2008 Woodie Awards
Gen eds get green thumbs
Leah Grice
Issue date: 9/24/07 Section: News
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UCF is making it a point to go green this year.
The 2007-2008 General Education Program Undergraduate Unifying Theme is the environment.
Each year, hundreds of students are questioned prior to the academic year as to what they would like to focus their education on. This year, students responded with the environment.
Although environmentalism is a global trend, UCF's theme is student-driven.
"The goal of using a theme is to help students see the relevance of what they are learning within the curriculum and how it applies to something that they are passionate about," said Alison Morrison-Shetlar, dean of Undergraduate Studies. Morrison-Shetlar is also the coordinator of the theme program.
"Environment seems to be a passion now for anyone who is thinking," said Michael Hampton, the interim director of Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies and a chemistry professor.
Hampton researches ways to benefit the environment by using hydrogen as fuel.
Hampton said he hopes the university will incorporate the theme throughout UCF.
"We are not trying to change curriculum," Hampton said. "We are trying to add a focus that is interesting to students and will raise awareness."
This year's General Education Program's Unifying Theme was created so curricular and extracurricular activities could focus discussion on the environment and how each person can make a difference. The theme encourages undergraduate students to engage in academic discourse, creating potential solutions and opportunities for direct student action.
Throughout the academic year, faculty will weave the unifying environment theme into their discussions, curriculum and projects in order to expose people in a structured, formal way to what is happening in the environment and on the campus.
LEAD Scholars, UCF's academic leadership program, has dedicated its core class, usually focusing on leadership, to the environmental theme. Each semester, LEAD dedicates one project to community service enrichment. However, this semester it has replaced its community service endeavor with a "going green" project.
The 2007-2008 General Education Program Undergraduate Unifying Theme is the environment.
Each year, hundreds of students are questioned prior to the academic year as to what they would like to focus their education on. This year, students responded with the environment.
Although environmentalism is a global trend, UCF's theme is student-driven.
"The goal of using a theme is to help students see the relevance of what they are learning within the curriculum and how it applies to something that they are passionate about," said Alison Morrison-Shetlar, dean of Undergraduate Studies. Morrison-Shetlar is also the coordinator of the theme program.
"Environment seems to be a passion now for anyone who is thinking," said Michael Hampton, the interim director of Liberal and Interdisciplinary Studies and a chemistry professor.
Hampton researches ways to benefit the environment by using hydrogen as fuel.
Hampton said he hopes the university will incorporate the theme throughout UCF.
"We are not trying to change curriculum," Hampton said. "We are trying to add a focus that is interesting to students and will raise awareness."
This year's General Education Program's Unifying Theme was created so curricular and extracurricular activities could focus discussion on the environment and how each person can make a difference. The theme encourages undergraduate students to engage in academic discourse, creating potential solutions and opportunities for direct student action.
Throughout the academic year, faculty will weave the unifying environment theme into their discussions, curriculum and projects in order to expose people in a structured, formal way to what is happening in the environment and on the campus.
LEAD Scholars, UCF's academic leadership program, has dedicated its core class, usually focusing on leadership, to the environmental theme. Each semester, LEAD dedicates one project to community service enrichment. However, this semester it has replaced its community service endeavor with a "going green" project.