Stony Brook University is offering a new one-credit online course this spring to help students understand climate change. The course, titled "CIS 101, Pop-Up: Climate Change and You," will be available in the second half of the spring semester starting March 24, 2025. It aims to address the complex science, politics, and ethics surrounding climate change.
Kevin Reed, associate provost for climate and sustainability programming at Stony Brook University, emphasized the importance of preparing students for future challenges. “Young people will inherit a warmer, more extreme climate," he said. "This course is an innovative pilot that will get us out of our academic homes and into an environment where we can better serve and support our community.”
The course is designed to provide an interdisciplinary perspective on climate change issues. Rose Tirotta-Esposito, director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), highlighted the innovative nature of these courses. “These theme-based classes about climate change, AI and someday other timely and critical issues offer a different way of learning,” she stated.
Seven faculty members from various disciplines have contributed to developing this course alongside Kevin Reed and CELT's instructional design team. Carl W. Lejuez, provost and executive vice president at Stony Brook University, remarked on its interdisciplinary approach: “This course represents a truly interdisciplinary approach to a complex challenge we must all face together.”
Instead of traditional textbooks, students will use diverse materials such as podcast episodes from "C4E Presents," produced by Stony Brook University's Collaborative for the Earth. Heather Lynch hosts these discussions with scholars across campus about their work related to climate change.
Enrollment is open until February 7 for full-time students who wish to take advantage of this opportunity without additional costs.