Category 10: People and the Environment

Goal: To increase students' understanding of today's complex environmental challenges. Students will examine the interrelatedness of human society and the natural environment. Knowledge of both bio-physical principles and psycho-social cultural systems is the foundation for integrative and critical thinking about environmental issues.

Objectives/Outcomes:
Following the Completion of Category 10 of the General Education Program, students can:
1. Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems.
2. Discern and analyze patterns and interrelationships of the bio-physical and psycho-social cultural systems.
3. Critically discern and analyze individual, social, and ecological dimensions of health.
4. Describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, health, ethical, religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges.
5. Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understanding about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.
6. Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems, and then articulate and defend actions they would take on various environmental issues.

Population:

Sample sections of Category 10 general education courses

Who does the Assessment?

Category 10 Course Instructor's Assessment Group

Assessment Rubric for O/O #1: Explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems.

1	Identify a basic structure and function of a natural ecosystem and a human adaptive strategy within that system.
2	Explain a basic structure and function of a natural ecosystem and a human adaptive strategy within that system.
3	Explain the basic structures and functions of various natural ecosystems and human adaptive strategies within each of those systems.

Level of Mastery
For year 1, baseline data will be gathered

Assessment Rubric for O/O #2: Discern and analyze patterns and interrelationships of the bio-physical and psycho-social cultural systems.

1	Identify patterns and interrelationships within a biophysical or a psycho-social cultural system.
2	Identify patterns and interrelationships within a biophysical and a psycho-social cultural system.
3	Analyze patterns and interrelationships of biophysical or psycho-social cultural systems.
4	Analyze patterns and interrelationships of biophysical and psycho-social cultural systems.

Level of Mastery
For year 1, baseline data will be gathered

Assessment Rubric for O/O #3: Critically discern and analyze individual, social, and ecological dimensions of health.

1	Identify indvidual, social and ecological dimensions of health.
2	Analyze individual, social and ecological dimensions of health.

Level of Mastery
For year 1, baseline data will be gathered

Assessment Rubric for O/O #4: Describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, health, ethical, religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges.

1	Identify a basic institutional arrangement that is evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges and involves two of the following factors: social, legal, political, economic, health, ethical and religious.
2	Describe a basic institutional arrangement that is evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges and involves two of the following factors: social, legal, political, economic, health, ethical and religious.
3	Describe basic institutional arrangements that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges and involving three of the following factors: social, legal, political, economic, health, ethical and religious.
4	Describe basic institutional arrangements that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges and involving four or more of the following factors: social, legal, political, economic, health, ethical and religious.

Level of Mastery
For year 1, baseline data will be gathered

Assessment Rubric for O/O #5: Evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understanding about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.

1	Identify an environmental and natural resource issue utilizing understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.
2	Evaluate an environmental and natural resource issue utilizing understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.
3	Evaluate more than one environmental and natural resource issue utilizing understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.

Level of Mastery
For year 1, baseline data will be gathered

Assessment Rubric for O/O #6: Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems, and then articulate and defend actions they would take on various environmental issues.

1	Propose an alternative solution to an environmental problem.
2	Propose and assess an alternative solution to an environmental problem.
3	Propose and assess an alternative solution to an environmental problem, and articulate and defend actions which would be taken in support of the solution.

Level of Mastery
For year 1, baseline data will be gathered