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Environmental Analysis and Problem-Solving
(ENVI 55)
Macalester College, Fall 2002
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:10-11:40
Olin-Rice Room 270
1. Course Objectives
1.1.
Introduction: Environmental Studies is an
interdisciplinary activity characterized by its practical applications.
Almost without exception, environmentally related disciplines deal with
complex problems of the real world and try to offer solutions to those
problems. That is why not only knowledge but practical skills are
essential to succeed in the field. And that is what this course is all
about: to provide you with the analytical, team-working, and presentation
skills necessary to solve environmental problems. Although there are no
prerequisites, this course is open only to Environmental Studies majors.
1.2.
Methodology: This course will utilize case
studies and simulation exercises. You may, for example, be placed in the
position of a person working for industry, a government agency, and/or a
non-for-profit organization facing an environmental problem. As such, you
will need to understand the problem, work in a team to come up with a
solution, and then through a presentation, persuade policy makers and/or
the public, that your solution is the right one. To that end, each week
we will take a look at real problems through class simulations. Each
presentation will be videotaped (each presenter will keep his/her own
videotape) and the performance will be evaluated for both content and
effectiveness. Also, you will develop an on-campus environmental project.
In the
simulation exercises you may be asked to do one or more of the following:
a) present testimony, prepare a witness, or cross-examine in a mock trial;
b) designed a strategic plan for the creation of a environmental,
non-for-profit organization; c) fundraise for a cause; d) give a press
conference; e) participate in a conference of the parties type process,
representing a particular nation; f) develop a grass-root initiative.
Students are expected to meet with the instructor in order to prepare the
background material, grasp the overall picture, and coordinate the efforts
of the different teams.
For the
on-campus environmental project you will be working in pairs (or in a team
of a maximum of three people) to develop an on-campus environmental
project aimed to enhance the campus ecology. You can find examples of
that sort of projects at:
http://www.nwf.org/campusecology/greeningprojects.cfm
The overall
objective of this course is, thus, not only to expose you to real
environmental problems but also to help develop a number of practical
skills. They include: analytical and critical thinking, teamwork, time
management, synthesis capabilities, communication (both written and oral),
and leadership skills.
1.3.
Expected Outcome: By the end of the semester,
you should have developed the practical skills needed to become a
successful environmental professional by reaching a level of academic
excellence and being able to excel as a communicator; in other words, to
be ready for the real world.
2. Instructor
Aldemaro
Romero, (B.S./ Master: University of Barcelona, Spain, 1977; Ph.D.:
University of Miami, 1984). Director and Associate Professor of the
Environmental Studies Program at Macalester College. I have been working
on environmental issues since the late 60's. I have published numerous
papers and books in this area. In addition to this academic experience,
I have also worked for non-for-profit organizations and private
environmental consulting companies, solving environmental problems of many
kinds within a short period of time, while dealing with regulatory issues,
governmental agencies, and private corporations. I have also testified in
federal court as an expert witness, written, produced, directed TV and
broadcasting programs, and done fundraising for environmental causes.
2.1.
Preceptor: Melody S. Sakazaki (‘03). Melody has
taken this course in the past and will be available to help you with your
assignments. Her email is
msakazaki@macalester.edu.
Phone number
is: 651-699-6060
3. Textbook and Supplies
3.1. The
Textbook
No textbook is
required for this course.
3.2. Other
Supplies
You need to buy
a VHS videotape. I strongly recommend a 2-hr tape so you will not need
more than one for the entire semester. You will always keep the tape but
I will watch it with you in order to give you a critical analysis of your
performance. I also recommend that you obtain a three-ring binder to
accommodate handouts as well as a computer diskette to store electronic
information.
4. Other Resources
4.1.
On-site Resources: At the Environmental Studies
room there will be a TV set and VCR that you can use to review videotapes
seen in class. There will also be a file cabinet with background material
on the different problems we will be seeing in class. There is also a
small but specialized library that you can use, especially to put the
problem you are dealing with into a larger perspective.
4.2.
Library Resources: Macalester’s Library has a
variety of books and journals dealing with the topics discussed in this
course. If you cannot find some of those books and articles, they can be
obtained through Inter Library Loan.
4.3.
Computer Resources: All officially enrolled
students have access to Macalester’s e-mail system. You can send us email
to ask questions or to engage in discussions with your colleagues. I
frequently use email to make announcements to the class, so you should
check your account periodically. Also, you should subscribe to the
following environmental news services:
1. Environment
News Service (ENS). To subscribe send a message to editor@ens-news.com
2. The
EnviroLink News Service. To subscribe, send an e-mail to: listproc@envirolink.org
with: subscribe environews FIRSTNAME LASTNAME as the only text in the body
of the message. I may, on occasion, discuss some of the news in class.
This will allow you to keep up to date with the latest developments in
environmental issues. Please avail yourself of this opportunity.
Finally, there is the Environmental Virtual Library that can be accessed
via www.cnie.org. This is an initiative of the Committee for the National
Institute for the Environment of which Macalester College is a charter
member.
3. DAILY
GRIST. To subscribe to DAILY GRIST, go to http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/daily/
or send a blank email message to:
dailygrist-subscribe@egroups.com
For other
environmental news services, you can find information at:
www.enn.com
(along with news, has organizational press releases)
www.gristmagazine.com (environmental news with a humorous edge)
www.planetark.org (Reuters Environmental News with links to fuller
stories)
www.unfoundation.org (UN and international news with an environment
section)
In addition,
the course will have a web page where we will be posting as much
information as possible. Please check it out regularly.
5. Academic Approach
I give the best
of myself in each of my classes in order to offer you the opportunity to
maximize your chances of learning lasting lessons in Environmental
Studies. I consider myself motivational, challenging, and enthusiastic.
I greatly appreciate students who come to me for further discussion and
inquiry. Please do not hesitate to see me. At the same time, I have high
expectations for your personal growth as a professional and your success
as a student in this semester. This course is unique because you do not
have to memorize things but rather work on practical skills, including
teamwork and public speaking. Some people are not comfortable with this
and may need more help than others in developing those skills. Please
make sure that you come to see me with any problem, apprehension, or
questions. I will do our best to ensure that you learn the maximum and
that your effort is rewarded with good grades. I take a great deal of
pride in how much our students learn and on the well-earned grades they
receive.
Don’t be fooled
by the fact that there is no memorization, or memory-based exams. This
course will require a lot of effort on your part. That means that you
have to learn how to organize yourself and budget your time
appropriately. Since you will be working with others, those
organizational skills are even more important. Please let us know if we
can help you with that.
6. Office Hours
I try to
make myself as available as possible. I will be available to you in my
office either by walk-in or by appointment. You can also discuss problems
with me via e-mail. Please do not save questions until just the last
minute. Room Number: Olin-Rice 249. Phone Number: (651) 696-8157; e-mail:
romero@macalester.edu
7. Evaluation Criteria
You will be
evaluated on the following grounds (percentages are rough weighting
estimates.)
Individual Presentation Performance: Each of
you should have the opportunity to make several formal presentations
during the course of the semester. These presentations will be evaluated
for content and presentation effectiveness (20%).
Class
Participation and Leadership: There will be
numerous opportunities during class periods to participate in discussions,
ask helpful questions, make useful comments, and demonstrate leadership
potential. Your overall classroom performance will be evaluated in terms
of the quality of your participation. On time attendance is expected for
all classes. Missing class without good cause or being late for class
will count against your grade. Please notify the instructor in advance if
you must miss a class period (20%).
Team
Performance on Specific Exercises: Much of the
work product in the class will be the result of a team effort. Your
individual grade will depend to some extent on the performance of your
team in successfully participating in the simulation exercise (20%).
On-campus environmental: This will evaluate the
results of the on-campus environmental project (40%).
General Remarks: I will be watching you in
class. I will also carefully read the written materials that teams
submit. I do not expect that you will perform as an experienced
environmental expert the first week. Rather, I will be paying attention
to effort, organizational leadership, and attitude. I do expect that you
improve every week, coming up with better, more effective solutions, that
your presentations improve, and that your teamwork reflects excellence. I
know that this type of evaluation is somewhat subjective but so are the
evaluators of the human beings you will be dealing with as a
professional. The difference is that I will be there to praise you for
the job well done and to point out those areas in which you need
improvement and how to achieve such improvements. By the same token you
should come to me with any questions. Don’t be afraid to ask me “how am I
doing?”
As a guide, the
average grade distribution is as follows:
% Grade
94-100 A
90-95 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
Below 60 NC
Incomplete
grades will be given only in rare cases where the student suffers from
some type of physical disability or illness or other emergency that
prevents the completion of the course. Medical documentation will be
required.
8. Attendance
Given the
“hands-on” nature of this course and how much each individual depends upon
others for teamwork, attendance is required and expected at all sessions.
Tardiness will not be excused.
9. Academic Honesty
To ensure the
highest standards of academic honesty and ethical behavior, the Code of
Academic Integrity will be strictly enforced. In other words, do not even
think about any behavior that may be construed as academic dishonesty,
plagiarism, misrepresentation, or cheating. Academic dishonesty includes,
but is not limited to the following:
A. Receiving
help from others in work to be submitted, if contrary to the stated rules
of the course.
B.
Plagiarizing, that is, taking and passing off as one's own the ideas,
writings or work of another, without citing the source. This is true
whether the material used is only a brief excerpt or an entire paper or
article and whether the original source is the work of another student or
not.
C. Submitting
work from another course.
D. Stealing
examinations or course material.
E. Falsifying
data and/or records.
F. Assisting
anyone to do any of the above.
The Code of
Academic Integrity protects the honest student, the reputation of
Macalester College, and the value of degrees earned here. We should all
support it, both by personal honesty in all things and by refusing to
tolerate dishonesty in others. Any graded work must be performed
completely unaided unless teamwork has been specifically authorized and
even in those circumstances no aid should be received from outside the
team. Students should report to us any suspected cheating. If you have
any questions about your assignment, plagiarism, or the code of Academic
Integrity, please contact me.
10. Withdrawals
You are solely
responsible for fulfilling all necessary steps to formally withdraw from
this course as well for meeting all deadlines established by the College.
11. Students with Special Instructional Needs
If you have any
special needs related to this course, please let me know as soon as
possible so we can address those needs.
COURSE OUTLINE
9/5
Introduction to the Course
9/10 Project
Organizing
9/12 Project
Organizing
9/17 Project
Presentations
9/19 Project
Presentations
9/24 Dealing
with the Media
9/26 Press
Conference
10/1 Public
Debate. Topic to be chose by the students.
10/3 Mock Trial
Preparation
10/8
Depositions
10/10
Depositions
10/15 Trial
10/15 Trial
10/22 Update on
projects
10/24 Fall
Break. No class.
10/29 Building
a NGO
10/31 Building
a NGO
11/5
Fundraising preparation
11/7
Fundraising presentation
11/12
Grassroots exercise
11/14
Grassroots exercise
11/19
Grassroots exercise
11/21
Grassroots exercise
11/26
Grassroots exercise
11/28
Thanksgiving. No class.
12/3 Conference
of the parties simulation
12/4 Conference
of the parties simulation
12/10 Projects
presentations
12/12 Projects
presentations. Farewell.
===============================================================
Disclaimer: The information contained in this
syllabus is as accurate as possible, but may be subject to change with
reasonable advance notice. The schedule and content of lectures and
assignments may be changed at the discretion of the instructor upon oral
notification in class. Changes may involve additions, deletions,
substitutions, or changes in sequence or due date.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS
CONTAINED IN THIS SYLLABUS COULD CAUSE YOU TO GET A POOR GRADE IN
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND PROBLEM-SOLVING
Appendix: Description of some of the Course Exercises
1. Press Conference and Media Relations.
With the advise and consent of the instructor, the class will choose a
particular contentious issue, whether international, national, or local in
which government(s), industry, and public are involved. The class will be
divided into three groups, each representing one of those constituencies.
Each constituency will give a press conference. They will prepare a press
release that will be faxed the day before to the journalists that will be
attending the press conference. During the press conference you will
answer questions from the media. To succeed in this exercise you will
need to achieve two things: have an in-depth knowledge of the issue in
question and to communicate your position effectively. Like all others,
this exercise will be videotaped.
2. Mock Trial: In this
exercise you will be presented with a legal case to argue before a Judge
in a simulated courtroom situation. There will be two teams, consisting
of attorneys, expert witnesses, and researchers. Some class time will be
used to provide background on doing legal research and on the rules of the
mock trial simulation. Five class periods plus a debriefing session will
be used for this exercise.
3. Grass Roots Organizing Project:
In this exercise you will play the role of campus environmental activists
developing a grass roots project to achieve a particular environmentally
favorable outcome. The Sierra Club’s "Grassroots Organizing Training
Manual" will be used as a guideline for developing the campaign. The goal
of each organizing team will be to identify and develop a campaign
targeted at the Macalester campus or larger community to improve
ecological literacy and sustainability. Two teams will develop
suggestions on how Macalester could make greater use of the Ordway Natural
History Area in developing ecological literacy among students, faculty,
staff, and community members. Other teams will examine possible campaigns
addressing such issues as toxics and air pollution.
4. Conference of the Parties:
This exercise will simulate a Conference of the Parties to of the United
Nations related to an environmental issue. This exercise will provide you
with the opportunity to play the role of diplomats, technical experts, and
media specialists representing a particular country (or regional grouping)
with important interests in the outcome of the negotiations. The
challenge is to develop binding rules for its implementation. The exercise
will include simulated technical and negotiating sessions and will result
in a document that contains the agreement reached at the conference.
5. Fund
Raising: In this exercise you will be divided into three teams. Each
team will identify and develop an environmentally oriented
project for
which funding will be sought. Three types of funders will be represented:
a foundation, a corporation, and an individual donor. Each team will be
assigned to one of these three types of funding sources. The exercise
will include the submission of a formal written funding request (shaped
based on the requirements of the funder) and a simulated face-to-face
meeting with a representative of the funder. Three team members will
participate in each face-to-face meeting. Three class periods will be
used for this exercise. |