HUXLEY COLLEGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Syllabus for Estu 471 (CRN 14074), 2cr, Winter quarter, 2008
Campus Planning Studio
Location: ES 318. Time: Mon & Weds 9:00-9:50am
Instructors: Gene Myers, Ph.D., Seth Vidana
Office, etc: Myers: AH 224; x4775; ms 9085; mailbox in AH 217; Gene.Myers@wwu.edu
Vidana: VC 25; x2491; ms 9197; seth.vidana@wwu.edu
Office Hours: Myers: Tues 10-11; Wed 2:30-4:30 Please sign up on office door preferred. Or arrange.
Vidana: by appointment.
Course web page: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~sustwwu/
OVERVIEW AND AIMS:
Sustainability involves the pursuit of the 'triple bottom line': social equity, environmental quality, and economic welfare. Sustainability applies to college campuses, which can involve and potentially educate thousands of people in sustainable thinking and practices. This course will be an exercise in learning and applying social research techniques, critical reasoning, problem solving, and working group skills, all in the service of addressing an important community need and step toward sustainability at Western.
WINTER QUARTER PROJECT:
WWU Campus Sustainability Assessment
The goals of the Campus Sustainability Assessment are to continue work on a baseline study on WWU campus sustainability and produce WWU's first Sustainability Report. The report will act as a foundation for strategic plans in these areas (highlighted areas=work begun in fall term):
Participants in the Campus Planning Studio will work in small groups to conduct research using the Campus Sustainability in Higher Education Assessment Framework (SHEAF), a joint project of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and Puget Sound region colleges. Areas not addressed in the fall will be our focus. However, some work remains from the fall, and six or more individuals spend time initially following-through on those sections (highlighted above). A special, continuing, emphasis will occur on Dining Services.
Our main task will be to complete research on specified sections of the assessment framework and produce reports for each area. Through completing this project you will gain:
You will learn more than you expect about campus change, about research, and about yourself. You will each play a critical role. If we succeed, it will be a significant contribution to the university. Note that work on creating final documents and presentations will continue into spring term as well, and continued enrollment is encouraged.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Attend and actively participate. 10% of grade. You will need to meet with group members outside of class time. You will be part of an internet list, and should expect to receive and respond to messages pertaining to the course. In general, you are an indispensable member of the team, and as such your participation is a matter more of group obligation than of course requirement.
2. Research and document findings for specific areas of the assessment. 30% of grade.
In following the SHEAF you will use various research methods and sources of data to answer specific questions about the current state of campus. Documenting your research process is important because you may be passing your research work onto another group. It is of paramount importance that another research group be able to pick up where you left of easily and quickly. Not only may you be passing your work on to other researchers, but campus administrators or other end-users of your report may want to know that the information in the report is verifiable. In this, all sources of documentation must be cited and dated. You will be responsible for creating a “story” of how you found your information via a “research narrative”. Whether it is a university document, website or in-person conversation, you must document the details of your information gathering. You will be using a word document template for this purpose.
3. Produce a final report on your sections of the assessment. 30% of grade. You will need to write up your sections of the assessment in preparation for insertion into the larger final report. All charts and graphs should be included in this report.
4. Present research finding for your section(s) to the rest of the class. 20% of grade. You will present your finding via PowerPoint presentation to the rest of the class during finals week.
5. Enter your research information into the assessment framework excel file for eventual transfer to AASHE for national comparison. 10% of grade.
Throughout the project, it is expected that you will help maintain a strong learning community, an engaged and professional tone with outsiders, and an atmosphere of support and challenge for yourself and each other.
EVALUATION:
Products will be evaluated in terms of the quality of preparation as evidenced in 2 and 3 and the completeness of analysis, timeliness, and clarity of writing and presentation in 4 and 5.
Grading breakdown: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; below 60=F
TEXTS:
Materials will be made available by photocopy, internet, or in Huxley Library.
SCHEDULE:
Sessions will be devoted to covering background information, some lecture sessions, training for research groups, consultation with instructor(s), and sharing and discussion across research groups. Expect to meet separately with your group, including special meetings with key resource people, and for data gathering when research subject groups are available.
Jan 9 --- Intro to Campus Sustainability and the Campus Sustainability Assessment
Jan 14 --- Choose area of research, review research documentation procedures
Read:
· “The Greening of America’s Campuses”, New York Times, Jan 8th 2006
http://www.housing.sc.edu/pdf/GreeningofAmericasCampusesNewYorkTimes.PDF
· Review the Sustainability in Higher Education Assessment Framework
http://www.aashe.org/resources/sheaf.php
Jan 16 --- Background campus sustainability
Read:
· One campus sustainability report (decided upon in class)
Jan 16, AH 219, tentative date for evening presentation by Autumn 07 teams & pizza social
Weeks 3-5 --- Conduct research on assessment area
Read: TBA
Weeks 6-8 --- Conduct research on assessment area
Read: TBA
Week 9 --- Write up draft and presentation draft due
Week 10 – 11 (finals) Final draft and formal presentation (time & place TBA) due.