CSS 235:  Society and Natural Resources
FALL 2013  (3 credits)
M W F -- 12:30 - 1:20,   JEB 104
University of Idaho, College of Natural Resources
Instructor:  Professor Ed Krumpe

Syllabus

FALL 2013

Click on topic in the following list to jump to that subject on this page.
Teaching Team
Course Overview
Course Organization and Approach
Course Requirements
Exams, Grades and Grading Scale
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives
Course Themes
Course  and  Instructor Policies
Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Use of Laptops, Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices
Due Dates For Assignments and Quizzes
Discussion Group Participation
Required Readings
Writing Assignments

Student Support Services
Disability Support Services
 

                    
 Teaching Team
                  
Professor:  Dr. Ed Krumpe
Dept. of Conservation Social Sciences
College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho
Office:  CNR 19J
Phone:  885-7428
E-mail: ekrumpe@uidaho.edu
Office Hours:  Mondays 2:00-3:30 or by appointment 

Teaching Assistant:  Jennifer Chaffin
Office:  CNR 20B
E-mail: chaf8019@vandals.uidaho.edu  
Office Hours:  M W 11:00 a.m. to 12;00 p.m. or by appointment
                             

Teaching Assistant:  Brett Miller
Office:  CNR 20B
E-mail:   mill6230@vandals.uidaho.edu
Office Hours:   M W 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. or by appointment

Teaching Assistant:  Dawn Harfmann
Office:  CNR 20B
E-mail:  harf1950@vandals.uidaho.edu
Office Hours:   TH 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment

Course Overview
We rely on the earth's resources for our lives and our livelihoods, depending on the earth's natural capital to provide sustenance, shelter, wealth, work and meaning.  We are therefore caught in a natural dilemma:  How do we use these resources and still protect their integrity and the ecological processes that are critical to the proper functioning of the world's ecosystems?  With almost 7 billion people on earth, and counting, the challenge of striking the right balance between use and protection is daunting.  The balancing act will require not only understanding the ecosystems themselves and how they function, but also managing our resources sustainably.  To do so will require us to consider social and economic causes and effects, and the ways in which our values, our worldviews, and our policies and laws either promote or hinder our ability to manage resources for long-term benefits.  All of these components are inextricably linked to each other.

Using a combination of lectures, readings, reflective writings and projects, we will explore how natural resources and environments affect us economically, socially, and politically, and conversely, how our economic, social and political decisions have environmental consequences and affect the availability and integrity of our natural resources.  In this course, we will examine our own core values and how they shape our relationships to natural resources, both individually and as a society, and how they influence the ways in which we allocate, use, and/or conserve resources.  Our first goal is to develop a broad understanding of how the combined effects of ecological, socio-economic, and political/legal forces operate  together to alter ecosystems, affect people's sense of well-being, and influence the sustainability of the life-support systems on earth.   Our second goal is to explore, understand and perhaps invent ways in which people and institutions can act more responsibly to protect the long-term value of our resources.

Lectures, films and readings from current books and journal articles will provide a platform for discussions.  News stories from the popular press and case studies will provide real-life examples of resource issues facing society today.  The scope of topics may be local (e.g. conversion of farmland to housing), regional (e.g. the allocation of water rights in the western United States), national (e.g. the effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act), or global (e.g. the impacts of population growth and poverty on the loss of tropical forests). 

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Course organization and approach
During the Monday and Wednesday class periods, Dr. Krumpe and guest lecturers will review course topics, leaving ample time for questions and discussion.  In most weeks, we will use the third class session to meet in small groups where we will have an opportunity to more fully discuss the ideas presented in class and/or reading assignments, analyze and respond to readings, and explore and brainstorm potential solutions to resource problems.  Writing assignments, in which you will be asked to examine your own values and beliefs and respond to others' values and ideas, will help deepen your knowledge about and understanding of natural resource issues.  These assignments also emphasize critical thinking skills, technical and professional writing skills, and development of persuasive and convincing arguments.

Course Requirements
To successfully meet the requirements of this course, you must:

1. Attend and participate in lectures and discussion groups. 
2. Do your homework.  Read the assignments and demonstrate your comprehension of them by successfully completing on-line scheduled quizzes and in-class pop quizzes, and participating fully in discussions during small group sessions.
3. Pass three exams (two mid-semester and one comprehensive final exam) consisting primarily of multiple choice and short answer questions.  The final exam may include one or several short essay questions.  The format of exams will be discussed in class prior to the exams. 
4. Complete writing assignments and exercises that will be assigned in class and discussion group sessions.  We will provide you with details on how to complete assignments later in the semester.  Good spelling, sentence structure and organization, and formal style and tone are expected and count toward your grade on writing assignments.
5. Present your findings to your discussion group.  An important component of the second formal writing assignment is a presentation your findings to the members of your discussion group.  The presentation will be evaluated and count toward your course grade.  You are expected to present yourself and your material with a high degree of professionalism.

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Exams   
Midsemester:  Two mid-semester exams are scheduled to take place at approximately evenly spaced intervals through the semester.  Mid-semester exams will be used to assess and provide you with feedback on your progress in learning the course material.  These exams are designed with a variety of types of questions, including multiple choice, matching, short answer and short essay questions.  Both exams are scheduled to take place on Wednesdays during regular class times.  Check the daily schedule for dates of the exams.

Final Exam:  The final exam will be comprehensive.  The format will be similar to the mid-semester exams - primarily multiple choice and short answer, but may include very short essay questions that will require you to synthesize information and concepts from readings, lectures and discussion.   The final exam is scheduled for Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 12:30 to 2:30 in JEB 104.

Point Distribution for Grades

Grading Scale

Grades will be posted on Blackboard

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Course Objectives
Course objectives and learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of lectures, video/film presentations, readings, discussions, role-playing exercises, and writing assignments. At the completion of CSS/FOR 235 students will be able:

1.  To understand how our underlying value systems influence our perceptions and may lead to conflicts over the uses of natural resources and environmental goods and services

2.  To understand the influences of population, consumption, and distribution of wealth as drivers in our treatment of natural resources

3.  To understand how our social institutions, including our laws, regulations, economic and social policies and resource management systems reflect our values, both past and present

4.  To recognize some of the methods social scientists use to understand and describe social values and behavior

5.  To explore current issues and opportunities for developing sustainable natural resources management systems for both goods and services

6.  To explore opportunities for private citizens to contribute to sustainable relationships between society and natural resources

7.  To provide ample opportunities for students to explore their own values and concerns, and to learn, consider, discuss, and write about their views on natural resource issues

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University of Idaho's teaching/learning goals

Effective teaching and learning are essential to meeting our long-held goal of producing responsible, well-prepared citizens and leaders in their professions. The University of Idaho's program of student outcomes assessment has been implemented to ensure that we continually improve the teaching and learning process and the programs that support that process. The course objectives are consistent with the University of Idaho's teaching/learning goals which are to:

1. Learn and integrate - Through independent learning and collaborative study, attain, use and develop knowledge in the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences, with disciplinary specialization and the ability to integrate information across disciplines.
2. Think and create - Use multiple thinking strategies to examine real-world issues, explore creative avenues of expression, solve problems and make consequential decisions.
3. Communicate - Acquire, articulate, create and convey intended meaning using verbal and non-verbal methods of communication that demonstrate respect and understanding in a complex society.
4. Clarify purpose and perspective - Explore one's life purpose and meaning through transformational experiences that foster an understanding of self, relationships and diverse global perspectives.
5. Practice citizenship - Apply principles of ethical leadership, collaborative engagement, socially responsible behavior, respect for diversity in an interdependent world and a service-oriented commitment to advance and sustain local and global communities.

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Student Learning Objectives and Outcomes
On completing CSS 235, you should

1. Understand how society views and values natural resources
2. Understand origins and diversity of values and attitudes among people with respect to natural resources
3. Understand how government policies and regulations reflect social values
4. Be able to identify and describe some of the methods used in social sciences and discuss their usefulness to natural resource managers
5. Be able to identify and discuss the environmental, socio-economic and political components of natural resource issues, whether current, historical or imminent
6. Understand and be able to discuss a variety of current local, regional, national and global issues at the intersection of society and natural resources
7. Understand how you as an individual and as a member of a community can take an active and creative role in solving natural resource problems
8. Understand and be able to participate effectively in group decision-making in a community of stakeholders
9. Understand how to use library resources to conduct research and to develop your own ideas
10. Be able to speak and write clearly about current natural resources issues - using professional and persuasive language - and proper technical format
11. Experience increased proficiency in professional writing and critical thinking skills
12. Be able to think logically and critically about natural resources issues 

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Units and Themes
Throughout the course we will emphasize and discuss current issues and news, personal and professional responsibilities in managing natural resources, and developing creative solutions to problems. We will end the course as we began, coming back to the individual and how our values, individual decisions and personal philosophies affect how we use, protect, deplete, conserve or sustainably manage our natural resources.  

The course is organized around themes that examine the intersection of societal forces, political institutions and the natural resource goods and services provided by environmental systems on different scales.  Themes include:

1. Understanding ourselves - values, ethics and natural resources
   1. The triple lens - environment, socio-economics and politics
   2. How values affect our views of the environment, nature and resources; how values affect our laws and policies
   3. American values;  historical versus current views of natural resources
   4. Roots of American resource management institutions
   5. Our ethical responsibilities as private citizens, professionals, and as a society
   6. Biophilia
      
      
2. Society, culture and resources
   1. Cultural differences in relationships between people and resources
   2. Ecosystem services
   3. Environmental economics
   4. Environmental justice
      
      
3. Economics, culture and critical issues in resource management - examples and case studies
   1. Examining resource management issues - resources and stakeholders; conflict and resolution over
      1. Land
      2. Forests
      3. Recreation
      4. Agricultural systems - food
      5. Water
      6. Fish, wildlife and marine life
      7. Domesticated animals
2. Creative solutions
   
4. Public involvement in resource issues
   1. What the law says about public involvement in resource decisions
   2. Getting people engaged in public discourse
      
5. Critical issues and creative solutions
   1. Endangered species
   2. Energy resources and sustainability
   3. Climate change
   4. Water resources
   5. Energy resources
   6. Population growth
       
6. Sustainable management
   1. What does it mean?  Is it possible?  How can it be achieved?
   2. Entrepreneurial approaches
   3. Public/private partnerships
   4. Personal, professional and societal responsibilities

Required Readings
Readings for this course will come from a variety of sources - books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and more, and will be available 24/7 through e-reserve at the University of Idaho Library.  Instructions on how to access the readings on e-reserve will be distributed in class.

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Course and Instructor Policies

            Read, understand and learn.  It's up to you.  In this course, you will be expected to read and understand many different kinds of literature, from popular sources to scientific journal articles.  You may not agree with the authors of some of these articles, and that is okay, but you will need to read and understand what they have written.  While we can provide a positive learning environment, in the end, you are responsible for your own learning.  Take advantage of the opportunities afforded to you while at the University of Idaho.

      Attendance:  You are expected to attend all lectures and discussion sessions.  Although we will not take attendance for regular lectures, we do plan to give pop quizzes during the lecture sessions.  There are no make-ups for these quizzes.   We will take attendance at the beginning of the small group discussion sessions.  If you are more than 5 minutes late to a discussion session, it will be counted as one-half of an unexcused absence.  Students who miss discussion sessions with more than: one unexcused absence, two excused absences, or one of each type, will lose participation/discussion points.  For example, a student who has 2-3 unexcused absences will lose 30 participation points.  More than 3 unexcused absences will result in loss of at least 60 participation points.  Since participation in discussion sessions is worth about 14 percent of the semester grade, losing all of these points will lower the course grade by more than one full letter.

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Excused absences from discussion sessions:  If you know you will miss a discussion group, please tell your discussion leader at least one day before if you want the absence to be excused. If the absence is excused but an assignment is due that day, make arrangements with your discussion group leader for submitting the assignment.  Late assignments will be reduced by one full letter grade for each day it is late, unless otherwise arranged. 

a.   You do not need to inform the instructor if you are going to miss a regular lecture period, but you must inform your discussion leader if you are going to miss a discussion session.

b.   If you must miss a discussion session due to illness or another personal emergency, notify the discussion leader BEFORE the missed class period either by e-mail or telephone.

c.   For absences due to illness or emergency, bring a note from a doctor or other professional to the next discussion group meeting.

d.   You are allowed two excused absences (illness or qualifying university events, like class field trips) from discussion sessions. Excused absences will not count against you for the first two missed discussion section meetings; after that, each excused absence counts as one-half absence.

e.   If you must miss class for an official university activity, make arrangements with the instructor BEFORE the missed class.  Bring in appropriate documentation for missing the class.  Official University activities, for example scheduled class field trips, count as excused absences.

f.    You are allowed one undocumented absence from discussion sessions.  Two or more unexcused absences from discussion sessions will result in a loss of participation points and can impact your final course grade.

Mid-semester and final examination
Exams must be taken on the specified dates.  There are no make-up exams.

Absences from lecture
You do not need to inform the instructor if you will be absent from lecture sessions. Although we will not take attendance during the lecture sessions, if you cut class you run the risk of missing an in-class quiz or other exercise.  I expect you to come to all classes and be prepared to participate.  You will learn more and have a better understanding of how the various elements of the course fit together if you attend the lecture sessions. 

You are expected to know the material presented during class sessions, whether or not you attended the class on a particular day.  If you miss a class session, check with another student to see what you missed.  Get notes from a student who is good at taking notes.  Ask your TA for copies of handouts that you might have missed.  Ask a TA about ideas or concepts that you don't understand.

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Missed quizzes
We will have several pop-quizzes during the semester.  There are no make-up quizzes for these quizzes.  Missed quizzes are graded as earning no points toward the final grade.

Laptops/Cell Phones/Electronics

a.      Regular laptops, cell phones, MP3 players and other electronic devices create distractions and inhibit the ability of people near them to pay attention and participate in class.  Use of these items during class is not allowed.

b.      All cell phones and pagers should be turned off when you enter the classroom.

c.       If you regularly take notes on a notebook-type computer, please notify the instructor during the first week of class.

Due dates and times for assignments and quizzes: 

a.      Reading assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date stated in the class schedule. 

b.      Quizzes based on reading assignments are due before class begins on the same date the reading assignment is due. 

c.       There are no make-up quizzes, but the lowest quiz score of the semester will be dropped when we calculate final grades.  

d.      The reading response assignments are due at the beginning of your regularly scheduled discussion session. 

e.      The two project writing assignments are due by 4:55 p.m. on the date stated in the instructions. 

      Late assignments:  Assignments are due at the time specified.  A late writing assignment will be reduced by one full letter grade for each day that it is late. 

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Last updated - Dec. 16, 2013