Sunday, August 5, 2012: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
	D137, Oregon Convention Center
	
	
	
		
			Organizer:
			
				
					
					
						Jennifer S. Powers
					
				
			
 
		 
	
		
			Co-organizers:
			
				
					
					
						Courtney Dowell
					
				
					, 
					
						Michael Marchetti
					
				
					 and 
					
						Lisa Turnbull
					
				
			
 
		 
	
	
	
	
	
		      Many universities and colleges have separate courses in ecology and conservation biology for undergraduate students majoring in allied disciplines versus “non-majors”.  Non-major students enroll in these classes for a number of reasons including fulfillment of Liberal or General Education requirements, curiosity, or relevance to their field of study.  While there is a list of concepts that most educators would agree all students pursuing careers in ecology should master, there is no such core curriculum for non-majors courses.  Instructors of non-majors courses are in a unique position to inspire future engaged citizens.  In this Workshop we will explore how to foster ecological literacy in non-majors courses. The specific topics we address are:
	
•	Defining a curriculum: What are the important learning outcomes in ecology courses for non-majors?  Our goal is not to force a consensus, but rather to explore the possibilities.
•	Connecting curriculum to other General/Liberal Education requirements: Are there ways to increase communication skills, etc., that are consistent with broader goals across undergraduate curricula?
•	Considering non-major students: The non-major population typically has diverse backgrounds and skills.  How can we best engage and challenge these students?
•	Activities: We will exchange ideas for labs and exercises that connect students to ecology in small and large classes. 
•	Resources: We will identify resources, and distribute this list after the workshop.
•	Future networking beyond the workshop. 
The format will include a brief overview of the general issues, small group discussions of particular topics, and demonstrations of activities that we have used in our own classes.