The University of California (UC) San Diego has introduced a “climate change education” program that is mandatory for all new students, regardless of their major.
The graduation requirements, officially named the Jane Terrans Climate Change Education Requirements (JTCCER), after the Scripps Institution of Oceanography professor who passed away in July 2022, went into effect this fall. announced in a press release.
The university said the initiative was “designed to equip undergraduate students of all majors on campus to understand and address climate change.”
To graduate, more than 7,000 first-year students must complete a quarter of the courses on a list approved by the UC San Diego Academic Senate.
“This program has been carefully designed to ensure that approved climate courses meet general education and major-specific requirements, allowing students to meet their obligations without increasing their overall workload. Transfer students are exempt but are “welcome and encouraged,” school officials said. Enroll in one of our approved courses. ”
The list of over 40 approved courses that can meet this requirement includes “Gender and Climate Justice,” “Indigenous Approaches to Climate Change,” “California Politics,” and simply “Water.” Masu.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers many JTCCER courses, while others are offered by professors of art, political science, and gender studies.
“UC San Diego has a long history of leadership in climate research and education, and Jane Terranes’ climate change education requirements represent a new path forward,” said President Pradeep K. Khosla. said in a press release. “Whether undergraduates major in STEM, humanities, arts, social sciences, or other fields, this requirement provides a deep understanding of climate change and how they can contribute to meaningful solutions. You will learn it.”
The idea for a climate change course was introduced in 2022, and Muir College President Wayne Yang said UC San Diego's administration drew inspiration from the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) . requirements implemented In 2011, all undergraduate students were required to pass at least one approved DEI class.
“We learned the best lesson from DEI requirements: Jane [Teranes] I was also involved in ensuring that the requirements did not add extra time to students' degrees,” Yang said. “Climate requirements encourage and incentivize faculty to incorporate climate change education into upper-division courses, so that the curriculum focuses on what students can actually do about climate change from their own disciplines. ” Importantly, we treat climate change as an interdisciplinary issue. ”
Terranes was one of the members who finalized the proposal, but she suddenly became ill and passed away, so the program was named in her honor.
“Jane was integral in both bringing ideas to the table and then co-chairing workgroups, so we quickly reached an agreement to name the requirements in her honor.” said Scripps Professor Sarah Gill. “She had a deep understanding of how to teach students about climate change, and her absence has left a huge void. This new requirement honors the lasting impact she had on our campus.” It's just one way.”
“We established the new requirements with the best intentions of ensuring that UC San Diego produces graduates who are prepared to meet the challenges of a changing climate, regardless of their field of study. ' added Jill. “We need everyone involved in this work, and we hope the JTCCER program will inspire others to follow suit.”
