Council of Environmental Deans & Directors

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 over 150 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 and a new program analysis service;
• A Climate Solutions Curriculum Committee to create materials and courses to prepare students to respond to the climate challenge, which received $1.7M NSF and $150K NASA grants in 2009;
• An 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 national college access program for underserved youth, to better serve the diversity needs of affiliate schools. Ten university EnvironMentors chapters are operating in the 2010-2011 academic year, with a solicitation for new chapters coming early 2011;
• New initiatives on environment and human health and on agriculture and natural resources; and
• Partnerships with national and international academic organizations.

Biannual Meetings

The 2011 CEDD Summer Program conference was held June 21-23 in Vergennes, VT. The 2012 CEDD Winter meeting will be held on January 21 in Washington, DC in conjunction with NCSE's National Conference: Environment & Security.