The Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE)

Dorothy Peteet shows how variations in Piermont Marsh ragweed pollen levels correlates with deforestation by British settlers

a woman standing at a podium in front of a group of people in front of a projector screen

Dorothy Peteet shows how variations in Piermont Marsh ragweed pollen levels correlates with deforestation by British settlers

The Sarah Lawrence Interdisciplinary Collaborative on the Environment (SLICE) was developed to allow Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) students, faculty, and community partners to study a variety of environmental topics across the humanities as well as the sciences and social sciences. Students in SLICE courses engage in a sustained dialogue about the interaction between humans and the environment in courses that seek to understand the social and economic forces contributing to climate and other environmental injustices; the impact of these crises on organisms and ecosystems; and the complex relationships between humanity, animality, race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and the natural world.

Thanks to the Humanities for All Times grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the SLICE curriculum was expanded in 2022 to center on a unique, cross-institutional pedagogy that brings together students from Sarah Lawrence College and Bronx Community College (BCC) for a wide range of events, including workshops, discussions, collaborative projects, and field trips focused on environmental justice and the humanities. All core SLICE courses participate in two week-long interludes each spring, during which instead of attending their classes as normally scheduled, students attend field trips and work in groups with students from other SLICE classes. SLICE-affiliated courses participate in events and workshops, while continuing course meetings throughout the semester. SLC and BCC students in SLICE and SLICE-affiliated courses have the opportunity to work on environmental justice-based projects with our community partners, and to present their research at an interdisciplinary symposium each spring.

SLICE Courses

Developed in collaboration between faculty from Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) and Bronx Community College (BCC), these innovative courses blend the humanities with experiential learning, culminating in spring interludes where regular classes give way to immersive experiences in the surrounding areas. From joint events to interdisciplinary panels at the SLICE Student Symposium, students engage deeply with environmental justice themes, fueled by collaborative projects and field trips.

SLICE Partners

Rooted in a cross-institutional pedagogy, SLICE + BCC is a unique collaboration that enables faculty from both colleges to co-develop a curriculum and related events. Students participate in joint activities, including panel discussions and symposiums, fostering interdisciplinary exchange. Additionally, partnerships with organizations like the Beczak Environmental Education Center, Groundwork Hudson Valley, and Untermyer Gardens Conservancy offer diverse opportunities for student engagement in environmental education and community stewardship.

SLICE Events

SLICE holds a wide range of public events each year that approach questions of environmental justice from an interdisciplinary perspective. From panels charting a course toward activism and participation in global teach-ins, to poetry readings and workshops in digital mapping, students and community members have the chance to approach pressing issues from perspectives that might not previously have been on their horizon.