The mission of the Earth System Science and Policy program is to provide an integrated and creative learning environment that fosters intellectual growth, critical thinking, and practical engagement in research and management of the Earth system and resources. The need for the program exists because humans during the 20th century modified the global environment faster than they understood the consequences of their changes. The major theme of the program is therefore sustainability, defined as meeting human needs and values while preserving the planets life-support systems.

Five major concentrations support this central theme:

1. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning,


2. Climate and Environmental Change,


3. Land and Resource Management,


4. Environmental Management, Policy, and Communication, and


5. Human Health and the Environment.

The objectives of the program in Earth System Science and Policy include:

• Student-structured curriculum


• Research driven by societal needs and values


• Multidisciplinary education


• Learning within teams


• Experiential learning


• Leadership to create a future proactively


• Unification of economic security, ecological integrity, and social equity


• Bridging the digital divide Global conceptually but acting regionally

The ESSP Program builds on an established research and applications team, centered at UND, but networking with 7 other universities in 4 other states: the Universities of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming; South Dakota and Montana State Universities; South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; and Sinte Gleska University, SD. External funding for this team during 1994-2003 exceeded $14 million. Personnel resources include: 10 core faculty, affiliated faculty from various UND departments, and approximately 30 collaborating faculty from the network of universities above; a technical and administrative support staff of thirteen; and funding for several graduate student assistantships. An array of major research equipment is also in place.