Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and of organisms with their physical environment. We will study ecology from an evolutionary perspective, including physiological ecology, community ecology and biodiversity, ecosystem ecology and global change. The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of ecological and evolutionary processes, and to be able to analyze and critically read about issues in ecology. We will emphasize the development of ecological theory, the interpretation of data, and the evaluation of hypotheses. Students will write a paper on reviewing an important topic in ecological theory from a historical perspective. Students should realize that this is a science class.

Education is a critical sector of our society. U.S. education systems have served the nation well, but economic, technological, and demographic changes have continued to create pressures for change and restructuring of education systems. These changes are being accelerated by The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which dramatically increased the influence of the Federal government on K-12 education. This course will provide a general background of educational policy-what it is, what it comes from, how it is developed, and how it may be implemented-and will use the rich array of education changes efforts at Federal and State levels to reform and restructure schools and schooling as a means of observing the effectiveness of policy implementation.

The State of Washington is in the midst of a pioneering initiative in which it is seeking citizen input about government priorities, and how government ought to go about improving its performance. But how do citizens know whether government is performing or not? This course will explore the state's new program and this complex issue.

Instructor bio: Stuart Elway is the president of Elway Research, Inc., a Seattle-based polling and research firm. He is the publisher of The Elway Poll, a non-partisan, independent analysis of public opinion in the Northwest, and holds a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Washington.

This course introduces students to the essentials involved in starting a business venture. An introduction to free market economics details the structural environment challenging today's businesses. Complementing this are sessions on critical reasoning which help would be entrepreneurs develop strong sense logical thinking skills. An eight-credit option would require each student to work collaboratively with other students in an extensive economic development project.

What can we do together about global warming?  The evidence for global warming is overwhelming, not only that it will happen, but that it is happening.  As individuals, we can check off lists of "10 things a person can do about global warming."  Yet this crisis is global in scale, will take decades to address, and most of us feel uninformed and powerless to make a difference.  What can ordinary people do about such a massive problem?  Our power as individuals is limited.  But as citizens acting together, our prospects are more helpful and promising.  In this half-time program with a 12-credit option, we will develop projects that deepen community awareness of global warming and offer citizens meaningful tools to make a difference.  To ground this work, we will study the multiple levels of citizenship from local to global with respect to human society and the natural world.  Students will consider both theory and practices of effective citizenship.  Those students wishing to pursue the 12 rather than 8-credit option will either develop a series of community showings or workshops constructed around the Gore film "An Inconvenient Truth," or will work to develop key fact sheets for the regional non-profit Climate Solutions.

The Evergreen Singers is a continuing choral ensemble of The Evergreen State College community. No auditions are required. We will learn the basics of good voice production and rehearse and perform songs from a range of musical idioms. Members of the Evergreen Singers need to be able to carry a tune, learn their parts, and sing their parts with their section. This class requires excellent attendance and basic musicianship skills.

Students will participate in the 2-credit Current Issues in Public Health lecture series. In addition, they will carry out readings, take part in a 2-hour seminar after the lectures, and develop research skills in the field by completing and presenting a research project involving library, field and/or audiovisual resources. This program will provide a broad overview and some basic skills for future potential work in public health.