uwloo

ERS 101Approaches: Environment, Resources and Sustainability

Units
0.50
Faculty
Environment
Subject
Environment, Resources and Sustainability

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 3 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This course is one of 'solutions-based education' designed to use environmental case studies from local, provincial, national and international communities. We will analyze historical and contemporary cases and consider the interdisciplinary lessons that can be learned from them within the context of climate and technological change, political and economic constraints, community engagement and communication. The specific cases may change year by year depending on current events. Students will be encouraged to critically engage the scholarly, non-governmental, public media literatures and personalities.

Prerequisites

Antirequisites

None listed.

Leads to

No course lists it as a requisite.

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 001584536 / 40T 14:30–16:20
TUT 101584617 / 20F 12:30–14:20
TUT 102584719 / 20F 10:30–12:20

Reviewed on UW Flow

72% liked it67% easy54% useful

From 25 ratings and 6 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • This course generally sucked and wasn't much fun. not horribly difficult just pretty boring.

    Jan 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • I feel like this course is just a badly named communications course with lecture content feeling like "its just a mindset"
    Lots of readings
    Assignments galore
    and a very scary 1 essay question final
    prof and TAs are very nice but i dont feel like they could redeem this course

    Oct 2025 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Honestly loved this course, it was a bit more difficult than I was expecting but I definitely learned a lot. It's the mandatory literacy course for ERS. I was lucky enough to get a really great group for the group project (worth like 50%) so I enjoyed that part of the course. The TAs were super helpful and Rob is so lovely and enthusiastic. Marking is definitely tougher than any other first-year course I've taken, but definitely fair.

    Apr 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • I enjoyed taking this course and it was pretty straight forward. It is very centred around water and water quality because that is what Rob knows about. Almost every assignment related to the great lakes and water quality but Rob really made it interesting. The tutorials really focused on grammar and email formatting which was kind of boring but definitely helpful in the long run. It's really centred around problem solving and coming up with solutions which I really enjoyed. Overall this course is fairly easy and you still feel like you are learning, would recommend!

    Apr 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • This is essentially the communications course for ERS students. Topics include how to write letters formally and making good effective slideshows. There is also an oral presentation. All super easy but the way rob teaches it is very useful. I've taken this knowledge into other courses and it's improved my work and time management.

    Jan 2023 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

Discussed on r/uwaterloo

6 posts and comments in 5 threads mention ERS 101, May 2019 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.

Fall 2023

Fall 2022

Courses for next sem 11 points, 7 comments

u/Taughthorizon57: “I've found a few courses that seem interesting and I'm just wondering for anyone who has taken them, how's the workload, how's the prof, and are they bird courses? GEOG 101 HLTH 101 SMF 101 CLAS 104 EARTH 122 ERS 101”

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Fall 2019

ERS 100 & 101 2 points, 4 comments

u/egyptn: “… My question is if it should be okay that I take ERS 101 before I have taken ERS 100? I just want to know if I will be missing out on core concepts that will make ERS 101 more difficult for me to pass. …”

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What does this mean (Winter Term 2020 course selection)? Is it normal to receive such error messages? Would I still have to chance to add in those courses during the enrolment period? I’m in my first year of undergrad so I’m still trying to navigate how this system works. Thanks in advance! 6 points, 24 comments

u/lilipadis: “Looking at the course offerings here I see that your ERS101 course conflicts with the BIOL165 course and the ASL101 course is full.”

u/applepill: “ASL 101: Most likely reason is space. That class was offered last year and I think 300 people didn’t get in with a class space of 22. …”

u/applepill: “If the core course is ERS 101 you are probably out of luck, unfortunately. ERS 101 is also only offered once a term and it’s a requirement to all of your core courses. …”

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Spring 2019

Imprint's lies, incompetence and general worthlessness. Disassociated and defunded when? WPIRG 2.0! 242 points, 96 comments

“In case you aren't aware, over the past couple of weeks there've been quite a few suspicious posts on the /r/uwaterloo subreddit (all posted by new accounts with no history) concerning a UW professor …”

u/-MrGoose-: “Courses mentioned in this thread: ERS100 RS100 RS101”

u/BIGFAGABLOCKCHAIN: “Wow, you picked up "recovers 100%" as 2 separate courses. I'm impressed. Ers 101”

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Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

Undergraduate Calendar