The resignation of former Environmental Studies Director Al Romero last spring left the Environmental Studies program with an uncertain future.

A department needs at least two full- time faculty members in order to be considered a department. Currently the Environmental Studies program has only one, new Director and Assistant Professor Brett Smith.

Due to budget constraints and Macalester’s goal to reduce the overall number of faculty members, it is uncertain when and from where the program will get its second faculty member.

“The basic issues we face are how do we as a department survive and how do we find another faculty member from within the college,” Smith said.

The ultimate decision regarding the program’s future will come from the Educational Policy and Governance Committee (EPAG), a group composed of students, faculty and administrators. Smith is due to make a proposal regarding the program’s future in late October, and EPAG will make a recommendation based on this proposal. The Macalester faculty will make the final decision regarding whether or not the program will get another staff member.

Smith feels optimistic about the way Macalester is addressing the issues facing the Environmental Studies program. “I’ve heard a lot of supportive comments from the administration. They recognize that Environmental Studies is important, but the final decision is not yet made,” he said. “I’m very optimistic that we might get a stronger department. That’s my goal.”

The program, which averages 12 graduating majors per year, has not seen any significant changes in enrollment since Romero resigned. There continues to be large enroll enrollment in entry-level Environmental Studies classes and currently there are 26 declared Environmental Studies majors. Smith believes a critical point for the program will be the number of current sophomores who decide to declare the major.

The scrutiny facing Environmental Studies is not unique. As a result of college-wide policy changes, other interdisciplinary programs such as Communication and Media Studies have faced the same struggles. Communication and Media Studies courses will be absorbed by other departments in the future. Environmental Studies could face the same fate if the program does not get another staff member. Smith believes this will be detrimental to the interdisciplinary nature of the program. “Environmental Studies is very important,” he said. “ There are few programs where all three divisions, natural science, social science and the arts, come together to address in a holistic way complex problems of environmental sustainability. This program is consistent with Macalester’s liberal arts goals.”

Environmental Studies major and student employee Sally Weivoda ’06 agrees. “When you think about what needs to be done about the environment and you care about it, you have to do something,” she said. “This is a way to do something. I wanted to major in saving the world, but Macalester didn’t offer that. No matter what your major is, there is an Environmental Studies class that connects.”

Both Smith and Weivoda agree that students concerned about the future of the program should make themselves informed about what Environmental Studies offers, attend events like EnviroThursday offered by the program and join clubs related to environmental issues. Students can also talk to EPAG representatives and voice their feelings to the committee,

Though the future of the Environmental Studies major is uncertain, Smith and students involved in the program remain optimistic.