Courses Offered in Spring 2026
SCSS 301 “Mapping the States”
The effects of climate change (drought, erosion, flooding) and classifications required for coordinating a government response will be in the final unit of the class. The purpose is to challenge the idea that maps and regional designations are static.
FSEM 101 “Participatory Democracy”
Students will learn how to assist others to participate in local government. They will also work through case examples to debate what they view as the preferred solution and think about they best ways to represent a group that has different opinions. The history of local and federal policy related to flooding and protecting natural resources from the 1980s to today will serve as an example to start the class’s third unit.
PSCI 307: “Southern Politics”
A prominent focus of this course is the history of voting rights, population migration, and differences between state constitutions. The course will consistently include climate as a topic for cadets to choose when they write a policy brief to track legislation in the South Carolina General Assembly. Climate is also a final topic when we focus on the future of the South and policy challenges that can be solved well if we consider the interests of neighboring communities.
NTSS 310 “Global Change Biology”
This course will investigate issues associated with the response of organisms and ecosystems to global-scale changes in the environment caused by anthropogenic activity. Topics covered will include changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration, particularly CO2 and its impact on the global carbon cycle; global warming and its impact on biological systems; changes to the nitrogen cycle (e.g., how eutrophication affects species and their habitats); habitat modification (e.g., how land use and degradation impacts organisms and ecosystem integrity); invasive species biology; and how species and biological communities are changing with biodiversity loss (e.g., how biodiversity decline can impact the processes of evolution by natural selection and alter ecosystem function). From lecture materials, assigned readings, and in-class discussions, students will become familiar with each of the issues, how different synergies can impact biological systems, the current challenges that pervade and stem from them, and the prospective technological solutions being developed and used to address these challenges. In addition, students will learn how to critically examine and interpret media reports and publications pertaining to each of the aforementioned global change issues and apply the scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills they acquire from this course to evaluate the validity of media outlet reports and coverage, determine if scientific studies are cited correctly, identify knowledge gaps, and how to devise and implement comprehensive solutions as informed and responsible global citizens.
NTSS 303 “Biology, Environment and Law”
This course explores the relationships between biological systems in the environment, and the environmental laws that regulate them. We will examine the profound influence that environmental laws have on species, ecosystems, and landscapes, and the effects of regulation of air, water, and land in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health. The course begins with an exploration of the legal system, and how it relates to the science of environmental biology. We then consider ecosystems biology, the effects of regulations on plant and animal communities, and the importance of land use regulation on ecosystems. We then explore the specific laws that control pollution of air, water and land, and their effects on natural ecosystems. Finally, we review the influence of international laws and agreements on the health of natural communities.
HISS 305 “Changing American Landscapes”
In this course, students will explore changing interactions between American society and the natural world, from pre-contact through the 21st century. From hunting practices to urban planning, agriculture to landscape design, and exploration to automobile tourism, how have people shaped the landscape and environment around them, and how have they been shaped by it? How and why have attitudes toward the landscape and natural resources changed? How has changing technology shaped our relationship to the natural world?