Earn a certificate and help the environment
Posted: August 8, 2017 6:00 a.m.
The Certificate in Sustainability received a recognition award from RCE Saskatchewan. Accepting the award are Dr. Roger Petry (l), associate professor of philosophy; Dr. Katherine Arbuthnott (c), Psychology professor; and Carol Reyda, Co-coordinator of RCE Saskatchewan and project manager, construction and sustainability. Photo courtesy of Margret Asmuss
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The University of Regina has taken another step to a more sustainable campus. For the second year, the University is offering students a Certificate in Sustainability.
The program focuses not only on environmental sustainability but also on promoting human well-being and quality of life over the long term.
Although the program is run through the Faculty of Arts, this certificate is open to students from all faculties.
A certificate allows students from any department to supplement their degree by specializing in this area.
“The certificate truly is sustainable since it did not require further university resources to create but rather relied on existing resources,” says Dr. Roger Petry, Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Classics at Luther College. He’s also the co-ordinator of the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in Saskatchewan.
“As a member of the Faculty of Arts, I was aware of a number of courses in place that had environmental or human sustainability dimensions," he says.
Petry points out that the campus community came together in a big way to support the program. Petry initially worked with Dr. Katherine Arbuthnott, a professor of psychology at Campion College, to seek out possible classes that would qualify for the certificate. From there, others on campus enthusiastically came on board and the program became a reality.
Sustainability is one of the pillars of the U of R’s strategic plan.
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Students are required to complete six classes to earn the Certificate in Sustainability. There are about 30 classes to choose from in at least 10 departments.
Those classes include:
- Environmental Geology (GEOL 102)
- Introduction to Contemporary Indigenous Issues (INDG 201)
- Medicinal plants and Culture (BIOC 200)
- Environmental Economics (ECON 273)
- Psychology and Environmental Change (PSYC 340)
- Food, Hunger & Social Justice (JS310)
Sustainability certificates are popular at other universities, and in a few short months of it being offered at the U of R, it has become noticed. The program received a recognition award from the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in Saskatchewan (RCE Saskatchewan).
”I would hope students realize the substantial opportunity here in Saskatchewan to move to a sustainable system of production,” says Petry. “An opportunity that exists probably more so than most other places on the planet given the land availability, sparse population, and the large amount of renewable resources.”
Luther College, a federated college of the U of R, is providing the administrative support for the program.
If you’re interested in pursuing a Certificate in Sustainability please visit here.
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