NCSE Customized Consulting Services
PROGRAM EVALUATION – STRATEGIC PLANNING – NEW PROGRAM DESIGN – PROGRAM REDESIGN AND RESTRUCTURING
In 2010, NCSE began offering customized consulting services to enable environmental program leaders to learn from their peers across the nation and from the ongoing research and literature review conducted by Dr. Shirley Vincent, NCSE Director of Educational Research.
These services are tailored to each client’s needs and have included:
- Strategic and comparative analyses to inform program reviews and strategic planning initiatives
- Comparative analyses comparing programs to national study findings and peer programs
- Rapid program assessment to inform short and long term planning
- Workshop to facilitate new program design
- Additional services have included new program proposal reviews, a workshop to facilitate program revision, and study analysis to inform and facilitate decision making
NCSE’s report, Interdisciplinary Environmental Education on the Nation’s Campuses, provides a framework for understanding and assessing environmental programs. Based on a comprehensive study of 343 degree programs on 260 campuses, it explores the knowledge and skills components of programs, how programs are organized administratively, and how programs are variously oriented towards system science, adaptive management or policy and governance.
If you would like to explore how customized consulting services can assist you please contact:
Shirley Vincent, Ph.D.
Director of Educational Research
918-629-5143
Clients have included: Florida A&M University, University of Vermont, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Delaware, Oklahoma State University, and James Madison University
"The experience and the literature [Shirley] brought, including results of her study, have been quite valuable in our efforts. We are now ready to make a proposal to our University Curriculum Committee to establish a broadly interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Program and Minor. Hopefully we will also have a major someday, and look forward to inviting [Shirley] back for a reassessment".
Lynn Vincentnathan - Chair, Environmental Studies Program Tas Force Committee, University of Texas - Pan American
"[Shirley's] report has put our programs into a national context and has provided us with benchmarks that relate our program to the national norms. And, more specifically, it has allowed us to compare our programs to those of our aspirational peer institutions. The detailed quantitative analysis made the document especially compelling and useful in discussions with faculty and other UD administrators".
Nancy Targett - Dean, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of Delaware
"[Shirley's] recent rapid evaluation and assessment of the Tufts University Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Program (completed May 2011) was invaluable. This report was shared with the Executive Committee of the program and with the University administration. [Shirley's] analysis was particulary helpful because it highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of our program and offered suggestions to bring our program more in line with national trends".
Colin Orians - Director, Environmental Studies Program, Tufts University
"As a long term consultant, prior to working in the academic community, I am throughly impressed with Shirley's technical skills, timeliness, and ability to stay focused on what is needed for the unique situation at hand. Shirley's professionalism and kind demeanor made a complex and sometimes controversial process easier than one might otherwise find. To the National Council for Science and the Environment - thank you for your vision for offering such needed services to programs like the environmental studies program at the University of the South. We owe much of our current progress to you".
Daniel Carter - Director of Environmental Studies, Sewanee: The University of the South
“[Shirley's] cogent analysis of opportunities and challenges provided us with significant data with which to collectively plan for our future as the Environmental Campus of the UMass system…The service you provided to our programs is tremendous…”
Robyn Hannigan – Chair, Environmental Earth and Ocean Sciences Department, University of Massachusetts-Boston
"I am grateful that we had access to [Shirley's] extensive knowledge and expertise in the interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability education areas. It is a pleasure working with [Shirley] and I look forward to a continued working relationship".
Robert Brzozowski - Project Director, Burlington County College
“[Shirley's] analysis has helped us understand the relative position of our programs with respect to each other as well as with respect to other integrated environmental degree programs in the U.S. I expect the data and analyses in your report to be of great value to us [for planned comprehensive program reviews].
John Graham – Dean, School of Public and Environmental Affair, Indiana University-Bloomington