Jill Belsky (Professor), Director, Bolle Center for People and Forests
The Bolle Center for People and Forests was established on the campus of The University of Montana in Missoula in 1994. Its mission is to provide "interdisciplinary education, research, and community service to advance knowledge of the relationships between forests and people with the goal of ensuring the continued diversity, productivity, and beauty of forests through the healthful coexistence with human communities." The strategic plan of the Bolle Center identifies the development of a new, interdisciplinary curriculum as a major programmatic response to fulfill the mission of the Center. The curriculum for the minor, Nature and Democracy, combines understanding of cultural, political, and ecological contexts surrounding natural-resource issues with basic skills to participate in conflict-laden decision-making processes. This curriculum enriches research and learning opportunities for students, faculty, and residents of the region. Its goal is to develop effective professional participants in the public affairs surrounding natural resources decisions. The Nature and Democracy curriculum examines the effects of people, places and processes on natural resources management, advancing toward the objective of interdisciplinary education.
The Nature and Democracy minor provides a semester-based course format with specialized training modules and community-level problem-solving experiences. Although presented as a package which provides an academic minor to upper-level undergraduate students, it is also an open-ended, regional resource for learning among all interested parties. Course offerings allow academic credit for graduate students, and outreach mechanisms incorporated into the design promote distance learning. The curriculum offers opportunities for interaction between students and residents of rural communities, providing valuable contacts for post-academic endeavors.
Admission to the minor: Students are required to apply for admission to the Nature and Democracy minor. Applications and information are available from the Bolle Center for People and Forests, Science Complex 465. Upper-level undergraduates and graduate students from all departments are eligible with 18-24 students accepted annually.
Prerequisites: An academic foundation in natural science, humanities, and social sciences is necessary for students entering the minor. Undergraduate students are required to have at least two courses relevant to understanding biophysical functions and processes (available within the natural science perspective of General Education Requirements), at least one course in introductory economics, and at least two preparatory courses in the social sciences and humanities. Transfer students may apply relevant courses at other institutions to fulfill these requirements. The adequacy of the specific courses will be determined by the Bolle Center Director, who serves as advisor for only the academic minor for each student enrolled in the Nature and Democracy minor.
Requirements for a Minor
To earn a minor in Nature and Democracy the student must complete successfully 24 credits including:
| FOR/HFD 471 Natural Resource Management Core Behaviors | 3 |
| FOR 472 Building Knowledge on an Integrative Theme | 3 |
| FOR/EVST 473 Collaboration in Natural Resources Decisions | 3 |
| FOR 478 Montana Community Analysis | 3 |
| FOR 479 Nature and Democracy Synthesis | 2 |
| One 3-credit ecology course | 3 |
| From BIOL 121N; FOR 330, 462; other 300-level course in BIOL or WBIO One 3-credit natural resources management course | 3 |
| From FOR 271, 275, 296, 360, 441, 455; RECM 217; WBIO 370 One 4-credit internship | 4 |