One of the goals of Duke’s Mode of Inquiry requirements is to “ensure that undergraduates are exposed to important intellectual themes that transcend individual disciplines and that students need to know about if they are to be well prepared for life in the 21st Century”. 

As such, we are working to add a Mode of Inquiry requirement to both Trinity College of Arts and Science and, eventually, the Pratt School of Engineering, so that students have the opportunity and motivation to gain knowledge needed to succeed in a world rapidly changing due to climate change. 

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Environmental management and degradation, touch on all disciplines including law, economics, medicine, marketing, and engineering. A steady environmental literacy today is not only important for navigating our changing world, but also provides students a competitive advantage in many industries. Duke as an institution provides society service in teaching and preparing the next generation of leaders in best practices and skills necessary for success and global impact. The curriculum must reflect the needs of the time.

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We are requesting that the university add an additional Mode of Inquiry course requirement to the graduation requirements of all Duke Trinity undergraduate students. We believe that a requirement of this nature will NOT add any additional courses to a student’s graduation load and will benefit both students and faculty at Duke. An environmental/sustainability literacy requirement fits within the standards set by Duke to a) best prepare its student to enter the world as productive and well-educated young people with the interdisciplinary skills and knowledge set necessary for a life in the 21st century, and b) enhance the quality of education, in-class discussion, and academic engagement opportunities, both in the Nicholas School of the Environment and other departments. And as a top trend-setting institution in the way of academic excellence and sustainability, a requirement like this, which has not been widely added to undergraduate curricula in many institutions in the United States, would set Duke apart from other institutions of the same or similar standing.