Starting this semester, UD is offering students a new minor in sustainability.

This minor will help students become aware of how the environment and sustainability issues connect with their futures.

"There is a growing awareness across society that we must learn how to use our resources more prudently and at its heart, living sustainability means preserving resources and quality of life for those who come after us," Robert Brecha, physics professor and initiative coordinator of sustainability, energy and the environment said. "We hope through the minor to introduce students to many of the complex issues that feed into the idea of sustainability."

UD decided to offer the new sustainability minor due to the large number of faculty members who are partaking in research and interested in teaching areas related to sustainability. It has been recognized that there are several students who think a SEE minor will be a beneficial addition to their own degree.

The new minor will fulfill general education requirements and consist of 18 credit hours. All students must take the introductory course, SEE 250. Students will choose two or three classes from a set of four core SEE courses. Students will then choose two or three depth courses.

A minor in sustainability can benefit students of any major. Many students are unsure of exactly what career they want to pursue in the future, but sustainability, energy and environmental issues are going to continue to grow in importance.

"I was just in Washington, D.C., with a group of scientists to talk to policy makers," Brecha said. "One of our hosts who organized the visit has a degree in communication, but had decided that she wanted to work on environmental issues; a minor like SEE would have been a perfect way for her to get a strong background for her future work."

Junior Tatum Printy believes a minor in SEE would be a helpful addition to her major in education.

"I am going to teach science so learning about the environment and saving energy would be helpful to model my students," she said.

Kaitlyn Zimmerer, another junior with a major in education, believes a minor in SEE will help open up her students' eyes to environmental issues in the world.

"I could use information I learn about sustainability and the environment to further my students' awareness on particular issues," she said.

With the ever changing infrastructure and climate changes, it is even more important now to prepare students to the changes occurring in our world, according to Brecha.

"Learning how to think about complex, interdisciplinary problems, often in classes with multiple instructors, is an approach to problem solving that is closer to what students may find in the real world," Brecha said.