In late March, the Cal State University and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Southwest Pacific Region signed a five-year agreement that could attract more students to the environmental field.
Through the partnership, the CSU will have easier access to resources needed to train students pursuing environmental studies, while EPA will receive assistance from professionals in the 23-campus system for future projects and support for its workforce.
CSU Spokeswoman Elizabeth Chapin said the EPA will develop plans for major environmental research issues and open up related internships for CSU students.
“The partnership is still in its early formative stage and is not fully implemented yet, but ultimately, this collaboration will help students, staff and faculty get new opportunities for service learning, curriculum development and activities to encourage students to join environmentally related fields,” Chapin said.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two groups outlines that the EPA will be able to provide input and assistance to CSU in developing a pertinent environmental curriculum.
As part of the partnership, CSU students will also be able to earn credit at multiple campuses for their completion of EPA projects, lectures or curriculum, according to Chapin. Through this feature, the CSU will be able to meet minimum enrollment requirements by grouping students from multiple campuses into a single course.
Chapin said the partnership could give CSU students an early edge in their environmental careers.
“If students are interning with the EPA and getting experience with them, it will help them for jobs in the environmental field,” Chapin said.
Chapin also said each campus will designate a research officer who will be the central contact for the EPA. The officers have not been established yet, but projects between the CSU and EPA have already begun this summer, such as at CSU Channel Islands.
As part of this collaboration, CSU Channel Islands partnered with EPA on a Marine Debris Program that will add to the EPA’s efforts against coastal and marine debris pollution through using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, according to a CSU Channel Islands news release.