The Environmental Education Two-Step

Let's face it: College is ridiculously expensive these days. Some kids are cutting the cost by doing the first year or two at a community college and then finishing their bachelors elsewhere. I've been seeing it in a few different majors, but not in environmental science or environmental studies. Until now.

Late last week, Hudson Valley Community College signed an official transfer agreement with the State University of New York Plattsburgh. Eighteen academic programs are covered by the agreement, including HVCC's associate's degree in biology. Students may apply its credits to a SUNY Plattsburgh bachelor's in biochemistry, biology, ecology or environmental science. And the schools, both of which are located in upstate New York in the Albany area, indicated that there would be more agreements forthcoming between them in the area of environmental science.

SUNY Plattsburgh currently offers majors in both environmental science and environmental studies. There are four degree options in the former, including both a bachelor's of arts and a bachelor's of science in environmental science, a B.S. in ecology and a B.A. with a concentration in environmental planning and management. The environmental studies major combines work in the sciences with courses in social sciences and the humanities. SUNY Plattsburgh also is home to the Center for Earth and Environmental Science, which houses its ES, geology and geography programs.

Northern Michigan Plant Protest

Educating students about the environment can have unintended consequences: They can become more protective of the environment on their very own campus.

So it was this past week at Northern Michigan University. Students there are challenging the Marquette-Mich.-based institution's plan to build new dorms because the construction would destroy a native plant research project on campus. Student representatives met with NMU's president and brought along a petition bearing 900 names and information on future plans for the four-year-old native plant project. NMU offers majors in both environmental conservation and environmental science.

And the whole thing may be more than a bit ironic since the tag line on NMU's Web site is "Northern. Naturally."