BUILDING STUDENT AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE VIA A FRESHMAN SEMINAR

Since major reorganization following the devastation of hurricane Katrina, all incoming freshman and transfer students arriving at Tulane University select and attend a small seminar class from the TIDES (Tulane InterDisciplinary Experience Seminars) program. The overall intent of the TIDES program is to assist new students in their transition to the academic life and expectations of a premier university while affording lower division students the chance to work closely with faculty and building camaraderie with their peers. Individual TIDES courses are proposed by faculty in light of their disciplinary specializations and perceived interest to incoming students.

This presentation outlines the TIDES course: Global Warming & Climate Change – Preparing for the inconvenient truth about our future. Tulane's location in New Orleans on the subsiding Mississippi delta with its disappearing wetlands and storm ravaged barrier islands provides an excellent opportunity to see first hand the effects of rising sea levels and human and environmental costs of inaction in the face of the problem. Students participate in field trips, hear and interact with expert speakers and complete projects designed to introduce the interdisciplinary aspects of climate change, thereby gaining an appreciation for how this issue will impact all segments of the population at a time where they are still defining their individual academic, career and life goals. The TIDES model offers an example that other institutions may wish to emulate in seeking to address issues of global importance that arise more rapidly than the time scale of curricular changes generally allow.