The recent start of the school year at UC San Diego included a new graduation requirement for students: a course in climate change. This requirement applies to all undergraduate students who entered the school this year, regardless of their major. The course is part of the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement, named after a respected Scripps Institution of Oceanography professor. The goal of the program is to ensure that students have a solid understanding of climate change and how they can contribute to addressing it.
UC San Diego officials believe that this program is the first of its kind at a major public university in California. Chancellor Pradeep Khosla highlighted the university’s commitment to climate research and education, stating that the new requirement represents a significant step forward. The idea for the program was initially proposed in 2022 by the Campus Committee on Climate Change and was developed in response to the growing importance of climate change studies.
The program offers a variety of courses that cover different aspects of climate change, including science, politics, culture, finance, anthropology, and psychology. The goal is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of climate change and the potential solutions that exist. Professor Dan Rudnick, who chairs the committee for approving these courses, emphasized the importance of offering students a wide range of course options to ensure that the requirement is not burdensome.
Among the approved classes for students affected by this requirement are courses on the history of the Anthropocene, planetary health, gender and climate justice, energy economics, the ethics of climate change, and the impact of the environment on literature. Scripps Oceanography, which offers the most courses related to climate change, focuses on the science behind Earth’s systems and how they are affected by climate change.
Professor Sarah Gille, who was involved in developing the program, emphasized the importance of preparing UC San Diego graduates to address the challenges of a changing climate, regardless of their field of study. The hope is that the Jane Teranes Climate Change Education Requirement program will inspire other institutions to prioritize climate change education.
Overall, the introduction of this new graduation requirement at UC San Diego reflects the university’s commitment to equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to address climate change effectively. By incorporating a diverse range of courses and perspectives, the program aims to foster a deeper understanding of climate change and encourage meaningful action in combating this global issue.
