of programming is to create a campus-wide conversation that will embolden Vanderbilt’s efforts toward sustainability while deepening our understanding of what we are working toward.

The American Studies Sustainability Project is generously funded by the College of Arts and Science Fant Fund.

Learn more about the American Studies Sustainability Project.

Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching

The Center for Teaching promotes teaching and learning as ongoing and collaborative processes of inquiry, experimentation, and reflection. Programs and services providing guidance on how to incorporate sustainability and service learning for sustainability into curricula are regularly offered by the Center for Teaching, and our available to the entire university’s teaching community, including full-time and part-time faculty, teaching assistants, post-doctoral fellows, and anyone else involved in the instructional process at Vanderbilt.

The Cumberland Project

Modeled on Emory University’s Piedmont Project and Northern Arizona University’s Ponderosa Project, the Cumberland Project is a two-day workshop intended as a launch for a continuing, vibrant teaching and learning community around sustainability themes in 2011-12 and beyond. Emphasis will be placed on a wide array of environmental studies across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

Seminars at The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt

First-year students from any of the four undergraduate schools (Arts and Science, Blair, Engineering, and Peabody) can sign-up for special topics seminars that will be held in the classrooms of The Ingram Commons. Course offerings related to environmental sustainability are frequently included.  Read about Spring 2011 Commons Seminars.

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs

• American Studies Program
• School of Engineering
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Department of Biology
• Department of Chemistry
• Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
• Vanderbilt University Law School
• Environmental Law Program

Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs and Centers

• Center for Environmental Management Studies
• Climate Change Research Network
• Center for Ecology and Spirituality
• Center for Community Studies
• Center for Ethics
• Center for Molecular Toxicology
• Vanderbilt University Forum for Research and Teaching of Sustainability

Sustainability Resources Across the Vanderbilt Curriculum

SustainVU publishes a composite list of resources for learning more about sustainability. This list includes:

• Articles, Books and Conference Proceedings
• Links to National and International Organizations
• Model Programs of Other Universities
• Vanderbilt Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students with environmental expertise
• Vanderbilt Organizations
• Local Nashville and Tennessee Organizations
• Disciplinary resources