Campus to Careers: The Career Paths of Alumni of Interdisciplinary Environmental Programs

Presented by:David Blockstein, Ph.D., National Council for Science and the Environment, Council of Environmental Deans and Directors

Presentation Outline

Lead Organizations: NCSE, CEDD and ECO

The Need for Academic Environmental Programs

Characteristics of Environmental Programs

The Environmental Sector

Federal Employment

Campus to Careers Study

NCSE ObjectivesTo promote science for the environmentTo enhance programs at academic institutions To catalyze and to advance science-based ideas from diverse communitiesTo communicate science-based information to the publicTo develop science-based solutions for environmental challenges

The Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) is a professional association of deans of colleges of natural resources and the environment, directors of institutes of the environment and other academic environmental programs. There are presently 110 members nationwide.

Advance knowledge and learning in the interdisciplinary environmental sciences and studies. Improve academic environmental educational and research programs and facilities. Advance cooperative efforts among CEDD members, with other scientists, and with federal, tribal, state and local agencies.

CEDD Objectives

CEDD Planning Group on Workforce

http://www.ncseonline.org/CEDD/workforce

Task:  Study the current and future job market for graduates of CEDD's institutions and programs.  Determine how programs can improve the preparation of their students for environmental careers.

CEDD Planning Group on Workforce

Members:David Parker, Director of Career Development, Bren School of the Environment and

Management, University of California at Santa Barbara

Bill Winner, Program Director, Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Oregon State University

Gwen Geidel, Associate Dean, School of the Environment, University of South Carolina

Jeff Cook, President, Environmental Careers Organization

Peter Otis, Director of Career Development, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University

Mitch Thomashow, Chair, Department of Environmental Studies, Antioch New England Graduate School

Joyce Berry, Associate Dean, College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University

Richard Rich, Director, Institute for Environmental and Energy Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute

The Environmental Careers Organization (ECO)

ECO's mission is to protect and enhance the environment through the development of diverse leaders, the promotion of careers, and the inspiration of individual action.

ECO accomplishes this through internships, career advice, career products, research and consulting.

Founded in 1972, ECO has placed nearly 7,500 college, graduate students and recent graduates in environmental internships in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

The tragedy is that our graduates, steeped in traditional technical education, liberal arts, economics, and the humanities, are themselves too often emerging from our universities blind to reality – oblivious to the realities of a finite Earth.

Ray Anderson, ChairmanInterface Flooring Systems

Inc.

A Call for Systematic Change

NCSE National Conference, January, 2003

Environmental Science and Engineering for the 21st Century

“Environmental education and training should be science based, but should be given a renewed focus on preparing students for broad career horizons….” Environmental Science and Engineering for the

21st Century: The Role of the National Science Foundation, National Science Board, February 2000.

Complex Environmental Systems

“NSF’s goals in environmental education should be twofold: to prepare the future environmental workforce at many levels-researcher, teachers, resource managers, and technicians-and to raise the environmental literacy of the general public.”-From Complex Environmental Systems: Synthesis for Earth, Life and Society in the 21st Century, NSF Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education, January 2003.

Not All Are Created Equal:An Analysis of the Environmental

Programs/Departments inU.S. Academic Institutions Until May 2003

Aldemaro Romero* and Christina JonesEnvironmental Studies Program

Macalester College1600 Grand Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105-1899

USA

*Present address:  Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, P.O.

Box 599, State University, AR 72467, USA, aromero@astate.edu, http://www.macalester.edu/environmentalstudies/

MacEnvReview/equalarticle2003

n = 1061Source: Romero and Jones 2003

Higher Education Environmental programs added per year*

*14 programs in 1958; 1061 in 2003.Source: Romero and Jones 2003

Environmental Programs/Departments by Name

(2003)

n= 1257Source: Romero and Jones 2003

Types of Environmental Degrees Offered (May 2003)

Source: Romero and Jones 2003

UndergraduateCollege/University-wide = 41%Within a University College, Division or School =

44%Within a Department = 15%

GraduateCollege/University-wide = 39%Within a University College, Division or School =

35%Within a Department = 26%

Institutional Locationsof Environmental Programs

Source: Focht, W. Study of Environmental Deans' and Directors' Perspectives on Environmental Curricula  (draft report from initial findings; Summer 2003)

Data Number

Number of Students 32,309

Number of 1998 graduates* 8,471

Number of 1999 graduates* 3.493

Number of 2000 graduates* 2,006

Number of 2001 graduates* 1,657

Number of 2002 graduates* 1,229

Full-time faculty 5,499

In Department/Program 2,396

Shared 4,284

Part-time 2,872

Vital Statistics of Programs/Departments of Survey

Respondents

Source: Romero and Jones 2003

*These are gross underestimations since the numbers depend upon the responses to interviews.

Analysis of Core Requirements for Undergraduate Programs (n = 60)

Total (%)

Env. Science (%)

Env. Studies (%)

Nat. Resources (%)

Natural Sciences

Biology 70 79 50 64

Chemistry 67 83 39 55

Organic Chemistry 17 38 0 9

Geology/Earth Sciences

50 67 33 36

Ecology 53 54 39 64

Quantitatives

Calculus 48 63 17 45

Statistics 63 58 50 55

Economics and Policy

Env. Economics 25 13 6 45

Environmental Policy 42 33 33 36

Additional Requirements

Synthetic Course 32 21 50 9

Internship 22 38 11 9

Final Project 53 38 67 36

Concentrations? 62 58 50 55

From: Manning, K. 1999. Consortium on Environmental Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Insights from the White Oak Symposium. Center for Resource Economics/Island Press.

Employment By Occupation 2000 and Projected 2010

Occupation Employment (in thousands) Change

2000 2010 Number Percentage

Biological Scientists 73 88 15 21.0

Conservation Scientists

16 18 2 8.3

Forest Conservation 20 22 1 3.9

Other Life Scientists 28 33 4 15.9

Chemists 84 100 16 19.1

Environmental Scientists

64 78 14 22.3

Geoscientists 25 30 5 18.1

Hydrologists 8 10 2 25.7

Economists 22 26 4 18.5

Env. Protection Techs

27 34 7 24.5

Projected growth of environmental science occupations

Source: ECO 2002, Complete Guide to Environmental Careers

Important and emerging eco-careers

1. Pollution prevention/waste reduction specialist 2. Conservation biologist/ecosystems manager3. Environmental information technology/GIS4. “Dual track” environmental manager5. Global climate change researcher6. Renewable energy and energy management7. “Smart growth” urban planner8. Policy integration specialist9. Community organizer10. Fundraiser, “rainmaker”, dealmaker11. Environmental economist12. Environmental health specialist

Source: ECO 2002

Environmental careers in 2002

Federal government 191,000

State government: 185,000

Local government: 400,000

Environmental industry: 790,000

All other 125,000

Total 1,691,000Source: ECO 2002

Federal Government Employment Trends: 2003

Agency Full/Part Time Employees

Projection

Forest Service 42,653 Some growth

Army Corps 34,367 Down

National Parks 23,898 Down

EPA 18,633 Down

Energy 16,067 Some growth

NRCS 12,188 Some growth

NOAA 11,980 Down

BLM 11,688 Some growth

USGS 10,170 Down

Fish and Wildlife 9,323 Some growth

Source: ECO 2002

Federal Natural Resources Agencies Confront an Aging Workforce and Challenges to Their Future Roles

Renewable Natural Resources Foundation Conference on Personnel Trends, Education Policy and Evolving Roles of Federal and State Natural Resources Agencies

Over 80 delegates from 25 states and numerous natural resource disciplines

In association with American Association for the Advancement of Science

October 2003

Emerging Demographic Trends

“Graying of the Green Workforce”Agency leadership and science capacity most affected DOI, Forest Service, and EPA will lose over

half SES members by 2007 Key functions also impacted:

Interior Dept.—61% of its program managers

Forest Service—81% of its entomologists and 49% of its foresters

EPA—45% of its toxicologists, and ~30% of its environmental specialists

Lost institutional memory Difficulty in maintaining core scientific competencies

Source: RNRF 2003

From Campus to Careers:

A Study of Career Paths taken by Alumni of Interdisciplinary Environmental Programs at the Baccalaureate, Masters and Doctoral Levels

Campus to Careers Project Context

CEDD members need information about the job market and career paths for graduates

Lack of quality data problematic

CEDD members want to use curricula to address career needs

Planning Group on the Workforce formed

Goals and ObjectivesDevelop baseline and longitudinal data on the career paths of alumni

Identify career successes and challenges for alumni

Create a standardized methodology for ongoing tracking

Disseminate study results to students, programs, employers, and other stakeholders

Desired Project Outcomes Accurate data regarding the career paths of graduates

Identification of alumni career successes and challenges, perceptions of how well programs prepared alumni for workforce, further education and scholarship

Informed faculty discussions and decisions regarding curricula and support services to improve the career outcomes of their graduates

Information to assist increasing the diversity of students in environmental programs and workforce

Continuous improvement of all aspects of environmental programs

Desired Project Outcomes cont.

Information for current and prospective interdisciplinary students about available career opportunities, their requirements, and how to obtain them

Methodology for ongoing tracking, including taxonomy of fields and programs

Data provided to academic programs, current and future students, and other stakeholders Reports Facilitated meetings

Project ActivitiesThe Planning Group on the Workforce has discussed

the following activities as a way to further refine the

project, gather data and ensure data gets back to programs.

Alumni (1994-04) Career Path Survey

Longitudinal Study

Career Roundtables

Pilot Study

Alumni Career Path Survey

Survey alumni of interdisciplinary environmental studies programs from 1994-2004

Baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels

Work products: Comprehensive report for environmental

programs Student guide Report summary for employers and other

stakeholders

Alumni Study OutcomesThe demographic profile of graduates

Educational and professional career progression

How well their education prepared alumni for careers

What programs and students should do differently

Recommended changes to curriculum and teaching methods

How alumni view the delicate balance among higher education’s many goals

Longitudinal Study: Class of 2005

Baseline shortly after graduation

Annual tracking through 2014

Comprehensive reports first, fifth and tenth years

Shorter report “updates” with comparative tables other years

Student guides

Pilot Study Create web-based survey instrument

Pilot with Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, University of South Carolina School of the Environment, UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science and Management

Analyze existing data and report key findings

Identify data gaps

Use this information to design larger surveys

Group Discussion

Concept

Methodology

Partners

Funding

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