A presentation to new undergraduate students at Simon Fraser University considering a major in the Faculty of Environment from an alumnus of the university working in sustainable community economic development.

1. Wes Regan, SFU Geog 2012

5. Don’t stress out about it. Explore. Be “self-
reflexive”.Take courses that sound interesting,
courses that “resonate” with you.Your major, if
you want to declare one, will emerge as you are
exposed to ideas and disciplines. Stay healthy.
Form new habits. Learn how to study.

6.  Undergrad Certificates (GIS, Urban Studies)
 Volunteering with FENV (Globe and other
Sustainability conferences, events etc.)
 Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group
(SFPIRG)
 Co-op (Paul DeGrace)
 Undergraduate advisors
 Bursaries and other funding

7.  The full extent of SFU library resources
(including staff)
 Workshops for paper writing and research
 The value of the Student Unions
 That I can have my own show on
CJSF…seriously.

8.  Faculties of Environment are a new thing, and
a pretty exciting thing.
 “The Environment” used to be considered a
sub-area of concern – it used to be fitted into
another discipline (Biology, Physical Geog) or
a discipline unto itself
 Now Environment has been elevated above
disciplines as the context in which studies
take place – this makes for a good multi (or
inter) disciplinary environment

16.  Environment
 Natural environment (ecological)
 Built environment (human settlements,
infrastructure)
 Mental environment? Political environment?

17.  Sustainability
 3 legs? 4 legs? 5 Capitals 6 Capitals?
Environment Economy Social
Cultural
 Capital (resources that are able to be put to work)
 Social, environmental, physical, financial, cultural,
and political capital

19.  Environmental challenges and opportunities
now connect and overlap across the private,
public and non-profit sectors.
 Government, businesses, even military now
concerned with issues relating to the economic,
cultural, social, political and ecological impacts
of our relationship with the environment
(biodiversity loss, climate change, water
supplies, soil health, changing settlement
patterns, climate refugees, disaster mitigation)

22.  Geography (Human or Physical)
 Archaeology
 Environmental Science
 BENV (Bachelor of Environment/Business/
Environmental Systems/Environmental
Resources)
 Development and Sustainability (Minor)
 Sustainable Community Development
(Certificate or Post Baccleurate Diploma)
 Urban Studies (Certificate)
 GIS (Certificate)

23.  Problem solving
 Context
 Seeing connections
 Understanding motivations
 Understanding human activity and ecological
realities
 Flexibility of employment
 Thinking entrepreneurially

24.  C0-op and work integrated learning are great ways to
compliment the cultivation of your critical
thinking/analytical skills and theoretical
understanding of disciplines and of the world around
you
 University and jobs…don’t study something just
because you think, or because someone told you, or
because you read, that as a degree it “paid higher”
and would make you more employable etc. Don’t
hang those things on your studies. Study what you are
passionate about learning about, or study to learn
about what you are passionate about. And LEARN
HOWTO LEARN.

28.  Please be frank and ask me questions…no
matter how “tough” they may be.

29.  Best of luck to you all, I hope this helped.
 http://ca.linkedin.com/in/wesleyregan
 wregan@sfu.ca