T139 Geo-Workforce Preparation for 21st-Century Challenges

Monday, 10 October 2011
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 208AB

PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BUSINESS LEADERS TO CONFRONT ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

Paper number: T139-13
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM

Authors

Abstract

Science education for business students is especially critical in advancing our technology-driven economy and supporting its 21st century expansion. Increasing environmental degradation, water resource demands, energy challenges, climate change, and a host of other problems can be addressed only with an increased scientifically and technologically literate workforce. While considerable attention has been devoted to expanding the number of students pursuing STEM degrees in higher education, much less consideration has been directed at the scientific literacy of non-science students, who ultimately will influence the direction of science and technology and provide critical support for innovation-based companies through roles in business, industry, non-profits, government agencies, or NGOs.

As a university where over 90% of undergraduates major in business degree programs, Bentley University is an atypical environment for STEM education. Without declared or prospective science majors, our challenge as science faculty is to contextualize core science concepts and educate business students whose STEM educational experience may be limited to two general education science electives. Through an NSF-CCLI grant, we are building on our tradition of integrating liberal learning principles across the business-dominated curriculum, recognizing that Arts & Sciences and Business educational goals are complementary, rather than competitive. Through collaborative efforts among natural and social sciences, humanities, and business faculty, we are enhancing the Earth and environmental sciences educational capabilities and building science-business linkages, which will benefit Bentley students over the long term and be applicable to the broader Earth sciences education community.

In order to help prepare Bentley University graduates to contribute to the advancement of sustainable well-being, we have identified core Earth and environmental sciences educational goals for all Bentley students and are offering a series of multi-disciplinary summer workshops for faculty to develop novel ways to implement those learning objectives and develop course modules that weave common environmental sustainability themes through multiple courses representing diverse disciplines across the curriculum.