Course Catalog 2007-2008
Associate Professor Abram Kaplan, Director
ENVS faculty:
Ron Abram (Art), Olivia Aguilar (Environmental Studies), Monica Ayala-Martinez (Modern Languages), John Cort (Religion), Quentin Duroy (Economics), Thomas Evans (Chemistry), Tod Frolking (Geosciences), Carol Goland (Environmental Studies), Sarah Harris (Environmental Studies), David Greene (Geosciences), Harry Heft (Psychology), Rebecca Homan (Biology), Abram Kaplan (Environmental Studies), Anthony Layson (Chemistry), Jonathan Maskit (Philosophy), Alexander Mouton (Art), Bill Nichols (English), Jim Pletcher (Political Science), Karl Sandin (Art), Tom Schultz (Biology), Douglas Spieles (Environmental Studies), Steve Vogel (Philosophy), Wes Walter (Physics and Astronomy), Andrea Ziegert (Economics); Academic Secretary Brenda Franks
Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary inquiry into the relationship between humans and the environment. Both a major and a minor are available to students with an interest in the rigorous study of these issues. The major requires students to develop a specific environmental focus as a concentration in addition to the environmental core and distribution courses. The minor in ENVS allows students to integrate an environmental perspective with their major field of study.
As an interdisciplinary area, Environmental Studies draws on work in the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. It endeavors to bridge these many intellectual approaches and perspectives in the hope that students will gain deeper understanding both of the environmental problems facing the world and of proactive opportunities for change. Among issues of concern and investigation are resource utilization, the impact of technology on ecosystems, relationships between the environment and sociocultural systems, geographic information systems analysis, environmental economics and policy, conservation of biological diversity, nature writing, alternative dispute resolution, environmental psychology, and environmental ethics, among many others. See the Program web site www.denison.edu/enviro for details.
The Environmental Studies major involves 13-16 courses from four categories as follows:
A) Five core courses required of all majors:ENVS 101 People and the Environment; ENVS 102 Science and the Environment; ENVS 240 Environmental Politics and Decision Making; ENVS 260 Environmental Ethics (cross-listed with PHIL 260); ENVS 301 Environmental Practicum (fall semester junior year)
B) Three distribution courses, one from each of ENVS-listed courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences. The following courses fulfill the distribution requirements: Humanities - ENGL 291, REL 205; Social Sciences - ECON 240, ECON 427, ENVS 262, POSC 328, PSYC 225, SA 244; Natural Sciences - BIOL 202, GEOS 200, CHEM 212, ENVS 274. Because other courses are occasionally offered that fulfill these requirements, an up-to-date list is available from the Environmental Studies Program office and on the Program website.
C) A concentration that can be completed in one of three ways: a disciplinary minor (with demonstrable relevance to ENVS); a second major (with demonstrable relevance to ENVS); a self-designed interdisciplinary concentration (typically 6 courses and a year of senior research). Obtain information concerning ENVS concentrations from the ENVS Program office or check the ENVS website.
D) A one-semester senior project, either ENVS 401 or 451, is required for all ENVS majors.
Notes: One course can be double counted among the Core, Concentration and Distribution requirements. Students in the class of 2007 or earlier can choose to fulfill the "old" ENVS major or minor requirements.
Students wishing to minor in Environmental Studies must complete six courses: ENVS 101, ENVS 102, ENVS 240, ENVS 260, and two electives cross-listed with ENVS that are outside the student's major field of study.
Study Abroad Programs. Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs when appropriate to enhance the concentration area or otherwise supplement course offerings at Denison. Students wishing to study abroad should plan to do so during the spring semester of their junior year. Courses taken abroad that serve as substitutes for courses listed above or which are otherwise used to satisfy elements of the Environmental Studies major must be approved in advance of the student's departure for the off-campus program by the Environmental Studies Director. A maximum of three off-campus courses may be used to satisfy requirements in the major.
People and the Environment (ENVS-101). A systematic introduction to multifaceted environmental problems facing the world today, primarily through the lenses of both the social science and humanities. The course provides an overview of solutions to present challenges through governmental action, collective effort, and personal initiative. We engage in the interdisciplinary study of the relationship between humans and the environment, looking at local, regional, and global scales. At the local level, the class may explore campus-level environmental issues, including the ecological renovation of Barney. We develop ideas about campus "greening," new technologies, and behavioral factors. At a global scale, we might investigate global warming, and the human dimension of its causes and solutions. Students will undertake research projects, debate topical issues, sleuth for information, think critically, and present findings to disparate audiences. Fulfills the "I" Interdisciplinary requirement. Aguilar, Staff. 4
Science and the Environment (ENVS-102). This course provides an introduction to the biogeochemical aspects of environmental problems. Students will gain an understanding of the structure and function of ecological communities, as well as the non-living factors that regulate ecological change. Global chemical cycles are presented as a unifying theme for human interactions with nature and are the basis for discussion of environmental problems associated with agriculture, water use, atmospheric change, land and resource use, and waste disposal. The laboratory component of the course exposes students to methods of measuring and monitoring environmental quality. Labs include experiential introductions to ecological relationships, toxicology, water and soil analysis, and geographic information science. Students will apply concepts of experimental design, statistical sampling, and data analysis to evaluate environmental questions. Harris, Spieles. 4
Varieties of Environmentalism (ENVS-196). What is environmentalism? How is environmentalism practiced in the developed First World (the North) and the developing Third World (the South)? What are the similarities and differences of environmentalism in the North and the South? How is environmentalism related to issues of human inequality on bases such as race, class, gender, caste, and nationality? What are the causes and consequences of environmental change: who pays the costs and who receives the benefits? How do intra-human questions of justice intersect with inter-species questions of justice? (Not offered 2007-2008) Cort. 4
Topics in Environmental Science (ENVS-199). A general category used only in the evaluation of transfer credit. Staff. 1-4
Environmental Geology (ENVS-200). Course listed as GEOS 200. See listing under Geoscience. Greene. 4
Ecology and Evolution (ENVS-202). Course listed as BIOL 202. See listing under Biology. Hauk, R. Homan, McCall, Rettig, G. Smith, Schultz. 4
Religion and Nature (ENVS-205). Course listed as REL 205. See listing under Religion. (Not offered 2007-2008) Cort. 4
Environmental Chemistry (ENVS-212). Course listed as CHEM 212. See listing under Chemistry. Staff. 4
Environmental Psychology (ENVS-225). Course listed as PSYC 225. See listing under Psychology. Heft. 4
Introduction to Environmental Mapping (ENVS-230). Approximately 80% of all data used by businesses and the US government has a geographic component. Aerial photography, satellite imagery, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are extremely useful tools in environmental planning, resource management and risk assessment. This course is designed to introduce students to GIS and remote sensing spatial analysis techniques. By the end of the course, students should be able to plan an environmental assessment project within a GIS framework, read and understand maps, interpret aerial photos, collect data using GPS technology, import data from internet and government sources, conduct basic raster and vector GIS analyses, understand the basics and principles of satellite remote sensing, and present and critique GIS/ remote sensing projects. This course is designed as a prerequisite to Geographic Information Systems Analysis, which will focus on more advanced GIS analyses and independent projects. Harris. 4
Environmental Politics and Decision Making (ENVS-240). This course gives students a chance to explore the realm of proactive change in the environmental arena. It combines the theories of policy, the tools of problem solving, and the practice of dealing with environmental challenges in the real world of American government. The premise of the course is this: if you want to improve the state of the planet, you have to propose a solution. To make a solution happen, you should understand the process of getting an idea through the decision-making system. Effecting change requires a background in the system(s) that make things happen, whether you ultimately want to work within the system or outside it. This course is divided into two main components: an overview and implementation of problem solving techniques, and an in-depth examination of the U.S. Congress' role in environmental policy formation. The latter section culminates in a "Moot Congress" undertaken by students at the end of the semester. Prereq: ENVS 101. This is a core course in the ENVS major and minor. Not recommended for first year students. Fulfills the "R" Oral Communication requirement. Kaplan. 4
Environment, Technology and Society (ENVS-244). Course listed as SA 244. See listing under Sociology/Anthropology. (Not offered 2007-2008) Staff. 4
Environmental Ethics (ENVS-260). Course listed as PHIL 260. See listing under Philosophy. Maskit, Vogel. 4
Environmental Dispute Resolution (ENVS-262). An in-depth investigation of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as an improved means to affect change in environmental conflict. Both an intellectual and hands-on introduction to the theory and practice of ADR, relying on research into theoretical aspects of conflict, attendance at both conventional litigatory and ADR hearings, and actual participation in ADR exercises. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 or 102. (Not offered 2007-2008) Kaplan. 4
Ecosystem Management (ENVS-274). Ecosystem management is the process of designing and implementing sustainable use strategies for ecological systems. In this course students will learn about historical and current management of ecosystems around the world. We will consider the structure, function, dynamics, and socioeconomic pressures upon a variety of terrestrial and aquatic systems. The course is intended to help students develop critical thinking and synthesis skills necessary to understand how general scientific concepts are translated into ecosystem management plans. Prerequisite: ENVS 102 or BIOL 150 or consent. Spieles. 4
Environmental Planning and Design (ENVS-284). This course examines a variety of local environmental planning processes and issues, focusing primarily on the communities surrounding Denison (Granville, Licking County), as well as the theories, concepts and tools of design, both at a community level and for individual buildings. Particular attention will be paid to controversial models of architecture and planning in order to understand some of the negative implications of conventional approaches. Field trips, group exercises, research and project competitions will form the basis for course evaluation. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 or 102 or consent. (Not offered 2007-2008) Kaplan. 4
Special Topics in Environmental Studies (ENVS-290). This course provides students with an opportunity to investigate particular issues from diverse perspectives in the environmental area. Environmental challenges and solutions of local, national and global scale are addressed, typically with a hands-on and interactive format. This course is offered on an irregular basis with unique topics in each version: students may enroll in this course more than once. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 and 102. Staff. 4
Nature and the Literary Imagination (ENVS-291). Course listed as ENGL 291. See listing under English. Staff. 4
Environmental Practicum (ENVS-301). This keystone course is primarily for ENVS majors; minors are welcome. This course provides the opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience working on real-world environmental problems. As a group, students work in an intensive format with a real "client" and real deadlines to research a problem, assess options, recommend solutions, and evaluate outcomes. Examples of projects include energy and water conservation, local land use planning, wetlands managements, reuse/recycling programs, agriculture preservation, and environmental education. (Fall only; should be taken junior year). Prerequisites: ENVS 101 and 102; ENVS major or minor. Kaplan. 4
Wetland Ecology (ENVS-310). This course is a comprehensive study of wetland ecology, management, and policy. The main emphasis is on biological, chemical, and physical aspects of major wetland ecosystems found in North America. The course also deals with valuation, classification, and delineation of wetlands. A significant portion of the course focuses on local and regional wetland ecosystems: their history, ecology, and current status. Labs will be field-based explorations of the biology, chemistry, and ecology of these regional wetlands. Prerequisite: BIOL 202 or consent. Spieles. 4
Gender and Change in Cross-Cultural Perspective (ENVS-321). Course listed as SA 321. See listing under Sociology/Anthropology. Diduk. 4
Politics of the Global Environment (ENVS-328). Course listed as POSC 328. See listing under Political Science. Pletcher. 4
Sustainable Agriculture (ENVS-334). This course provides an ecological and sociocultural exploration of Sustainable Agriculture, as practiced primarily in the contemporary United States. We establish the historical and cultural roots of conventional agriculture and determine the environmental and social consequences of conventional practices. While not intended to be an agronomy course, we will discuss the agroecology of sustainable food production, including principles of soil management, pest control, and crop rotations. We will also study agriculture in its sociocultural context in order to assess what kind of social and cultural changes would be required in order to create a truly sustainable food production system. An important component of the course is field trips to conventional and alternative farms. Prerequisite: ENVS 101 or 102 or SA 100 or consent. Goland. 4
Advanced Geographic Information Systems Analysis (ENVS-351). Using ArcGIS software, students will explore advanced applications of GIS in environmental assessments, natural and physical science applications, and spatial problem solving. Topics will include surface analyses, terrain modeling, network analysis, and 3-D simulations. The course will focus on case study analysis/ discussions, applied problem solving assignments, and independent projects. Prerequisite: ENVS 230 or consent. Harris. 4
Directed Study (ENVS-361). Staff. 1-4
Directed Study (ENVS-362). Staff. 1-4
Independent Study (ENVS-363). Staff. 1-4
Independent Study (ENVS-364). Staff. 1-4
Advanced Topics in Environmental Studies (ENVS-399). Staff. 1-4
Environmental Senior Project (ENVS-401). This course is required for ENVS majors with senior standing unless they are pursuing senior research (ENVS 451/452). This course provides an integrating and culminating experience for students, individually or in small groups, to engage with an environmental issue, either by conducting research related to this issue or by taking action on it in a way that is informed by their academic understanding The primary objective is to integrate their study of environmental issues at Denison and to develop skills in critically analyzing environmental problems and promoting environmental change. Prerequisite: ENVS 301 or consent of the instructor. Spieles. 4
Environmental Economics (ENVS-427). Course listed as ECON 427. See listing under Economics. Ziegert. 4
Senior Research (ENVS-451). Staff. 4
Senior Research (ENVS-452). Staff. 4