Graduate Certificate Program in Sustainable Natural Resource Management

Dr. Badege Bishaw, Dr. Steven Radosevich and Susan MorreCollege of Forestry

Oregon State UniversityMarch 15, 2008

Sustainable Forests Partnership

• Began at OSU in 1995 and partners include:– Oregon State University – Auburn University– Pennsylvania State University– USDA Cooperative State Research,

Education and Extension Service (USDA-CSREES)

– http://sfp.cas.psu.edu/

Sustainable Forests Partnership

• Expanded partnership (2005) includes:Auburn UniversityCollege of Menominee NationCornell UniversityMichigan State UniversityOregon State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity of IdahoUniversity of Vermont Utah State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Affiliate members:USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)National Woodland Owners Association

Sustainable Forests Partnership

• Partnership Mission– The Sustainable Forests Partnership's

mission is to document and promote innovation in sustaining forests and communities and assists others to integrate this innovation into policy and practice.

Sustainable Forests Partnership

• Key goals are:– Identify key sustainable forestry issues and

trends– Design and conduct sustainable forestry

research– Develop educational and training materials

and events– Assist organizations and individuals interested

in sustainable forestry issues

SNR Graduate Certificate Program

• Online Program through OSU Ecampus

• Organizes and integrates courses in ecology, economics and social sciences

• Assembles diverse participants, faculty and practitioners

• Explores sustainable solutions for complex resource problems

• http://www.cof.orst.edu/SNRcertificate

Scholarship and Learning Outcomes

• A stand-alone, 18-credit Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Natural Resources (=12 Semester credits)

• An integrated curriculum that meets 15 elective science requirements for a Professional Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences at OSU

• Graduate credits from the Certificate Program can be applied to other graduate programs at OSU and other universities

Workplace Outcomes

• Acquire new or expand existing individual or organizational leadership skills to:– Enhance organization’s access to capital for

traditional and innovative sustainable resource projects

– Improve social acceptance and support for community, national and international projects

– Create, nurture and use political connections to foster successful efforts and projects

– Recognize and use multiple media outlets, having wide visibility, to get the job done

Who should attend?

• Professionals with local, national, and global responsibilities for sustainable natural resource management programs

• Employees working for Federal, private, public, and nongovernmental organizations seeking professional advancement

• Third-party entities conducting forest certification• Business investments, media, and policy

professionals expanding their resource portfolios

Bringing Multi-Disciplinary Faculty Together

• Integration (3 credits)– SNR 506 (2) Independent Project in NR sustainability

(Radosevich-FS, Bishaw-FS & mentors)– SNR 511 (1) Sustainable NR Development (Radosevich-FS/Lach/SOC)

• Human dimensions (7 credits)– SNR 520 (3) Socially Sustainable Natural resources

(Lach-SOC/Bliss-FR)– SNR 521 (3) Economics of Sustainable NRM

( Kerkvliet-ECON)– SNR 522 (1) Beliefs and Ethics in Natural Resources

(Vogt-PHIL)

Bringing Multi-Disciplinary Courses and Faculty Together

• Ecology and Management (8 credits)– SNR 530 (3) Ecological Principles of Sustainability NR

(David Perry-FS & Hayes-FS)– SNR 531 (1) Sustainable Silviculture (Fletcher-FR) – SNR 532 (2) Planning Agroforestry Projects (Bishaw-FS)– SNR 533 (1) Alternative (non-timber Forest Products

(Liegel-FS)– SNR 534 (1) Reduced Impact Timber Harvest (Kellogg-FE)– SNR 535 (1) Sustainable Management of Aquatic and Riparian

Resources (Giannico-FW)

Current Status of the SNR Program

• Started in winter 2007

• Most courses offered twice per year

• Enrollment: – 26 students in courses – 15 students in SNR Certificate Program– 10 States represented

• December 2007 OSU joined the NRDL Consortium

Graduate Certificate and Professional Certificate at OSU (online)

• Professional Certificate in GIS Science

• SNR Graduate Certificate

• Graduate Certificate in Marine Resources Management (just approved)

• Graduate Certificate in Fisheries Management (just approved)

Undergraduate Programs at OSU (online)

• BS in Natural Resources– 53 post-bac students– 243 undergraduate students

• BS in Environmental Sciences

• BS in General Agriculture

Next Steps

• Master of Natural Resources online degree program in development

• Seek scholarship funding to enable natural resources professionals in developing countries to participate in the program

• To further Millennium Development Goals to address sustainable development and alleviate poverty