Learning about the forest using alternative curricula - The Guelph experience

Abstract

The University of Guelph is a mid-sized university in southern Ontario that has many historical underpinnings with respect to both undergraduate and graduate education in forestry and forest-related subjects. Some of the earliest forward-thinking forest policies found in Ontario came from early faculty associated with the predecessor of the University, the Ontario School of Agriculture. Today, the University has numerous faculty in Colleges across campus that are involved in a multitude of teaching and research aspects associated with forested environments. The research-teaching link with respect to forestry is strong and the undergraduate population appears appreciative of this. Undergraduate courses and course segments at both undergraduate and graduate levels exist, and a minor in forest science, housed in the Department of Environmental Biology but drawing on resources from across multiple disciplines, is also available. The University of Guelph is currently evaluating its options with respect to undergraduate education in the forest sciences. Building on past and present strengths, the University is considering offering a non-accredited B.Sc. program that embraces the science and management of forests and the environmental impact and community benefits associated with interventions in the forest.