July 2009
Special Topics Policy Studies: Sustainability Education and Public Policy: Connecting for Change
Professional & Continuing Education
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
PST 650-5101 three graduate credits
September 2-December 23
Wednesday 4-6:30 pm
New Bedford
Instructor: Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant
Sustainability refers to re-evaluating our relationship to the natural world and realizing that ecology, economics and social equity are inextricably linked. This three-credit interdisciplinary course is designed to give candidates for the Master of Public Policy degree an understanding of how institutions such as schools, industries, businesses and local governments are reinventing themselves to meet the interrelated environmental, economic and ethical challenges we face in this era of crisis and change.
Assigned readings will focus on topics such as no-waste systems, renewable energy and industrial design; nature-based education, civic engagement and public health; biodiversity, cultural diversity and the arts. Emphasis will be on writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving through collaboration on projects that combine visionary ideas with practical strategies for living sustainable lives through the acquisition of 21st century skills.
Thanks to a partnership with the Marion Institute, students enrolled in PST 650-5101 will attend the Bioneers by the Bay Conference in New Bedford from October 22-25, 2009. This is an annual gathering of internationally-known policy-makers, educators, scientists, engineers and artists who will present practical and visionary solutions for ensuring a healthy, prosperous and equitable future. This course will prepare students for the lectures, workshops, films, exhibits and performances offered during Bioneers by the Bay and provide them with time to read, reflect, analyze, discuss and write about the many innovative ideas generated by the conference.
Tuition & fees (excludes $30/semester registration fee): $1,092
Register online through COIN; or call the telephone registration line at 508.999.9129 (have ready your Mastercard, Visa or Discover card).
Faculty Bio: Dr. Laurie Robertson-Lorant is a graduate of Radcliffe College, Harvard University, with an M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University. She has taught at the Ocean Explorium in New Bedford and in Education and English Departments of UMD, the Literature and Writing Programs of MIT and the English Departments of Berkshire Community College, St. Mark’s School (Southborough, MA) and School Year Abroad in France. Dr. Lorant is the author of Melville: A Biography (1996) and The Man Who Lived Among the Cannibals: Poems in Voice of Herman Melville (2005). Formerly a cofounder of Keep Lenox Green, a delegate to the Berkshire County Regional Transportation Advisory Group and a member of the Lenox Land Use Committee, she is a member of the Mayor’s Sustainability Task Force in New Bedford.
Professional & Continuing Education
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
139 South Main St., Fall River MA 02721 800 Purchase St., New Bedford MA 02740 285 Old Westport Rd., N. Dartmouth MA 02747
508.999.8071 continuinged@umassd.edu www.umassd.edu/pce
