Environmental Studies Courses Spring 2007

Department of Environmental Studies - Master's Programs Courses
Department of Environmental Studies - Doctoral Program (Ph.D) Courses

Department of Environmental Studies - Master's Programs Courses

ES 506
Advanced Professional Seminar for Resource Management & Administration
Competency Areas: RMA - Required
Required of and Restricted to second year RMA students.

This seminar provides students with the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the environmental professions, to examine career goals and to build a professional peer support network. Utilizing a career development approach, core faculty will work with students to identify professional issues. Students are required to attend the lunch meeting on December 14, 2006 to prepare for the first class session.

Before the first class, each student will be asked to develop a strategic process flow diagram outlining the steps they feel will be necessary to be completed before being able to accept any job offer. These will be brought to the first class on January 18. Each student will then develop a plan to market their specific skills and knowledge-base to targeted potential employers. This plan will have an attached time line and associated benchmarks to be reached.

Section A: Michael Simpson
Time: Thursdays, December 14, 2006*,
11:15 - 12:45 pm (*required preparatory meeting) and Thursdays, January 18, February 1 & 15 and
March 1, 8 & 29, and April 26
1:00 - 3:30 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 1

ES 523
Advocacy Clinic II
Competency Areas: EAO - Required; CB, EE, Cert, RMA & IND - Elective

This hands-on, project-based course offers participants the opportunity to engage in supervised practical fieldwork on behalf of actual “clients” - organizations at the local, state, national or international level working for environmental protection, corporate accountability, and social justice. Working in small group teams and individually, students will choose, design, conduct and evaluate advocacy projects from a wide variety of client proposal requests. The goal of the course is to provide students with a strong supervised experiential learning opportunity in the field with more group support, attention to theory, and supervision than an individual practicum placement usually allows. Course elements include focus on corporate campaign strategizing, project planning & management, research & lobbying skills, effective communication (e.g., media releases, briefing papers), and project evaluation.

Section A: Steve Chase
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESP 603
Corporate Power, Globalization and Democracy
Competency Area: Civic Ecology II
First Priority to first year Advocacy students; Second priority to any first year ES students.

The future of the world ultimately depends on how people decide to organize and conduct their economic and political lives. This course will take a critical look at the issues that democratic societies face in an era marked by transnational corporations, “free” trade regimes, the international debt crisis, structural adjustment, and the growing dominance of neoliberalism as a political ideology. In particular, we will explore the economic and policy mechanisms that drive corporate globalization's “race to the bottom” in working conditions, human rights, democratic participation, environmental protection, public health, and ecological sustainability. The course will also examine a range of economic and policy alternatives that might help create more just, democratic, and sustainable societies.

Section A: Steve Chase
Time: Thursdays, 8:30 - 11:00 am
Changed 11/30/06 to: Time: Thursdays, 8:00 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 16
(4 seats reserved for any 2nd year ES students)
Credits: 3

ESE 544
Curriculum Design
Competency Areas: Cert - Required; EE - Required Alternate; EAO, CB, IND & RMA - Elective
Required of and Priority to ES Teacher Certification students.

Designing curriculum is an extremely creative process, filled with controversies and dilemmas. It is a political, philosophical, and theoretical process. In this class, we will analyze, critique, and redesign both the explicit and hidden curriculum of a variety of materials as we attempt to resolve our conflicting conceptions of curriculum and develop our own philosophy of curriculum design. This is primarily a theory-based course with some opportunities for direct application. Consider this course as a way to help you move further along with your own questions and concerns about curriculum design and as an opportunity to twist, stretch, and flip your current understanding of what it means to design curriculum. In particular, we will experience first-hand and theoretically ideas like constructivism, democratic classrooms, coherent curriculum, authentic learning, problem solving and inquiry. This list of educational jargon will be more meaningful in a few months.

Section A: Jimmy Karlan
Time: Fridays, 8:00 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESF 510A
Desert Ecology
COURSE CANCELLED 12/22/06
Competency Area: Natural Communities II

Please Note: Attendance at ALL pre-trip meetings is mandatory. Enrolled students who fail to drop the course at least 1 week before the first pre-trip meeting, or who fail to attend the first pre-trip meeting, will be held financially responsible for the cost of the trip and will forfeit their seat in the class. Students on the waitlist Must attend the first class if they wish to be admitted into the course. (Limited scholarship money is available to support students attending field study trips. If you are interested in applying for scholarship assistance, please see the ES department for eligibility guidelines.)

The Sonoran desert of southern Arizona and northern Mexico has the highest level of species richness of any desert region in the world. Set against a dynamic backdrop of rugged, volcanic mountain ranges we will explore what many desert aficionados call The Desert Heart - the very core of North America's desert landscape. Rich both in natural and cultural history, this region has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the emphasis of the course will be on Sonoran desert ecosystems and the fascinating adaptations that plants and animals have developed to be able to thrive in a landscape that gets just a few inches of precipitation a year, we will also investigate cross border issues that threaten the remarkable natural heritage of the region. These include conflicts surrounding water resources, grazing, and more recently impacts associated with illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The core of the trip will be in Mexico's Pinacate National Park. The Pinacate is a volcanic landscape with about a dozen huge explosion craters, hundreds of cinder cones, and rugged lava flows. It has an exquisite mix of desert flora and fauna and holds the oldest human antiquities in the Americas including ancient footpaths that are at least 12,000 years old with some researchers suggesting that they may have originated 35,000 years ago. Total cost including airfare, food, camping fees, etc. is approximately $1600.

Section A: Rachel Thiet and Pete Throop
Time: (Pre-trip meetings)
Wednesdays, January 31 & February 28,
6:00 - 9:00 pm
and (Study trip) Saturday - Sunday, March 10 - 25
Maximum: 20
Location: Pre-trip meetings: Keene; Study trip: Arizona and Sonora, Mexico
Credits: 3

ES 517
Diversity and Coalition-Building for Environmentalists
Competency Areas: EAO - Required; CB, EE, Cert, IND & RMA/RMC - Elective
Required of and Priority to Environmental Advocacy and Organizing students.

Historically, social movements have been strongest when they involve large numbers of people who unite across social barriers such as race, class, and gender for a common purpose. Social movements are weakest, however, when the prejudices and power relationships of the larger society remain unchallenged within their own organizations. This situation often leaves environmental movements vulnerable to “divide and conquer” strategies by power-holders and reduces the creativity and effectiveness of environmental organizations by marginalizing the voices, insights, and potential contributions of women, people of color, working-class activists, or ethnic and religious minorities. Now, more than ever, building an environmental movement based on solid working relationships, a spirit of trust, shared interest, and solidarity across the social boundaries of race, gender, class, geography, and culture is a prerequisite for lasting, democratic transformation. This class will focus on both theory and practice with a particular emphasis on: 1) understanding the dynamics of social oppression; 2) building effective relationships across difference; and 3) addressing power dynamics as well as the other challenges in creating diverse organizations and effective coalitions.

Section A: TBA
Changed 11/30/06 to: Section A: Betsy Leondar-Wright
Time: Fridays 8:00 - 11:00 am
Changed 11/30/06 to: Time: Fridays 1:00 - 4:00 am
Meeting date added 03/19/07: Friday, April 20, 11 am - 5 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESP 601
Ecological Economics and Public Policy
Competency Area: Civic Ecology II
Priority to first year ES students.

The premise of this course is that human actions are embedded within the natural environment. The political and economic systems that have been developed to meet the needs of a society are framed by the limitations of that environment. This course will allow students to explore how these societal institutions function to deal with questions such as freedom of choice, scarcity, ownership, equity, sustainability and change.

The course will investigate the development of environmental policies as informed by science, economics, public opinion and legal precedent. Students will be introduced to the policy tools utilized to translate policy into implementation and how effective such approaches have been in meeting overall environmental policy objectives. The primary focus will be within the United States, but innovative approaches that have been developed and utilized in other countries will also be presented to the students.

Section A: Jim Gruber
Time: Thursdays, 8:30 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 16
(4 seats reserved for any 2nd year ES students)
Credits: 3

ES 519
Ecological Research Design
Competency Areas: CB - Required; EAO, EE, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective
Required of and Priority to CB students.

This course encourages successful ecological field research by building skills in hypothesis generation, selection of appropriate methods of data collection, use of correct statistical analyses, and effective presentation of results. Basic parametric and non-parametric statistical procedures (chi-square and related tests; ANOVA; regression and correlation analyses) are reviewed. Through lectures, lab exercises, group and individual research projects, and discussion of current literature in the field of conservation biology, students develop skills needed to conduct field studies aimed at biodiversity conservation and natural lands management.

Section A: Jon Atwood
Time: Fridays, 8:00 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 24
Credits: 3

ESF 540
Ecosystems of Mount Desert Island
Competency Areas: Natural Communities II

Please Note: Attendance at ALL pre-trip meetings is mandatory. Enrolled students who fail to drop the course at least 1 week before the first pre-trip meeting or who fail to attend the first pre-trip meeting will be held financially responsible for the cost of the trip and will forfeit their seat in the class. Students on the waitlist Must attend the first class if they wish to be admitted into the course. Students should be in good physical shape to be able to do a 10-mile a day hike.

Mount Desert Island arguably offers the most scenic landscape in New England with its dramatic exposed, glaciated mountains rising out of the Gulf of Maine. This field study trip will focus on the island's terrestrial ecology including its geological history, fire ecosystems, outcrop succession of its granitic balds, and the impact of visitors on its fragile, coastal heath communities. Cost: approximately $160 for food, camping, and transportation fees.

Sections A & B: Tom Wessels
Time: Section A: (Pre-trip meeting)
Wednesday, March 7, 6:00 - 9:00 pm and
(Study trip) Thursday - Wednesday May 24 - May 30
Section B: (Pre-trip meeting)
Wednesday, March 7, 6:00 - 9:00 pm and
(Study trip) Thursday - Wednesday May 31 - June 6
Maximum: 16 per section
(Section A priority to ES Cert students)
Credits: 2

ESE 545
Environmental Education Methods: Blueprint for a Green School: Food and Schools
Competency Areas: EE - Required Alternate; EAO, CB, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective
Priority to second year ES Environmental Education students.

This course will explore the conceptual principles and practical application of sustainability on school campuses. Students will develop a strategic process for assessing the level of sustainability on a campus and identify the institutional and programmatic opportunities for addressing problems, planning for change and educating with sustainability in mind. The integration of sustainability principles into a school campus means that what is studied is the school itself: the school's impact on the environment and its institutional example of environmental awareness and conservation. Students will gain skills in assessment and design, addressing a particular issue of sustainable practice by looking at the Food in Schools and strategic planning for change.

Rising rates of childhood obesity, research that links nutrition and learning, as well as growing support for reshaping school lunch programs with local food and connections to small community-based farms have given rise to a national movement called “Farm to School.” Participants in this course will explore this movement and its impact on schools, including implementation of school gardens and related curricula, and methods for increasing access to and consumption of local food in school cafeterias.

Section A: Hilary Harris and Kate Adamick
(Food Systems Solutions, LLC)
Time: Fridays, 4:30 - 7:30 pm
Meeting dates changed 12/22/06 to: Time: Fridays, 4:30 - 7:30 pm (no class on February 23) and
Saturday & Sunday, February 24 & 25, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Changed 01/10/07 to: Times: Fridays, January 19 - May 4, 4:30 Ð 6:30 pm, and Saturday & Sunday, February 24 & 25, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
(no classes February 23, March 16 & 23)
Maximum: 16
(1 seat reserved for Science Education student)
Credits: 2

ESE 546
Environmental Education Methods: Teaching Environmental Studies in Outdoor and Residential Settings
COURSE CANCELLED 12/22/06
Competency Areas: EE - Required Alternate; EAO, CB, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective
Priority to second year ES Environmental Education students.

This course will study the effectiveness of residentially based environmental education and outdoor settings for teaching environmental education. This course will focus on the Sargent Center in Hancock, NH and the AMC's Youth Opportunities Program (urban focus). These organizations offers a range of progressive residential programming opportunities which include diverse venues for outdoor ecologically-oriented research and experiential education programming aligned with classroom study. We will examine how they have devised a programmatic infrastructure to address the challenges and opportunities of residential environmental education. We will also explore their delivery model, the organization and management of residential facilities, and the explicit and hidden educational elements of 24-hour programming. While the course discussion topics will focus on residential environmental education, we will also focus on other aspects of environmental education, field biology/ecology, conservation, place-based instruction, multi-cultural and urban interfaces.

Section A: Larry Chambers
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Location: First session - Antioch campus; following sessions - Sargent Center, Hancock, NH
Maximum: 12
(1 seat reserved for Science Education student)
Credits: 2

ESE 532
Environmental Education Methods: Teaching Teachers Skills in Environmental Education
Competency Areas: EE - Required Alternate; EAO, CB, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective
Priority to second year ES Environmental Education Students.

In this course you will learn how to enable classroom teachers to integrate environmental education into their curricula. You will develop skills and methods in creating and facilitating programs for teachers who want to incorporate environmental themes in their teaching. We will explore how to work with teachers, interface with school culture, support place-based learning, and how we, as environmental educators, can offer effective programs that meet teachers' professional development needs. With attention to agenda-setting (content, pacing, and timing), materials development, curriculum standards and assessment, participants will gain experience in planning programs from individual consultations to “half-day in-service” workshops to multi-day residential teacher training institutes. While the Connecticut River Watershed will be a unifying thematic focus for our work, knowledge and skills acquired in this course can be applied to any area of environmental education.

Section A: Sue Gentile Ward
Time: Thursdays, January 18 - April 5 (classes will not be held March 1, 15 & 22),
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
(1 seat reserved for Science Education student)
Credits: 2

CLASS ADDED 11/30/06
ESS 581
Environmental Health
Competency Areas: Biosphere Science II
Priority to first year ES students

This course will examine the relationship between human health and the environment with a focus on studying the impacts of industrial pollution on air, water, and soil. The field of environmental health is an extremely broad discipline that crosses the boundaries of science, public health, regulatory policy, medicine, and environmental justice. Our interdisciplinary focus on pollution impacts will require learning the basic principles of toxicology, exposure assessment, environmental chemistry, and risk analysis in order to understand how these principles are used in regulatory decision-making. (Note: No prior experience in these areas is expected or necessary to take this course). The course will address the Biospheric Science competency areas of atmospheric, hydrological, and geological processes as they relate to the fate and transport of industrial pollution. Scientific uncertainty is explored as nexus of controversy, and contemporary case studies will tie together these concepts to help us critically examine the challenges facing environmental health policy-makers and practitioners.

Section A: Nora Velazquez
Times: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESP 567
Environmental Justice in the Mississippi Delta
Competency Areas: Civic Ecology II or Elective

Please Note: Attendance at ALL pre-trip meetings is mandatory. Enrolled students who fail to drop the course at least 1 week before the first pre-trip meeting or who fail to attend the first pre-trip meeting will be held financially responsible for the cost of the trip and will forfeit their seat in the class. Students on the waitlist Must attend the first class if they wish to be admitted into the course. (Limited scholarship money is available to support students attending field study trips. If you are interested in applying for scholarship assistance, please see the ES department for eligibility guidelines.)

This field studies course will address the general history and politics of the environmental justice movement in the United States, but focus particular attention on environmental justice issues (and the activist movement response) in “Cancer Alley,” the nearly 100-mile stretch along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. This area of Louisiana is home to the largest concentration of petrochemical plants in the world and faces a number of environmental and public health challenges, including a disproportionate pollution impact on poor people of color in the area. Besides pre- and post-trip meetings, this class will spend 12 days along the lower Mississippi meeting and talking with community activists, labor organizers, journalists, legislators, public health officials, chemical plant engineers, public relations officers, as well as biologists and ecologists. We'll visit Baton Rouge and New Orleans as well as a variety of natural areas and smaller communities along the river that are impacted by the chemical plants. The will class will also include a final group presentation to ES students and faculty on the environmental justice movement in Louisiana. Cost - approximately $1000.

Section A: Steve Chase
Time: (Pre-trip meetings) Wednesdays,
February 7 & 21, 7:00 - 9:00 pm,
Changed 03/19/07 to:
Time: Pre-trip meetings 2/7 & 2/28/07, 7:00 - 9:00 pm,
(Study trip) Monday - Friday, March 12 - 23
(Post-trip meeting) Wednesdays, April 11 & 25,
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Maximum: 12
Credits: 3

ESP 551A
Environmental Law
Competency Areas: Civic Ecology II
First Priority to first year RMC students; second priority to any first year ES student.

This course will survey some critical federal environmental statutes in the United States and highlight important case law decided under those statutes. While an in-depth treatment of environmental law is not possible in a course of this length, we will examine the historical context of the major environmental statutes and regulations as well as their impact on land, air, water, and natural resources. We will explore how law and regulations are passed, and how the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of government and the regulatory agencies function.

The course objectives include becoming familiar with a new vocabulary and learning how to read a legal opinion. We will begin to understand what a lawyer does and how to think like a lawyer. This course will test our abilities to spot legal issues and deliver reasoned and reasonable arguments on opposing sides of an issue.

Section A: Rebecca Todd
Time: Thursdays, 9:00 - 11:30 am
Maximum: 18
Credits: 3

ESS 576
Evolutionary Ecology
Competency Area: Biosphere Science II
Priority to first year ES students.

Starting with the 18th century, we will examine the development of evolutionary theory in Western science culminating in debates currently unfolding in the scientific community. Along the way we will study the mechanisms that drive speciation, review our current understanding of the history of life on Earth, and examine a number of topics including: punctuated equilibria versus gradualism, sexual versus asexual reproduction, natural selection versus symbiogenesis, sexual selection, kin selection, group selection, r and k selection, coevolution and niche structuring, and the implications of genetic technology on the future path of the evolution of life on Earth. The course will involve lecture/discussion, field applications, and one half of the course will be run as a seminar where students will share roles as facilitators.

Sections A: TBA
Changed 11/30/06 to: Section A: Lenny Lord
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16 per section
(2 seats reserved for 2nd year ES students)
Credits: 3

ESF 512
Field Mammalogy
CLASS CANCELLED 11/30/06
Competency Areas: Natural Communities II Ð elective; CB Ð Required alternate to Ornithology or New England Flora
First Priority Conservation Biology students .

Winter, with its snow, provides the best opportunity for field experiences in keeping track of local mammals and for field study of their behavior and ecology. The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the mammals of the region. Topics covered will include: scatology and the study of tracks and their value for ecological studies and school environmental education; the autecology of large rodents, including field trips to active dens and lodges; the autecology of the cervids, including a field trip to a winter deer yarding area; autecology of mustelids, canids, and felids the larger mammals most sensitive to human actions; also issues in game and fur-bearer management.

Section A: Meade Cadot
Time: Fridays, 1:15 - 4:15 pm
Location: Harris Center
Maximum: 16
(1 seat reserved for Science Education student)
Credits: 3

ESAF 500
Financial Administration
Competency Areas: RMA/RMC - Required; EAO, CB, EE, Cert & IND - Elective
Required of and Priority to RMA/RMC students.

This course is designed for students with little or no financial background and will introduce them to the basic concepts, terms, and processes of budgeting systems for nonprofit agencies. The course will include numerous case studies, computer work and an introduction to accounting procedures.

Section A: Jim Gruber
Time: Fridays, 8:30 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESE 536
Foundations of Science and Environmental Education
Competency Areas: Cert - Required; EAO, CB, EE, IND & RMA - Elective
Required of and Priority to ES Teacher Certification students.

The objectives of this course are to explore a range of historical and contemporary methodologies of science and environmental education, to consider the relationship between the social context of science and environmental studies and how they are taught in the classroom, and to examine science as an evolving knowledge system. With emphasis on philosophy and theory as well as practice, we will consider questions regarding the nature of science and environmental education and how we distinguish between them. You will reflect on your own personal experiences as a learner as you study trends of the past 150 years and ponder how these trends will apply to your practice as an educator.

Section A: Sue Gentile Ward
Time: Fridays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm and Saturday, April 21, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
(Classes will not be held on January 26, March 2 & 9)
Changed 03/19/07 to:
Times: Fridays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm and Saturday, April 7, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Harris Center
Maximum: 16
(1 seat reserved for Science Education student)
Credits: 3

ES 510
Geographic Information System (GIS): An Integrating Technology
Competency Areas: RMA/RMC - Required Alternate to Proposal Writing; EAO, EE, IND & Cert - Elective
Priority to first year RMC students.

This is an introductory course in the use of GIS software to create, manage and work with spatially explicit data. This class will explore how to access GIS information available on the WWW, extract and analyze quantitative data using ArcGIS 9.x software, understand limitations associated with various data sources and use software for preparation of maps.

Section A: Fash Farashahi
Time: Section A: Thursdays, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Maximum: 12
Credits: 3

ESS 537
Geomorphology
CLASS CANCELLED 11/30/06
Competency Area: Biosphere Science II
Priority to first year ES students.

Understanding the geological history of the environment and the processes that shape its landscapes is an essential component of resource conservation and management. This course provides a background for evaluating surficial and bedrock geology and practical experience in specific field and laboratory skills needed to understand the development of landforms and the environmental implications of processes that shape the landscape. Emphasis is placed on map interpretation and field identification of geomorphic features, especially as they occur in New England. A central focus relates landform characteristics and geomorphic processes to a variety of resource management issues.

Section A: TBA
Times: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESP 595
Land Use and Community Planning
Competency Areas: RMA/RMC - Addt'l Policy elective (Required Alternate); EAO, CB, EE, Cert, IND - Elective
First priority to second year RMA students; second priority to any second year ES student.

The objective of this course is to provide students with an overview of land use issues and community planning concepts and techniques. The course will introduce landscape ecology principles to build a foundation for sustainable land use planning at a broad scale. We will discuss ethical and legal implications for land use decision-making and develop analytic skills for determining appropriate uses given site specific conditions. The class will then focus on planning techniques at the community scale, covering topics such as master planning, zoning, and sub-division and site plan regulation.

Section A: Pete Throop
Changed 01/10/07 to: TBA
Time: Thursday, January 18, 4:30 - 7:00 pm, and
Saturdays & Sundays, February 3 & 4 , 24 & 25,
April 14 & 15 and Sunday, April 29,
Meeting dates changed 12/22/06 to: Time: Thursday, February 15, 4:30 - 7:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday, February 24 & 25, Sunday, April 1, Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15, and Sunday, April 29, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Changed 03/19/07 to: Time: Saturday & Sunday, February 24 & 25, 9 am - 4:30 pm,
Fridays, March 30 & April 13, 6:00 - 9:00 pm, Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15, and
Sunday, April 29, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESE 515
Learning Development & Theory
Competency Areas: EE - Required; Cert, EAO, CB, IND, & RMA - Elective
Required of and priority to first year EE students.

This course attempts to delve deeply into the nature of the thinking process. What is thinking? How does it develop? What is intelligence? Are learning and intelligence related? We will consider current research on the process of thinking and learning styles, comparing some opposing points of view on how learning occurs and discussing the presumed stages of cognitive development. This course will give a comprehensive understanding of the potential conceptual abilities of children and adults and a framework for understanding and structuring curricula.

Section A: Sue Gentile Ward
Time: Fridays, 8:00 - 11:00 am and Saturday, April 28, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm.
(Classes will not be held on January 26, March 2 & 9)
Maximum: 16
(1 seat per section reserved for Science Education student)
Credits: 3

ESP 531
Literature of the Land
Competency Area: Civic Ecology II
Priority to first year ES students.

In the last half of the 20th Century, nature writing emerged as a prominent literary genre that has made a significant contribution to the way we think, feel and act toward the environment. Texts will be selected from classic and contemporary nature writers. Discussions will focus on these works and their influence, and the unique way they address environmental issues - including wilderness and wildlife conservation, health and the environment, bioregionalism, environmental justice and activism. We will also use this literature as inspiration and model for our own writing process as a way to explore and articulate the experiences and issues most important for our ecological awareness and identity.

Section A: Fred Taylor & Rowland Russell
Time: Thursdays, 8:30 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 18
(4 seats reserved for any 2nd year ES students)
Credits: 3

ES 699C
Master's Thesis
Competency Areas: CB - Required; RMA - Required Alternate
Prerequisite: Master's Thesis Seminar and written permission from the thesis advisor attached to or on registration form.
It is recommended that students register for Master's Thesis in their 5th semester.

As a culmination of a student's work at Antioch, the Master's Thesis should reflect the student's particular focus of study and future professional interest. This effort should include a data collection component and the analysis and interpretation of that data framed within a theoretical context. The research can be quantitative, qualitative or literary in nature. All Environmental Studies students are required to have approval from their advisor prior to registering for the 3 credits allocated to the thesis work.

Section A: Jon Atwood
Section B: Peter Palmiotto
Section C: Rachel Thiet
Section D: Jim Jordan
Section E: Beth Kaplin
Section F: Michael Simpson
Section G: Tom Wessels
Section H: Tom Webler
Section I: Alesia Maltz
Section J: Steve Chase
Maximum: 6 per section
Credits: 3

ES 699D
Master's Thesis Continuation
Required for all students continuing a Master's Thesis for which they have previously registered.

Students must register for Master's Thesis Continuation every semester until the thesis has been completed and signed off by your Master's Thesis reader. Enrollment in Master's Thesis Continuation confers half-time status for Financial Aid and loan deferment purposes through May 11, 2007.

Section A: ES Faculty
Maximum: 20
Credits: uncredited

ES 505A
Master's Thesis Seminar
Required for all students doing a Master's Thesis.

This seminar introduces students to the thesis research process. Emphasis is placed upon selecting and shaping the research topic including library research skills, how to review relevant research and theory, developing hypotheses and research questions, developing appropriate methods and outlining anticipated results. Through lectures, discussions, written assignments, peer review, and informal presentations, students will develop their research topic, culminating with a research prospectus, which can serve as a working proposal. The thesis seminar provides the opportunity for students to share their knowledge in a selected topic of interest and provides the class the chance to discuss the greater ramifications, relevance, and complexity of a variety of environmental topics.

Section A: Peter Palmiotto
Section B: Rachel Thiet
Time: Thursdays, 4:30 - 6:30 pm,
January 18, January 25, February 15,
March 8, March 29, April 12, May 10, and
required attendance at the annual AUNE Student Research Symposium on
Saturday, March 31
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Maximum: 12 per section
Credits: 2

ESF 548
Natural and Human Landscapes of Alaska
Competency Areas: Natural communities II (Note: Students may discuss fulfilling the Biosphere Science competency area with the instructor)

Please Note: Attendance at ALL pre-trip meetings is mandatory. Enrolled students who fail to drop the course at least 1 week before the first pre-trip meeting or who fail to attend the first pre-trip meeting will be held financially responsible for the cost of the trip and will forfeit their seat in the class. Students on the waitlist are strongly encouraged to attend the first class. (Limited scholarship money is available to support students attending field study trips. If you are interested in applying for scholarship assistance, please see the ES department for eligibility guidelines.)

Perceptions of Alaska range from an unspoiled wilderness whose scale is unparalleled in North America, to a vast territory of natural resources that demand exploitation. Neither extreme encompasses the reality and neither acknowledges the region as homeland to an ancient and diverse array of indigenous cultures. This field study trip will focus on the physical, cultural, and ecological landscapes of Alaska in the context of conflicting notions of pristine environment and underutilized resource. The degree to which these ideals define the state and shape its future is aggressively contested in the political, economic, and social arenas, while evidence of past and present global environmental change is ubiquitous and profound. The immensity, austere beauty, and living natural history of Alaska provide the backdrop for our investigation of America's “last frontier.” Cost: approximately $2500 for air and ground travel, food, lodging, and camping fees.

Section A: Jim Jordan and Rachel Thiet
Time: Pre-trip meetings: Thursdays, February 1, March 1 & April 19, 7:00 - 9:00 pm, and
Monday - Sunday, May 12 - May 31 (Study trip)
Maximum: 18
Location: Keene (Pre-trip meetings) and Alaska
Credits: 3

ES 522
Natural Resource Inventory: Vegetation
Competency Areas: CB - Required Alternate to NRI: Wildlife; EAO, EE, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective
First Priority to first year Conservation Biology students; second priority second year CB & RMA students.

This course will use the spring semester to focus on methods used to inventory and describe natural vegetated communities (wildlife in the Summer or Fall). An NRI on a particular tract of land begins the process of data acquisition that eventually will be used in management decisions and to set conservation priorities. Students will review the basics of developing an NRI proposal, base mapping, and map & compass use, and then conduct field sampling of woody plants. We will emphasize a “whole systems' approach for assessing natural resources to counteract the historical emphasis on single resource approaches. We will take a preliminary look at those elements that comprise a well-rounded inventory and approach it from an ecological perspective. Lecture and field time will be combined to provide an in depth review of both plot and plotless (point) methods of analysis. Assessments will be derived from quantitative data in order to provide realistic guidance for natural resource management on private and public lands. *Functional knowledge of Excel software is required.

Section A: Peter Palmiotto
Time: Thursdays, 8:00 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 16
(2 seats reserved for any 2nd year ES students)
Credits: 3

ESS 562
Natural Resource Inventory: Wildlife
Competency Areas: CB - Required Alternate to NRI Vegetation; EA, EE, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective
First Priority to first year Conservation Biology students; second priority second year CB & RMA

What are the techniques we use to assess wildlife? What are the components of a well-rounded inventory? This newly designed spring section of the NRI course will use winter snow and spring melt conditions to investigate the methods of detecting fur-bearers, amphibians, and birds (vegetation and soils in the fall). We will review the basics of developing investigation plans, base mapping, and map & compass use, and then begin our field sampling of wildlife sign, calls, and sightings. Lecture and field time will be combined to provide an in-depth review of line intercept, transect and point count methods. Assessments will be derived from quantitative data in order to provide guidance for management purposes.

Section A: TBA
Changed 11/30/06 to: Section A: Jeff Littleton
Time: Thursdays, 8:00 - 11:00 am
Changed 11/30/06 to: Time: Time: Thursdays, February 1 - April 26, 8:00 - 11:00 am and
Saturdays, February 17 and April 28, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Maximum: 16
(2 seats reserved for any 2nd year ES students)
Credits: 3

ESF 514
New England Flora
Competency Areas: Natural Communities II - elective; CB - Required alternate to Ornithology or Field Mammalogy.
First Priority Conservation Biology students.

The flora of New England is one of the best studied and well known in the world. Over 4000 species of plants can be found in this region. Because of the unique topographic, edaphic and successional diversity of central New England, the greatest collection of species in the northeast can be found within a 50 mile radius of the shared borders of VT, NH, and MA. This course focuses on the identification and taxonomy of woody and herbaceous vascular plants of central New England through the examination of the plants' anatomical and physiological characteristics. The course will begin with the study of evergreen woody plants, followed by deciduous woody plants (both winter and summer characteristics), and ending with spring wildflowers. Lectures and local field excursions will be used to convey information. Students will utilize plant characteristics (e.g., twig, bud, bark, leaf, and flower characteristics) in conjunction with taxonomic keys to assist with identification of the flora.

Section A: Peter Palmiotto
Time: Fridays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
(1 seat reserved for Science Education student) Credits: 3

ESF 515
Ornithology
Competency Area: Natural Communities II - elective; CB - Required alternate to New England Flora or Field Mammalogy.
First Priority Conservation Biology students.

This course provides an overview of avian evolution, taxonomy, anatomy, behavior and conservation. In addition to occasional local field trips during the regular class time, there will be 1 - 2 all-day weekend trips to be scheduled during the first class meeting. Selections from the PBS series, “The Life of Birds” will supplement in-class lecture material.

Section A: Jon Atwood
Time: Fridays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ES 693
Practicum, General
Practicum Seminar
Competency Areas: EAO, CB, EE, IND, Cert & RMA - Required
A total of 8 General Practicum credits are required for Environmental Advocacy & Organizing, Conservation Biology, Environmental Education, Resource Management and Administration/Resource Management and Conservation and those pursuing Individualized Programs. A total of 2 General Practicum credits are required for Teacher Certification majors in addition to 6 credits of Student Teaching. It is strongly recommended that students not register for Practicum until after completing their second semester in the program.

The Practicum provides students with an opportunity to apply, in an organizational setting, what they are learning and to develop professional contacts within their fields of interest. While students are responsible for locating practica, faculty is available to provide support and information as needed. All students are required to attend a scheduled Practicum Orientation during their first semester.

The Practicum Seminar provides a setting in which students can discuss specific issues and concerns, and a format for presenting their accomplished projects. Students will meet privately with the instructor one time during the semester.
Section A: Kay Delanoy
Section B: Sarah Bockus
Section C: Melissa Diven
Section D: Sue Weller
Section E: Duncan Watson
Section F: Steve Chase
(Section F is restricted to Environmental Advocacy students only)
Time: Seminars meet: Sections A, B & C: Thursdays,
February 2 and April 20 & 27, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Meeting dates changed 12/22/06 to: Sec A - C: Thursdays, February 8, April 26 & May 3
Sections D, E & F: Fridays, February 3 and
April 21 & 28, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Changed 11/30/06 to: Sections A - C: Thursdays, February 1, April 19 & 26, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Sections D - F: Fridays, February 2, April 20 & 27, 11:15 am - 12:45 pm
Changed 11/30/06 to: Sections D - F: Fridays, February 9, April 27 & May 4
Maximum: 15 per section
Credits: variable (Practicum Seminar credited as part of Practicum)

ES 694
Practicum, Teaching
Practicum Seminar for Biology & General Science Certification Students
Competency Areas: Cert - Required
Six credits of Student Teaching Practicum are required for certification students. A total of 8 Practicum credits are required for the MS degree.

The Student Teaching Practicum provides an in-classroom opportunity for applying learned skills in teaching either biology or general science. The seminar will cover the various issues that concern the teacher including classroom management; teaching style and presentation; discipline; relationships with supervisors, principals, and parents; and dealing with specific classroom challenges. Students will be expected to discuss their experiences in the classroom.

Section A: Jimmy Karlan
Time: TBA Thursdays, 4:00 - 6:30 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 6
(Practicum Seminar credited as part of Practicum)

ESS 578
Principles of Sustainability in Complex Systems
Competency Areas: Biosphere Science II

This course will focus on foundational scientific laws that govern sustainability in all complex systems. The course will start by contrasting linear and complex system science. Specific laws to be examined will include the law of limits to growth, the second law of thermodynamics, and the law of self-organization. Biological, ecological, geological, and meteorological systems will be examined to show the workings of these laws at various spatial and temporal scales. The laws will then be applied to an examination of socioeconomic, political, and municipal systems.

Sections A & B: Tom Wessels
Section A: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
(Priority to first year students;
2 seats reserved for 2nd year ES students)
Section B: Fridays, 8:00 - 11:00 am
(Priority to second year students;
2 seats reserved for 1st year ES students)
Maximum: 18 per section
Credits: 3

ESACO 503
Proposal Writing and the Grants Process
Competency Areas: RMA/RMC - Required Alternate for GIS; CB, EE, EAO, IND & Cert - Elective
Priority to second year RMA students who did not take GIS.

This course will focus on gaining competency in the three phases of the grants process: planning, research, and writing. Students will research and explore public and private funding sources appropriate for human services and environmental organizations. The criteria for selecting potential funding sources, the basic elements of a proposal, and developing successful collaborative efforts will be emphasized. Students will interactively engage in each phase of the process and will demonstrate their learning through submission of a proposal abstract and evidence of research in the public and private sectors.

Section A: Don Woodhouse
Time: Fridays, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Maximum: 16
(4 seats reserved for 1st year RMC students)
Credits: 2

CLASS ADDED 11/30/06
ES 724
Reading Seminar V - Advanced Topics in Human Dimensions Science
Competency Area: Foundations
Restricted to Ph.D. students. Open to second year ES Masters students by written permission of instructor attached to or on registration form.

This reading seminar is intended for students who wish to focus on investigating a specific area of human dimensions science. Students should be familiar with basic notions of human dimension sciences that are covered in ESP532 and have a topic area of interest to explore more deeply. Each student will work with the instructor to develop learning objectives, a reading list, seminar topics, and written paper assignments. Inquiries based on all the social sciences are welcome. Areas of application are also open to any topic of relevance in environmental studies. This is a seminar-based course, participation will require leading discussions as well as participating actively in all activities.

Section A: Tom Webler
Times: Specific times and dates to be determined
Maximum: 15
Credits: 3

ES 695
Research Practicum
Competency Area: CB, RMA/RMC, and IND - Practicum option
Restricted to CB, RMA/RMC, and IND students doing a masters thesis and who are doing thesis research as their practicum.
Students may register for 2 or 4 credits which will count toward the total of 8 Practicum credits.
Students must have written permission from thesis advisor attached to or on registration form to sign up for this practicum.
Note: There is no formal seminar for this practicum, however the student is expected to meet regularly with their thesis advisor.

Section A: Jon Atwood
Section B: Rachel Thiet
Section C: Peter Palmiotto
Section D: Tom Wessels
Section E: Michael Simpson
Section F: Joy Ackerman
Section G: Meade Cadot
Maximum: 5 per section
Credits: variable

EDP 598
School Law
Competency Area: ES Cert - Required
Required of and Priority to Teacher Certification students.

This is a seminar designed to provide knowledge about school law and the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, age or handicapping condition. Through lecture, case discussion, and debate, students will be able to understand the theoretical underpinnings of egalitarian social reform, the differences between public policy, and the principal components and content of relevant policy documents as well as the benefits and limitations of policy in this area.
Text: Edmund Reutter, Jr., The Supreme Court's Impact on Public Education

Sections A - C: Rebecca Todd
Time: Section A: Saturdays, March 3 & 17,
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Time: Section B: Sundays, March 4 & 18,
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Time: Section C: Saturdays, April 14 & 28,
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 20 per section
(6 seats per section reserved for ES students)
Credits: 1

ES 690
SIS: Supervised Independent Study

If you are planning an independent study, please register for an SIS on your registration form; however, an SIS contract must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by April 20, 2007, in order for it to appear on your schedule or transcript. Please be sure to specify on the contract if the SIS will be used to fulfill a competency area or serve as a required course substitute, or as an elective. Contracts received after the April 20th deadline will be returned to you for registration in a subsequent semester (additional costs may apply). Credits will not appear on your schedule until the SIS contract(s) has been submitted to the Registrar's Office, thus affecting your enrollment status and perhaps your financial aid eligibility.

Credits: variable

ES 690U
SIS: Special Project
Competency Areas: RMA - Required for students not doing a Masters Thesis; EAO, EE, IND & Cert - Optional, Elective

The Special Project will be conducted as a supervised independent study. As a culmination of a student's work at Antioch, the Special Project is comparable to a master's thesis in scope, but differs in that it is not focused on research design. The Special Project follows standardized approaches used in a student's chosen field such as a solid waste plan, a curriculum development plan, or a marketing plan. The Special Project's content and format must be approved by both the student's advisor and program chair, but may be supervised by a qualified person external to the department.

Please register for this SIS on your registration form; however, an SIS contract must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by April 20, 2007, in order for it to appear on your schedule or transcript. Contracts received after the April 20th deadline will be returned to you for registration in a subsequent semester (additional costs may apply). Credits will not appear on your schedule until the SIS contract(s) has been submitted to the Registrar's Office, thus affecting your enrollment status and perhaps your financial aid eligibility.

Note: RMA Students are required to complete either a Special Project or a Master's Thesis.

Section A: Michael Simpson
Maximum: 15
Credits: 3

ESP 605
Social Aspects of Conservation and Development: A Critical Approach
Competency Areas: Civic Ecology II
Priority to first year ES students.

This course examines international conservation and development from a critical social science perspective that questions prevailing assumptions and institutions and foregrounds power, politics, and social justice. We will focus on understanding 1) the relations and interactions between social groups at various scales (e.g., households, communities, NGOs, the state), and 2) the concepts and discourses that shape our understandings of these dynamics, as well as of specific “problems” and “solutions.” The course is thus simultaneously empirical and reflective, a combination that is necessary if we are to grasp the wider implications of our own professional interventions. We will read works in history, anthropology, and sociology, as well as political ecology, an interdisciplinary approach that considers local systems in their larger, political-economic, historical, and global contexts. We will consider empirical cases in a range of ecological and social settings (e.g., forested, agricultural, and urban; domestic and international) to build a grounded, fine-grained understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental problems and related issues of social justice.

Section A: Dan Smith
Time: Thursdays, 8:30 - 11:00 am
Maximum: 16
(4 seats reserved for any 2nd year ES student)
Credits: 3

ESS 573
Soil Ecology
Competency Area: Biosphere Studies II
Priority to 1st year ES students.

“The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself.” - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The field of soil ecology has grown tremendously over the past 20 years as researchers, farmers, and conservation activists become aware of the important roles that soil biological properties play in plant community structure, ecosystem functioning, and economic stability. Conservationists, land managers, and farmers continue to explore management techniques that incorporate soil “health” into conservation initiatives and farm plans. What is healthy soil? How do soil organisms influence soil fertility and plant distribution? How does human activity influence the ability of soil organisms to function optimally? The first part of this course will focus on soil physical processes such as soil formation and development. We will then turn the bulk of our attention to soil biological properties and processes. Topics we will cover in depth include: soil microbial community structure and functioning; soil food webs; the impact of land management on soil organisms; the role of soil organisms in ecosystem functioning; organic matter turnover and nutrient cycling; interactions between soil biota and vascular plants; soil communities under conventional and sustainable agriculture, and; the effects of climate change and human activity on the structure and functioning of soil communities on a global scale. This course will combine lectures, discussions, field trips, and a self-guided laboratory or field experiment, and emphasis will be on both natural and agricultural ecosystems.

Section A: Rachel Thiet
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

ESS 580
Watershed Assessment Techniques
Competency Areas: RMA/RMC - Addt'l science electives (Required alternate); EAO, CB, EE, Cert & IND - Elective
First Priority to second year RMA students; second priority to any ES student.

This course will combine an overview of regulatory and non-regulatory efforts to manage watersheds with recent research on watershed degradation and subsequent strategies to mitigate such impact. Topics will touch upon non-point pollution, storm water runoff, well protection and comparative evaluation of wetland values as it pertains to water quality. Students will be expected to develop spreadsheet based models to calculate precipitation run-off, soil loss and phosphorus loading for a micro-watershed. Such modeling will be utilized in conjunction with projecting impacts associated with a build-out analysis of a micro-watershed within Keene.

Section A: Michael Simpson
Time: Fridays, January 19, February 2 & 16,
March 2 & 9, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm and
Saturday & Sunday, March 3 & 4, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 2

ESS 574
Watershed Science
Competency Area: Biosphere Science II
Priority to first year ES students.

The focus of this course is on hydrology at the watershed scale. An introduction to the hydrologic cycle will focus on the interaction of the landscape with hydrologic processes. The basic skills and concepts introduced in the first part of the course will be developed and expanded through applications for predicting and assessing the impact of human activity on hydrologic systems. Students will expand their skills in map measurement, quantitative assessment and modeling, and field measurement in the context of common planning applications. The course will center on the study of natural stream systems, and will include an introduction to groundwater occurrence and movement. It aims to provide a foundation for coursework in water quality, wetland hydrology, freshwater ecology and land use planning; for field and science based practicum work with watershed and land conservation organizations; and for curriculum development in science/math teaching.

Section A: Joy Ackerman
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 16
Credits: 3

SF 541A
Wetlands Ecology
Competency Area: Natural Communities II
First Priority to second year RMA & CB students.

This course will provide an overview of the wetlands communities within the New England region. The Fish and Wildlife Service's wetlands classification scheme (Cowardin, et. al.) will be the foundation for this review. Students will have an opportunity not only to learn about typical wetland types in New England, but also gain an understanding of the underlying abiotic factors that influences the observed biotic community structure. In addition, students will be introduced to the wetlands evaluation procedures developed to assess the functional values of wetlands in the context of the greater watershed.

This course meets the Wetlands RMA requirement and will be one of the required pre-requisites for other advanced wetland courses, such as Wetlands Delineation and Wetlands Mitigation & Restoration.

Section A: Michael Simpson
Times: Fridays, April 6 - May 11,
1:00 - 4:00 pm, and
Saturday, April 7 and
Sunday, May 6, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Changed 11/30/06 to: Time: Fridays, March 30 - April 13 and April 27 - May 11, 1:00 - 4:00 pm and
Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, May 6, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
(both days in the field)
Changed 03/3019/07 to: Times: March 30 - April 13 and April 27 - May 11, and
Sundays, April 1 and May 6, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Maximum: 14
Credits: 3

ESCE 629
Writing for the Real World
Competency Areas: EE - Required Alternate for EE Methods; EAO, CB, Cert, IND & RMA - Elective

Based on the principles of clear, concise writing, this course gives students simple guidelines and instructions to make their writing irresistible to readers. With basic journalism at its core, the course is designed to help students write non-fiction with readers in mind. It will cover interviewing, writing feature stories, news, press releases and essays for magazines, broadcast, newspapers and other publications.

Techniques and processes for approaching publishers will also be presented with guest lectures from editors and published writers. Students will also learn how professionals handle writing on deadline, discipline, self-editing and revision. Students will explore and practice reaching specific and broad audiences with writing that is crisp, lively, and ready for publication. The course also helps students write compelling academic papers.

Section A: Paul Hertneky
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum: 14
Credits: 3

Department of Environmental Studies - Doctoral Program (Ph.D) Courses

ES 775
Candidacy Continuation
Competency Area: Dissertation Process
Restricted to students who have completed three years of the program, but have not completed their Service Project, Integrated Essay and/or Dissertation Proposal.

The Candidacy Continuation semester is designed for students who need additional time to complete their doctoral candidacy projects. Students retain full access to faculty and all student resources at Antioch. During this semester they continue to work independently with their advisor and the rest of the faculty as needed to complete their service project, integrated essay and/or doctoral dissertation proposal. Students may schedule their Dissertation Proposal Review meeting during this candidacy continuation semester.

Registration in Candidacy Continuation carries half-time status for loan deferment and Financial Aid purposes.

Section A: Joy Ackerman
Maximum: 5
Credits: 0

ES 774
Dissertation Proposal
Competency Area: Integrated Projects
Required of and Restricted to Ph.D. III students.

This seminar allows students to devote themselves to developing and refining the research questions that are the foundation of a dissertation, and to exploring, analyzing and critiquing methods specific to their research interests with the purpose of selecting the methods they will employ. Upon completion of this seminar students should have completed or be very close to completing a draft research proposal, which sets forth the nature of their dissertation inquiry and a detailed account of the methods to be used. Since the proposal also contains material supporting the relevance of the dissertation topic and the appropriateness of the chosen methods, the seminar will also focus on the organization of literature surveys and the identification of key references that serve as models for the specific dissertation work.

Section A: Rob Baldwin
Time: Fridays, 1:00 - 7:00 pm, and
Saturdays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm,
February 2 & 3 and March 30 & 31
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Maximum: 15
Credits: 4

ES 776
Dissertation Seminar
Competency Area: Dissertation Process
Restricted to Ph.D. IV students
Prerequisites: Completion of Integrated Essay, Service Project and Dissertation Proposal or written permission of instructor attached to or on registration form.

This year-long seminar is designed to provide support and consultation for students in the process of formulating and carrying out their doctoral dissertation research. Topics to be addressed during the year include: ongoing evaluation and assessment of research methods, research ethics, dilemmas of working in the field, analysis, writing the dissertation, making formal presentations, dissemination of research results, and transformations you experience in your growth as a scholar. Students along with the instructors are intended to serve as a peer community, providing support, advice, and critique. Each semester, students will make a formal presentation to the class documenting the current state of their research and bringing to the class the expertise they have developed. Additional faculty may be brought in as needed to provide input in special topic areas.

Section A: Alesia Maltz
Changed 11/30/06 to: Section A: Dan Smith
Time: Saturday, 2:00 - 8:00 pm and
Sunday, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm,
February 3 and March 31
Changed 11/30/06 to: February 3 and April 1
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Changed 03/28/07 to: Time: also Saturday, March 31, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm and Sunday, April 1, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Maximum: 15
Credits: 4

ES 899
Doctoral Dissertation
Competency Area: Dissertation Process
Restricted to Ph.D. IV students.

Students who are actively engaged in writing the doctoral dissertation are required to register for these credits. You cannot register for this class unless your dissertation proposal has been approved by your committee.

Section A: Doctoral Faculty
Maximum: 15
Credits: 4

ES 899C
Doctoral Dissertation Continuation
Competency Area: Dissertation Process
Restricted to Ph.D.V students who have registered for two semesters of ES 899 Doctoral Dissertation and three semesters of ES 776 Dissertation Seminar and have not completed the dissertation. Students must continue to register until dissertation is accepted and deposited.

Section A: Doctoral Faculty
Maximum: 15
Credits: uncredited

ES 703
Global Environmental Change
Competency Area: Foundation
Required of and Restricted to Ph.D. I students.

This course focuses on the natural and anthropogenic transformations of earth's environment, transformations whose underlying processes occur across a multiplicity of space and time scales and whose non-linear interrelationships complicate prediction. Global environmental change has conditioned the earth for life, but human economic and population growth have dramatically accelerated environmental change during the past two centuries. We will examine long-term records of environmental change and the array of approaches and methods employed to understand evolution and behavior of the earth system, in order to contextualize historic and recent trends. Assessment of global change models and scenarios will provide information critical for evaluating the magnitude and significance of human forcing of change, ecosystem and societal vulnerability, and approaches to sustainability.

Section A: Jim Jordan
Time: Saturdays, 2:00 - 8:00 pm, and
Sundays, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm,
February 3 & 4, March 3 & 4,
March 31 & April 1 and April 28 & 29
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Maximum: 15
Credits: 4

ES 771
Integrated Essay
Competency Area: Integrated Projects
Restricted to Ph.D. III students.

The Integrated Essay is the culmination of the learning domain. It is an opportunity for students to organize, interpret, and amplify their core scholarly interests. The essay represents the ability to synthesize and conceptualize knowledge, to contribute new ideas to an emerging field of study, to express the theoretical and practical significance of these ideas, and to consider their consequences for scholarship, research, and/or professional practice. The purpose of the Integrated Essay is to cultivate those insights, by exploring them in depth, tracing their formulation, development, and application.

Note: The Integrated Essay does not meet as a course. The project is discussed in the Theory and Practice Seminar. The student receives credit upon satisfactory completion of the integrated essay. Like the Service Project course, students should sign up for this course in the term they will do the bulk of the IE writing.

Section A: Alesia Maltz
Section B: Joy Ackerman
Section C: Heidi Watts
Section D: Tom Webler
Section E: Beth Kaplin
Section F: Mitch Thomashow
Section G: Jon Atwood
Maximum: 5 per section
Credits: 4

ES 729
Learning Domain Seminar II
Competency Area: Research Strategies and Learning Domains
Required of and Restricted to Ph.D. II students.

The purpose of this seminar is to provide an opportunity for students to engage their learning domain in the larger academic discourse and to delve into aspects of their learning domain that have not been addressed in reading circles, courses or independent studies. Students will concentrate on developing critical reading and writing skills, and will create a piece of writing for publication.

Section A: Alesia Maltz
Changed 11/30/06 to: Section A: Fred Taylor
Times: Fridays, 1:00 - 7:00 pm, and
Saturdays, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm,
February 2 & 3, March 2 & 3 and April 27 & 28
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Maximum: 15
Credits: 3

ES 705
Political Economy of Environmental Issues
Competency Area: Foundation
Required of and Restricted to Ph.D. I students.

Participants in this course study the social and political tensions underlying environmental issues. We do this by examining political theories of democracy, the history and development of economic thought, the exercise of power in diverse political circumstances, the role of corporations in democracy and capitalism today, and the practice and meaning of environmental citizenship. Discussions will center around the political discourse on sustainability, ideas of the common good, individual choice, fairness, social responsibility, and equity. Essentially, the purpose of this course is to familiarize you with the concepts, theories, evidence, and controversies associated with the political, social, and economic dimensions of environmental policy making.

Section A: Tom Webler
Times: Fridays, 1:00 - 7:00 pm, and
Saturdays, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm,
February 2 & 3, March 2 & 3,
March 30 & 31 and April 27 & 28
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Maximum: 15
Credits: 4

ES 722
Reading Seminar III
Topic: Functional Consequences of Biodiversity
Competency Area: Foundation
Restricted to Ph.D. students. Open to second year ES Masters students by written permission of instructor attached to or on registration form.

Ecosystems perform many functions for humans, as well as for maintaining ecosystems themselves. One of the trickiest questions in conservation biology is what function does diversity itself perform. There is surprisingly little information from empirical studies to support this, although it does seem intuitively obvious. One reason to pursue these interesting questions is to provide support for the field of conservation biology. Typically, conservation of biological diversity proceeds from an ethical, legal or other values-based standpoint. It is much more likely that policy makers will pay attention if global functions may be impaired by species loss. In this course we will explore the theoretical basis for functional consequences of biodiversity, the emerging science, and discuss the potential social implications of the loss of such services.

Section A: Rob Baldwin
Times: Specific times and
dates TBD by instructor and group
February 2, 3 & 4 and March 2, 3 & 4
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Maximum: 15
Credits: 3

ES 723
Reading Seminar IV
Topic: Social and Political Ecology
Competency Area: Foundation
Restricted to Ph.D. students. Open to second year ES Masters students by written permission of instructor attached to or on registration form.

This course will examine key works from environmental history, anthropology and sociology, and especially political ecology an interdisciplinary approach that considers local systems in their larger, political-economic, historical, and global contexts. The course is aimed primarily at doctoral students but is open to masters students with previous coursework in social science with permission of the instructor. We will consider theories, methods, and current research cases related to institutions, power, discourse, and social change to understand how long-term and large-scale social forces shape and constrain local environmental problems and activism, as well as how targeted research and activism can influence those larger forces. We will focus both on learning how to conduct and interpret research in political ecology and on contextualizing more traditional approaches (e.g., social psychology and cognitive models, behavior change, community research) and understanding their strengths and limitations. There will be room to explore specific topics and issues of interest to students, to be negotiated at the start of the semester

Section A: Dan Smith
Times: Specific times and
dates TBD by instructor and group
February 2 & 3, March 2 & 3 and April 27 & 28
(Additional contact hours will be met by specific coursework designed to be completed on-line.)
Maximum: 15
Credits: 3

ES 752
Service Project
Competency Area: Integrated Projects
Required of and Restricted to Ph.D. III students.

The Service Project is an opportunity to cooperate with a specific institutional, organizational, or community group addressing concerns of relevance to the student's academic work. This provides a public context for one's scholarly interests, both providing expertise to a project, and allowing the student to learn from the experience of the community, building broad coalitions for environmental work, and using the doctoral learning process as a service for diverse constituencies.

Note: The Service Project does not meet as a course. The project is discussed in the Theory and Practice Seminar. The student receives credit upon satisfactory completion of the Service Project essay.

Section A: Heidi Watts
Time: To be arranged with instructor
Maximum: 12
Credits: 4

ES 890
SIS: Supervised Individual Study

If you are planning an independent study, please register for an SIS on your registration form; however, an SIS contract Must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by April 20, 2007, in order for it to appear on your schedule or transcript. Please be sure to specify on the contract if the SIS will be used to fulfill a competency area or serve as a required course substitute, or as an elective. Contracts received after the April 20th deadline will be returned to you for registration in a subsequent semester (additional costs may apply). Credits will not appear on your schedule until the SIS contract(s) has been submitted to the Registrar's Office, thus affecting your enrollment status and perhaps your financial aid eligibility.

Credits: variable