Acadia University is launching a new, dynamic program designed for students with an interest in environmental sustainability. Beginning in September 2010, Acadia will offer a four-year program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. The program will be limited to 30 students per year and will emphasize individual and group hands-on learning. Students entering the program can choose to pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Recreation Management. 

"Our society needs young and innovative problem-solvers who can address the enormous environmental and sustainability challenges that lie ahead in the upcoming decades," says Dr. Alan Warner, Acadia Associate Professor and Program Coordinator. He worked with a team of faculty members from a wide range of disciplines at Acadia for three years to make the program a reality.

"This program is unique in Atlantic Canada," he says. "Because we are a small institution, we can offer students a truly interdisciplinary experience. We know that these students will help make Acadia a living model of sustainability."

The program's 30 students will have an opportunity to make a difference in local communities while learning new skills and concepts from the time they begin their first term community immersion experience until they complete their fourth year projects.

In their upper years, students will choose from four areas of concentration: Advocacy, Education & Activism; Sustainable Community Development; Environmental Thought and Practice; and Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The major includes a series of core environmental and sustainability courses plus a choice from a wide range of other environmentally focused courses across all faculties at Acadia.  

 Acadia has a well-established reputation as a leader in environmental education through faculty research and community involvement and student leadership on issues such as waste reduction and recycling. Acadia received an A- for environmental commitment from its students in the most recent edition of the Globe and Mail Canadian University Report, tying for the highest ranking in Canada among all universities. Further information and a new video describing the program can be found at environment.acadiau.ca.

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For more information please contact:

Scott Roberts, Senior Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Acadia University

P: 902.585.1705

C:  902.670.8966

F: 902.585.1072

E-mail:  scott.roberts@acadiau.ca