The Arts Environmental Studies Consortium was created in spring 2012 by a group of scholars based in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta. We believe there is a need for a regular forum for the exchange of information and for discussion of developments concerning environmental teaching and research at the university. The AESC seeks to raise the profile of environmental research and teaching in the Faculty of Arts and to act as an advisory body to administrators in the Arts Faculty or at other levels of the university with regard to environmental studies.
Members of AESC have been involved as members of the board of directors of the Environmental Research and Studies Centre (ERSC), in the creation of the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies BA (which was a Faculty of Arts initiative in 2002-03), and are generally interested in the advancement of interdisciplinary environmental studies at the university.
These are examples of the developments of interest to AESC members:
- the creation by Central Administration of a “Water Initiative” that will link research across the university and the role of Arts-based research in this initiative
- the decision of the Senate to award an honorary doctorate to the Chairman of the Board of Nestle’s Corporation in October 2012
- efforts to establish a Chair in Food Sovereignty and Security at the university
- changes to the Environmental Studies BA programme
- ways for the University of Alberta to be a leader in institutional environmental citizenship
This website is intended as a forum and archive to assist with:
- creating a comprehensive and current list of environment-related courses in the Arts
- creating profiles of environmental researchers and instructors
- dissemination of announcements concerning upcoming conferences, calls for papers, events, or job postings
- discussion of issues of concern to AESC members as these arise
- a site for representatives on such bodies as the Program Committee for the Environmental Studies BA or the Water Initiative to report back to AESC members
- communication with the general public about research and other activities related to environmental studies in the Faculty of Arts
- information exchange and engagement with researchers in other sectors of the university with shared interests in environmental questions and problems
To contact the AESC Convenor, email ladkin@ualberta.ca.