Environmental Literacy

Recognizing that environmental literacy is integral to the University of Cincinnati's mission of serving the world and enriching our global community, UC provides students the opportunity to earn an Environmental Literacy Certificate of Achievement through registration and active participation in the Office of Sustainability’s co-curricular educational and engagement series. The Office of Sustainability strives to create and enhance a culture of sustainability at the University by providing educational opportunities to empower, engage, and educate students and community members to become proactive agents in creating a better world.  

The Environmental Literacy Certificate of Achievement provides students with the opportunity to earn a professional certificate from the University outside of their traditional academic field of study through the pursuit of engaged, self-directed learning.  Outside of four required reading discussions, the program is unique as it allows students to choose from a selection of events to attend in order to satisfy its requirements.  The diversity of disciplines explored in the Office of Sustainability's programs cultivate the prime condition for self-directed learning.

Environmental Literacy Certificate Syllabus

To earn the certificate, students will attend four approved films, four small group discussions (one of each of those listed in syllabus), four approved lectures/panels, and four approved engagement opportunities in addition to their reflection assignments. Once a student enrolls in the certificate program, they have the entirety of their academic career until they graduate to complete it (minimum 1 year). 

At the start of each semester, the Office of Sustainability will provide enrolled students the calendar of discussion dates and approved events via email. This calendar will be on a living document so that more can be added as partners organize events throughout the semester. The first two units of the discussion series are offered each fall, and the second two units in the spring. Students are required to use GetInvolvedUC (CampusLink) to access the readings and submission forms for their assignments. After completing the specified number of events and their reflection assignments, students must write a final reflection essay of at least 1,000 words regarding how they will apply what they have learned from the course into their personal lives and future professional endeavors. For further information on how to complete these requirements, see the “Instructions for Completion” document on GetInvolvedUC.

To Register: sign in to GetInvolvedUC. Go to the Office of Sustainability's page. Scroll to "Forms" and click "Enroll in Environmental Literacy".