The Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD) is an association of institutional representatives who come together to improve the quality, stature and effectiveness of academic environmental programs at U.S. universities and colleges. CEDD is facilitated by the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) as a part of its University Affiliate Program.

A premier benefit of University Affiliate membership is representation on NCSE’s Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD). Launched in 2001, CEDD has emerged as the leading organization working to improve the quality, stature, and effectiveness of environmental programs on the nation’s campuses. Government agencies, national and international organizations, and business groups seek out CEDD as a gateway to working with the academic environmental community. Each University Affiliate school designates a representative to serve on CEDD. The group currently includes 148 members representing academic environmental programs of all sizes and types.

SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

CEDD has initiated projects to help academic programs educate future environmental professionals and leaders. These include:

• A major study of career pathways and opportunities for environmental program graduates;
• The first quantitative study of environmental curricula at more than 250 programs;
• A Climate Solutions Curriculum Committee working to develop new programs and courses on climate change solutions for majors ( or pre-professionals) and general students
• A new online resource, Interdisciplinary Hiring, Tenure and Promotion: Guidance for Individuals and Institutions, which presents the first comprehensive how-to-guide, providing best practices for each stage of a scholar’s career.
• A collaboration with EnvironMentors, NCSE’s new national college access program for underserved youth, to better serve the diversity needs of affiliate schools. Four university EnvironMentors chapters were established in 2007 with four university chapters to be launched in September 2008;
• Partnerships with national and international academic organizations;
• New initiatives on environment and health and on agriculture and natural resources.

CEDD BIANNUAL MEETINGS

The 2008 Summer Program Conference, Climate, Sustainability and Environmental Programs, was held on July 15-17, 2008 in the Columbia River Gorge.  Photos and other documents from the meeting are now available.

The Winter Meeting will be held December 7, 2008 in Washington, DC. These meetings are open to CEDD representatives or their designees.