CSS 386 (4 credits)--Spring 2012

Lecture: M, W, F  8:00—9:20 (CNR Room 25)

“Half of everything you hear in a classroom is crap. Education is knowing which half is which.“

From The Rules of Planning: Advice found on a wall in a Planning Office.

Department of Conservation Social Sciences & The Bioregional Planning Program

DESCRIPTION:

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Having successfully completed this course you will:

1. Be able to design and demonstrate the use of conservation planning processes that are sensitive to the needs of people and take into account the sustainability of political, biophysical, social & economic processes & institutions;

2. Be conversant in and be able to apply planning theories and concepts and appropriately use planning terms commonly used in conservation;

3. Be able to discern between kinds, styles and purposes of conservation planning in the public, private and nongovernmental sectors;

4. Understand and be able to explain the alternative roles for clients, citizens, technocrats, governments and enterprises in conservation planning;

5. Be able to produce simple, but technically robust, planning documents;

6. Be able to apply conservation planning frameworks and understand their strengths and weaknesses;

7. Be able to understand the nature and limitations of planning for the future, and understand the role of professional judgment; and

8. Be able to work effectively in groups of divergent professional and personal interests.

READING MATERIAL:

Required Texts: We will be using 2 textbooks this year.

1. Brooks, M. F. (2002). Planning theory for practitioners. Chicago, IL: Planners Press.

2. Daniels, T. (1999). When city and country collide. Washington, D.C.: Island Press.

Required Supplemental Readings: Will be available on the web or via email, or as announced in class.

Please bring your book or readings to class since group discussions and class exercises will require you to have access to the information in them. Class projects will also require ready access to these readings.

CLASS FORMAT:

The class meets for 80 minutes, three days (M, W, F) a week. Classroom sessions will include traditional lecturing interspersed with small interactive group sessions to go over readings and to work on projects. Brainstorming, case simulations, demonstrations, free writing, presentations and other interactive methods will be use to exchange ideas and information during class.

This interactive style of teaching, and the cooperative nature of planning, makes it imperative that students attend all classes. Attendance is also a requirement because much of the work and most of your knowledge (and your grade) will derive directly from our classroom encounters. Class participation will be graded. Any more than 3 unexcused absences will result in your grade being lowered one letter grade. Thereafter, it will be lowered 1 letter grade for each additional unexcused absence. If you must miss class for a legitimate reason (sick, field trip, attending a conference, job interview, etc.), please notify one of us prior to class if you can. Please call or email, or make arrangements with us in class.

To facilitate the efficient exchange of information and ideas we emphasize the following:

1. All papers and projects are due by the start of class (8:00 a.m.) unless stated otherwise in the schedule. Late work will cost you or your team 10% a day.

2. It is one mark of professionalism to be able to express yourself clearly and concisely following the rules of expression generally accepted by professionals. Spelling and grammatical errors will be marked down. All assignments and projects must be checked for grammar and spelling. We would appreciate line spacing of at least 1.5 lines; this will leave us ample room to share our comments.

3. Any draft or final paper or project, excluding work that is done during class, that you submit for grade or review MUST have been produced on a word processor and run through spelling and grammar check utilities. It is your responsibility to save a copy in more than one secure location! Handwritten papers, and papers that have obviously not been proofed for spelling and grammar, will receive no grade.

4. The UI Writing Center (Room 323 in the Idaho Commons) can help you improve your writing. For reference and citation format this website can help: http://citationmachine.net/

5. You can expect to work 6-9 hours a week on readings and other class assignments outside of class. You will need to meet outside of regular classroom hours to work on class projects/homework. We will dedicate some class time to group work.

6. We are available to meet with you to go over lectures, readings, or to help on projects in class and during office hours. We are also available by appointment; please call or stop by our offices if you ever need assistance.

7. Class attendance is required, as is active participation:

The Critical Role of Service Learning in Planning and Community Engagement:

The College of Natural Resources has committed to programs that integrate ecological, social and natural resource science and management systems and is guided, in part, by the following principles:

1. Use collaboration and partnerships to leverage resources to enhance the visibility, relevance and impact of programs;

2. Promote sustainability to achieve regional economic well being and natural systems protection; and

3. Seek diverse perspectives and knowledge to enrich our understanding of the region and each other.

The Department of Conservation Social Sciences seeks to increase the capacity of the conservation community so that their contributions reflect a sensitive and responsible approach to the management of cultural and natural resource landscapes, the needs of communities, social-ecological systems and environmental change. Service-learning is widely use by the department to enhance the education program of its students by bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Our goal is to collect and integrate conceptual and practical information to support conservation planning on the Palouse as a service-learning project. Service Learning is an enhancement to the more common student-centered projects widely used in planning and natural resources curricula. Sigmon (1979) defines service learning as an experiential approach premised on “reciprocal learning,” where learning flows from service activities to both those that provide service and those who receive it. At the University of Idaho service learning is recognized as a course-based, credit-bearing educational experience that: 

1. Provides an organized service activity that meets identified community needs;

2. Requires that students reflect on the service activity;

3. Leads to gaining further understanding of course content and an appreciation of the discipline; and

4. Enhances their sense of civic responsibility.

“Academic service learning is a pedagogical model that intentionally integrates academic learning and relevant community service” (Howard, 1998). The literature on service learning identifies five additional characteristics that are of special significance to our class:

1. Places an emphasis on the different ways of understanding;

2. Values the human experience as a source of learning;

3. Requires reflective thinking to transform experience into learning;

4. Provides an ethical foundation that stresses citizenship to community, profession, and a larger public interest; and

5. Involves the participation, not just of students, but of faculty and community as learners through prolonged engagement.

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism is a particularly despicable form of academic dishonesty that we do NOT tolerate. Plagiarism involves, but is not limited to: 1) directly copying short pieces of another person’s writing, with or without minor re-wording, without crediting the original source, 2) copying longer sections (more than a few sentences) with or without citing the source and not indicating the directly quoted passages. The UI Student Code of Conduct governs academic honesty. All suspected instances of academic dishonesty are referred to the Dean of Students. Sanctions, including a grade of "F" for the course, may be imposed. Please be very zealous in citing sources when you write. Even a sentence or two of plagiarism in a document is considered scientific misconduct. It is tempting and easy to copy text, but it works against the educational process and is a form of theft. For excellent discussions on plagiarism see: 

http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/forres/academics/plagiarism.asp

http://www.uidaho.edu/class/english/plagiarismpolicies.aspx

http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/modules/module6/6_4.htm

Disability Support Services Reasonable Accommodations Statement:

Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. Please notify us, in writing, during the first week of class of accommodations you may need for this course. Late notification may mean that requested accommodations might not be available. All accommodations must be approved through Disability Support Services located in room 306 of the Idaho Commons.

Phone: 885-6307

email: dss@uidaho.edu

EVALUATION:

1. Class participation and attendance is graded.

2. There will be 10 integrative writing assignments that provide an opportunity to explore in essay format what you are learning.

3. There will be one group project. Several class sessions have been set aside for project work. As a part of the group project you will have the opportunity to evaluate your other team members.

4. There will be two exams focusing largely on information synthesis and problem solving, but will also cover factual knowledge, analytical skills, critical thinking and application. Both exams will be based on an understanding and application of readings, lectures, discussions, projects, exercises and all other material covered during the semester.

ASSESSMENT:

• Participation and Attendance .................................. 10%

• Integrative writing ........................................................ 20%

• In-class exercises........................................................... 20%

• Group Project................................................................ 20%

• Mid-term Exam.............................................................. 15%

• Final Exam...................................................................... 15%

GRADING SYSTEM:

We retain the right to curve grades. Also points may be shifted if the dynamics of the course require it. If changes are proposed you will be informed of the decision. It is your responsibility to maintain a current schedule.