Course Overview (Syllabus)
Introduction to the
Course
I enjoy teaching, researching and thinking about public
lands. My personal research focuses on
public lands in the Western United States and globally. I try to spend as much time as possible discussing
and visiting public land. During the
past several years my research has allowed me to interview county
commissioners, environmentalists, recreationalists, and ranchers, as well as
hike, camp, float, and drive through the amazing public lands of the West.
The focus of this course will primarily be on federal (National Park Service, Bureau
of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, etc.) land in the Western United
States. As with many subjects, it would
be impossible to cover everything related to this topic in one semester. Therefore our focus, after an initial
historical background review, will be on the current era—in particular how and
why policies and human uses of public land are evolving and the subsequent
alteration of these vast landscapes from these policy and use changes.
Course Objectives
Following
this course the student should be able to:
- Discuss in-depth the Spatial and Historical Nature of Public Lands—Where, When, Why?
- Discuss in-depth the processes and policies of historical public land use and how they interface with modern uses and issues.
- Understand why and how protective designations have blossomed on public land during the past forty years.
- Understand and discuss a wide variety of interest groups—their issues, institutional efforts, and ideological underpinnings.
- Develop an initial set of conflict resolution skills as pertaining to land use conflicts.
These Course Objectives tie into the broader “Learning
Outcomes” established by the Department of Geography for the various programs
offered. Programs connected to this
course include: Tourism, Environmental and Urban Planning, and Geographic
Information Systems (GIS). Specific
Learning Outcomes for each program may be found at the following web address.
Course Grading (250
Total Points)
Midterm Exams (100
points)
There will be 2 exams during the
semester. The exams will be taken in the
Testing Center during the days listed below.
The exams will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer
questions. The exams will be discussed
at greater length during class.
No exams will be given outside of
the testing center so please do not ask if you can take the exam another
time. If you have a University excused
absence or suffered a major calamity in your life, then by all means please
come and talk with the instructor.
However, do not ask for exceptions due to work, weddings, road-trips,
minor illness, etc.
ECR Seminar and Guest
Lecture Participation (100 points)
During the latter part of the
semester an Environmental Conflict Resolution Seminar will be incorporated into
the course material. This will consist
of some lecture materials but also a heavy component of classroom discussion
and activities. This part of your grade
will be solely based on your participation in these activities as well as your
attendance during invited guest presentations that will occur throughout the
semester. These will be important points
that can only be earned in class.
Final Exam (50 points)
There will be a comprehensive Final
Exam given in the TESTING CENTER DURING FINALS WEEK. The Final is mandatory and
you cannot pass the class without taking it.
Please do not ask to take the Final at a time other than what is
scheduled since this violates University policy.
Semester Grade
Breakdown
A 94-100% C 69-72%
A- 89-93% C- 63-68%
B+ 85-88% D+ 58-62%
B 81-84% D 54-57%
B- 77-80% D- 50-53%
C+ 73-76% E <50% (or failure to take the Final
Exam)
Exam Dates (in
Testing Center)
Exam 1 October 2-7 (Wednesday - Monday) Late
fee on Monday
Exam 2 November 6-11 (Wednesday-Monday) Late fee on Monday
Final Exam Finals Week. See the Testing Center for operating hours and policies.
Course Texts
A list of the course readings will be handed out
separately. The course readings will
primarily come from materials on reserve at the library (a password will be
provided), online materials, and handouts in class.
Course Policies
Academic Honesty
While all students sign the honor code, there are still
specific skill most students need to master over time in order to correctly
cite sources, especially in this new age of the internet; as well as deal with
the stress and strain of college life without resorting to cheating. Please know that as your professor I will
notice instances of cheating on exams or plagiarizing on papers. See http://www.byu.edu/honorcode
for specific examples of intentional and inadvertent plagiarism and
fabrication, falsification.
Preventing Sexual Harassment
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex
discrimination against any participant in an education program or activity that
receives federal funds. The Act is
intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education. Title IX covers discrimination in programs,
admissions, activities, and student-to-student sexual harassment. BYU’s policy against sexual harassment
extends not only to employees of the University but to students as well. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment
or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal
Employment Office at 422-5895 or 367-5689 (24 hours); or contact the Honor Code
Office at 422-2847.
Students with Disabilities
Brigham Young University is committed to providing a working
and learning atmosphere which reasonably accommodates persons with disabilities
who are otherwise qualified to participate in BYU's programs and activities. It
is the policy of BYU to prohibit unlawful discrimination against persons with
disabilities and to provide reasonable assistance in bringing them into the mainstream
of campus life. In order to accomplish this, BYU will comply with all
applicable disability law. Individuals
who believe they have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of
disability in employment may seek resolution through established grievance
policy and procedures. The individual seeking resolution should contact the
manager of the Equal Employment Office for assistance at D-240 ASB, (801)
422-5895.
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