Summary
This paper describes The Green Chemistry & Chemical Stewardship Certificate Program (GC/CS Program) which was designed using the Community of Inquiry (COI) model as a framework for developing curriculum that engages students across the entire program to meet interdisciplinary, professional development program outcome.
Students of this program meet objectives not only related to industry and technical information, but focus on a systems thinking approach, which includes elements of business, public and environmental health, chemical safety assessment tools, and social and environmental justice along with green chemistry.
The GC/CS Program was developed through several collaborations and funding opportunities brought together by the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Continuing Education Programs (UW DEOHS CEP) and was designed as a fully online, three-course certificate program.
GC/CS Program courses were designed to integrate and build on knowledge gained from course to course, while recognizing that the breadth of student backgrounds meant that basic background information in toxicology, health, and green chemistry was required before building toward a higher-order knowledge synthesis. The Community of Inquiry (COI) model was used as a framework for developing curriculum and student learning outcomes. The model underscores the need to consider cognitive, social, and teaching presence as equal components of successful learning experiences.
The program targets a wide range of practitioners across many disciplines including engineers, chemists, materials scientists, product managers, toxicologists, environmental managers, sustainability consultants, environmental health and safety professionals, chemical engineers, and other professionals interested in learning and applying principles of sustainability in their respective fields of work to promote the science of sustainability.
Through the final capstone projects, students were given the opportunity to advance their knowledge by applying resources, new tools, and strategies to select a safer chemical for substitution in their workplace or personal lives.
In the 2015–2016 program, students completed capstones related to many chemicals of concern relevant to their professional or personal lives including industrial solvents, disinfectants, poly perfluorinated compounds, Bisphenol A, insecticides, food flavoring agents, and dry-cleaning chemicals. These projects increased student skills and expertise in transitioning to safer chemicals.
Based on student feedback, modifications were made to the courses after the first year and instructors continue to add new resources and materials annually.
Students were emailed an evaluation exit survey within three months of completion of the program. This survey included questions about how well the program met student goals, the types of benefits gained, and changes in job responsibilities following completion of the program.
Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This paper deals with interdisciplinarity, system thinking and green chemistry.
In the GC/CS program, students focus on systems thinking around green chemistry, business, environmental health, chemical alternative assessment tools, and social and environmental justice.
