The Nicholas School of the Environment's Senior Professional Program traces its beginnings to 1979, when the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies first offered a program of short intensive courses. These courses have been offered since then as part of various named programs and centers, including the Intensive Course Program, the Continuing Education Program, and the Center for Environmental Education. As of 2013, the Senior Professional Program is the only one of these terms that remains in use as a formally named entity in the Nicholas School. The Nicholas School of the Environment's Senior Professional Program Records span the years 1977-1997 and contain correspondence with faculty, syllabi, notebooks, schedules, and other materials from intensive courses, workshops, and conferences offered as part of the Intensive Course Program, the Center for Continuing Education, the Center for Environmental Education, and the Senior Professional Program. Materials document research and teaching interests of several Nicholas School faculty, and topics covered in the courses include ecological risk assessment, environmental sciences, water supply, water resources development, forest management, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Arranged in order by accession number.
The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions was founded in 2005 and merged with the Duke University Energy Initiative to form the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability in 2022. The institute worked to improve global environmental policies through research, engagement with policymakers, and highlighting critical environmental issues. This collection consists of records of staff meetings, board meetings, committees, reports, and educational materials related to climate action, water usage, and water policy in North Carolina.