Rachel Carson College

Environment and Society

Rachel Carson College’s theme, Environment and Society, embodies the college’s concern for environmental issues within a social, political, scientific, and humanistic context.

Academic Requirements

The college’s core course focuses on California, deepening students’ understanding of the vital connections between contemporary social systems and environmental change through lectures, films, readings, writing classes and research, and enabling students to develop reading and writing skills in a seminar format.

Educational Enrichment and Extracurricular Opportunities

  • Rachel Carson College, enriched by its diversity, is an inclusive community that emphasizes the importance of individual academic success. Our diversity and inclusion initiatives bring together students, staff, and faculty to develop high-quality educational and celebratory events.
  • Independent undergraduate research and community service are encouraged, and the student garden offers a quarterly internship for academic credit.
  • The faculty, representing a broad spectrum of majors and academic interests, encourages students to become involved with the complex problems of contemporary society.
  • A wide variety of co-curricular activities provide opportunities for students to connect their academic work with other interests. Each fall quarter Rachel Carson College students participate in the Sustainability Projects, allowing students to have a firsthand experience in farming and agriculture or habitat restoration
  • Housing themes at Rachel Carson College include ABC Housing (see themes link for details), and Women in Science, Engineering & Math

Housing and Dining

  • Rachel Carson College student housing includes residence halls and apartments.
  • A dining hall is located at this college.

Dining hall renovation project

The Rachel Carson/Oakes Dining Hall will be undergoing renovation during the 2021-22 academic year. To provide additional service for the west side of campus, the nearby Porter/Kresge Dining Hall will offer expanded hours, including weekends and Late Night service. Also, the Oakes Cafe will be open 7 days per week and students will be able to use their meal plans for a limited number of meals each week at the cafe. As always, students can use their meal plans to dine at any open dining hall on campus, so they can visit a location that’s convenient to their next class, a trip to the gym, studying at a library, or meeting up with friends. more »

See Also