Mission
Outdoor Education and Stewardship graduates demonstrate character and competence as outdoor professionals. Graduates have the necessary capabilities to inspire a stewardship ethic, facilitate quality outdoor recreation experiences, teach and lead others within the natural environment.
Vision
Outdoor Education and Stewardship graduates are leaders in the effort towards a unified and sustainable outdoor recreation industry. In their work, OES graduates build healthy relationships, encourage personal growth and development, practice environmental stewardship, and demonstrate excellence as outdoor professionals.
Values
Personal Responsibility | Teamwork | Risk | Growth | Stewardship
Scope
The interdisciplinary nature of the Outdoor Education and Stewardship program provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities for graduates to work within a complex and rapidly changing world. A broad foundation in the environmental sciences and humanities supports a holistic and ecological world view. Students, with the guidance of faculty, are able to select courses that align with their chosen area of concentration to increase depth of knowledge and experience. Through a variety of experiential and place-based experiences students apply principles, concepts, and skills. Partnerships with numerous local federal and state agencies as well as a variety of nonprofit conservation and education organizations provide students with trainings, certifications, internships and other learning opportunities.
Program Learning Outcomes:
The Outdoor Education and Stewardship major will be exposed to a variety of classroom and field based curricula. The following four major Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) categorize the essential broad knowledge, skills, and abilities gained through coursework. The sub-outcomes are the identified requisite general competencies graduates will develop and be evaluated upon. These program outcomes are assessed through a variety of course projects and assignments, direct demonstrations of competence, and intern/externships. All students will submit a final comprehensive ePortfolio during their Capstone course which captures evidence of competence for each SLO.
Leadership
With character and competence, graduates build, lead, and sustain collaborative teams in pursuit of shared goals.
The OES graduate is able to:
- Demonstrate self leadership and professionalism
- Accurately assess the capabilities and limitations of themselves and others
- Take other’s needs, goals, concerns into account when making decisions, communicating, facilitating, or leading
- Think critically and creatively to solve complex problems taking into account multiple perspectives, consequences and implications
Teaching Skills
Graduates plan and deliver effective instruction.
The OES graduate is able to:
- Clearly explain and apply learning theories
- Establish a safe, inclusive, and growth oriented learning environment
- Facilitate learning experiences for individual and group development
- Accurately assess and reflect on the quality and impact of their teaching
Stewardship
With personal responsibility, graduates apply environmental ethics in the sustainable use and stewardship of natural resources.
The OES graduate is able to:
- Analyze and evaluate concepts, theories, points of view, and evidence demonstrating depth and breadth of ecological literacy.
- Apply principles and strategies of environmental ethics and environmental science.
- Demonstrate personal responsibility for the protection, conservation, and stewardship of the natural environment.
Knowledge and Technical Skills
Graduates have depth of content knowledge and proficiency in application of technical skills
The OES graduate is able to:
- Logically analyze the quality of information including its relevancy, adequacy, fairness, depth, and accuracy.
- Understand and apply a depth of content knowledge.
- Accurately assess hazards and effectively manage risk for outdoor activities.
- Demonstrate competence in the application of outdoor skills.
