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BDIC students and their sponsors have
recommended the following courses for your consideration. Please note
that some of these courses have prerequisites. There are many other
courses at UMass and the Five Colleges that may be useful as you develop an
area of concentration related to Sustainability Studies. Courses listed
below are offered at UMass unless otherwise indicated. If you find
courses that should be on this list, please let me know.
Thanks…
John Gerber jgerber@psis.umass.edu NOTE: Be sure and check the Five
College web page and search on the key words “sustainability” or
“environment” or “social justice” etc. It is at…. http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/courses/searchcoursecatalogform.php
And Mt. Holyoke College has a list of
Environmental Courses at… http://www.mtholyoke.edu/proj/cel/resources/course/index.shtml
Also, if you are looking for a GenEd
course or two that might be of interest, check here. See below for Sustainability Courses in these
categories: Social Systems Economic Systems Biophysical Systems Integrative/Holistic Courses Social Systems
AFROAM 361 Revolution in the Third World Changing
nature of revolution in the Third World, from the "classical"
revolutions in Cuba, China, Algeria and Vietnam to the popular insurgencies
of Grenada, Iran, the Philippines and Haiti. Internal and external factors
which have contributed to the fall from grace of many of these once popularly
supported struggles. AFROAM
391/5 The Political Economy of Class and Race
Analysis of
foundations of political economy, with special reference to nature of capitalism, and an application of this analysis to
role of race in capitalist economy
and society. The theoretical framework drawn from the writings of Karl Marx
and the classical political economists; the applications based on
contemporary materials. ANIMLSCI
360 Farm Animal Care and Welfare The moral and ethical theories of animal rights and welfare as they pertain to farm animals. Exploration of the history of farm animal welfare and the assessment of the animal rights and welfare movement today. Special attention given to the economic, ethical, and welfare aspects of current animal husbandry practices. (Planned for fall) ANTHRO 336 Political Anthropology Anthropological approaches to the study of public power in various cultural settings. The rise and extension of state systems and their interactions with subnational bases of political power. ANTHRO
397H Grassroots Community Development This
course explores how grass roots organizations (that is, are constituted of,
by and for local people using local knowledge and assets) work to effect
social change that enhances the common good. In particular, we will be
focusing on grass roots solutions to rural poverty and political
disenfranchisement. The geographic focus of our investigations will be
primarily but not exclusively the rural south, a region that has known
profound poverty and violent political repression but which has also
engendered inspiring grassroots responses to these challenges. This class
differs from most others on campus in that it is a community service learning
course. We will study grass roots development in the classroom and then spend
our spring
break working side by side with members of a grassroots organization in a
week of direct service. ANTHRO
397L Leadership and Activism A "doing" Course. Instructor permission
required. COMM 287 Advertising as Social Communication Advertising from the viewpoint of social theory. Advertising's broad political, economic, social, and cultural role in modern society. The social role of advertising in consumer societies; focus on advertising's mediation of the modern person/object relationship, the satisfaction of needs, the constitution of popular culture, and the process of socialization. COMM 297C Democracy & Discourse Introduction
to rhetorical theory and the criticism of public discourse beginning with the
Western origins of rhetoric as a practical art. The contributions of the
pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Cicero discussed and applied to
the rhetorical practice of their day. The reemergence of rhetoric after the
Middle Ages and the consequences of Enlightenment thought for rhetorical
theory and practice. Contemporary contributions to theory and the critique of
current public address. COMM 297Q Global Media &Social Change This course examines how global media systems that have emerged since the late-1980s have transformed social and political life in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The first part of the course provides an overview of the historical context of the role of mass media in the "Third World". The second part of the course introduces students to critical theoretical approaches to global media. The final and longest section of the course focuses on case studies from specific national and local experiences. COMM 352 Small Group Communication The
dynamics of decision-making groups. Topics include: leadership, networks,
conformity, problem solving, mediation, and conflict resolution.
Prerequisite: COMM 118 or consent of instructor. COMM 387 Advertising and Public Relations as Social Control A critical look at the following issues: the representations and mystification of value-producing activity in a capitalist economy; advertising as the official religion of consumer culture; the areas of social life obscured by advertising; the relationship of advertising to the media system in general; the valuation of time; and international advertising. Prerequisite: COMM 287. COM-HLTH 614 International Health, Population and Development Interrelationships of health, population, and social development policy in selected "developing" countries. Social issues in the context of these interrelationships, including: cultural barriers to technological adaptation, ethnocentricity, distribution of social services, international agency roles, equitable distribution of income, land reform, literacy campaigns, urban slums, changing roles of women, warfare and violence, malnutrition and hunger, influence of multinational corporations, and population participation in decision making. Selected community development and communication models; case studies; identification of political, institutional, and cultural barriers to social change. EDUCATION 377 Introduction to Multicultural Education Introduction to the sociohistorical, philosophical, and pedagogical foundations of cultural pluralism and multicultural education. Topics include experiences of racial minorities, white ethnic groups and women; intergroup relations in American society, sociocultural influences and biases in schools; and philosophies of cultural pluralism. EDUCATION 649 Training for Non0formal Education Development of knowledge and skills needed for successful design and implementation of training programs for personnel in nonformal education, human services, or community development. EDUCATION 766 Partnerships for Interorganizational Development Diagnostic
frameworks and underlying theories concerning interorganizational relations
among public and/or private organizations. Provides bases for further skill
building in interorganizational consulting. GEO
326 Spirit of Place The
meaning of place in our lives. Why some people are attracted to particular
kinds of environmental settings, while others are drawn to very different
kinds of places. How those who think seriously about places ranging from the
sacred to the profane have attempted to capture or describe a
"sense" or "spirit of place" in their writings and
research. GEO 444 Sense of Place and Environmental Perception Exploration
of the ways different cultural subgroups perceive, organize, and use their
space and environment. Emphasis on both individual and group behavior
concerning environmental perference and location, debates over "using
versus preserving" the environment, response to environmental hazards, migration
and adjustment into new environments, and other environmental choices that
contribute to the evolution of particular cultural landscapes ranging from
the urban built environment to the rural landscapes of the world. GEO 697P Ecological Cities See instructor for information. HISTORY
301F (02) Colloquium on Food and Famine in African History - Mt. Holyoke College (Fall) This course examines African patterns of production over the long term and the transformation of African food systems in the last century as a basis for critiquing current development and environmental management strategies. We will establish the links between famine, drought, and food entitlement using case studies and carefully examine sources on the colonial period and more recent development undertakings in order to document the consequences of various interventions on people's access to productive resources. Cross listed as Environmental Studies 301f, also. Contact Dr. Holly Hanson for information at… hhanson@mtholyoke.edu. HISTORY 397H -Nature, History, National Parks For well over a century, national parks have been important places for the public to learn about nature and history. Yet the ways that the parks have explained nature and history the public have changed dramatically over time. Students in this course will learn about the particular challenges and opportunities involved with presenting nature and history in public, as well as research the changing ways that nature and history have been represented in one park. Students should be prepared to go on field trips and conduct off-campus research at NPS sites. HIST
383 AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY The
interaction of humans with the natural environment of North America since
European settlement; the ways in which American acted over four hundred years
to shape their environment, as well as shared their perceptions of the
environment through painting and photography, nature writing, travelers
accounts, fiction and material culture. LARP
553 Resource Policy and Planning
(Sustainable Communities) Examination
of natural resource policy formation and the planning process at the local,
state and regional levels. The course investigates the interrelationships
between resource policies, the built environment, and environmental impacts
and identifies a range of current best-practices for improving that
relationship. LEGAL
391B Law and Social Activism This
class focuses on the relationship between law and social activism. Litigation
is often used by activists interested in creating social change. While they
often rely on court decisions to effect change, they also frequently use the
litigative process to mobilize support for their cause. This course will take
a critical look at such strategies, fleshing out if and when they are
effective in achieving activists' goals, as well as raising issues about how
sociolegal scholars should define social change and understand the role legal
professionals play in structuring movement practices. Some of the activisms
that may be considered include the Civil Rights movement, the labor movement,
as well as conservative legal activism. Readings, drawn from various
disciplines, will be on topics including cause lawyering, civil rights and
the language of rights, and a few readings on the structure of social
movements and how to understand their impact on society. LEGAL
497N Environmental Justice This
course examines issues central to the environmental justice movement in the
U.S.; environmental degradation and pollution and their relationship to
racism, poverty and health. We explore the history of this movement and
investigate the effect of globalization on a growing international
environmental justice movement. POLSCI
380 Social Welfare Policy The
dynamics of social welfare policy, which encompasses a wide variety of public
policies aimed at ameliorating hunger, poverty, ill health, homelessness, and
other forms of human distress. Focus on the issues, problems, and
politics of contemporary social policy in the United States. POLSCI
382 Environmental Policy Analysis
of U.S. environmental policies shaping the human relationship with nature.
First half of the course is historical, covering Native American nomadic
subsistence; transition to a European lifestyle based upon private property,
a fenced landscape, and capital accumulation; disposal of public lands;
creation of federal land management agencies; and Progressive
conservationism. Second half of the course covers contemporary
environmental policies, with specific attention to biological diversity
issues; implementation of major legislation, such as the National
Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act; environmental group
strategies; and currently evolving professional practices, such as ecosystem
management. POLSCI
383 Land and Resource Policy Analyzes
changing ideas about the human relationship with Nature, including how these ideas
have shaped public policy and transformed ecological systems. Topics
include private property, public land, conservation, preservation, ecosystem
management, ecofeminsim, deep ecology and place-based politics. SOC 327 Social Change Focuses
on social and cultural change in American society since 1960. Changing roles
of women, young people, and minorities; expanded conceptions on virtually
everyone's part of rights and entitlements to greater justice and equity;
increasing social conflict; polarization of opinion; heightened
dissatisfaction with almost all institutions; and indications, by the early
1990s, of a reversal of many trends that began 30 years before and the
beginning of a new, more conservative era. SOC
329 Social Movements A
global perspective on social movements. Uses case studies to examine how
social movements around the world have responded to and been shaped by the
challenges of contemporary globalization. Movements such as those around
human rights, labor, trade, environmental and women's issues will be
examined. Prerequisite: 100-level Sociology course. SOC 565 Sociology and Ecology of Community Study
of local communities as settings for daily life; as biosocial organisms,
linking social life with environmental forces including the economy and
demographic change, and impact of technological innovations on daily life.
Growth and decline of urban and rural communities under deindustrialization,
multinationalism, the rise of megacities, economic restructuring and
deconcentration. Attempt to define underlying forces and responses to social
and economic change. Economic Systems
ECON
308 Political Economy of the Environment Application
of the theories of political economy to environmental problems and
issues. Topics include regulatory and market approaches to pollution
and natural resource depletion; cost-benefit analysis and its economic and
poitical foundations; and case studies of specific environmental problems
such as acid rain, deforestation, and global warming. Prerequisites: any
two of ECON 103, 105, 203 and 305. ECON 309 Game Theory Theory and applications of game theory, a major tool of analysis in economics, biology, and political science. Applications include: bargaining, auctions, the "prisoner's dilemma," the "tragedy of the commons," tacit collusion, competition among firms, and strategic interactions in labor, credit, and product markets. Prerequisites: ECON 103 and MATH 127 or 131 or 135. ECON 362 American Economic History Economic development in the U.S. from colonial era to present. America as a raw materials producer, an agrarian society, and an industrial nation. Possible topics: development of economic systems, demographic trends, industrialization, regional development, growth of large-scale enterprise and organized labor, changing role of government. Prerequisites: ECON 103, 104 and HIST 150-151 (or 140-141) or consent of instructor. (Gen.Ed. HS) ECON 366 Economic Development Theories of economic growth applied to Third World countries. Classical and Neoclassical economic theories and structural/historical theories. Topics such as the role of foreign investment and multinational corporations, and strategies of industrialization and employment creation, and rural development. Prerequisites: ECON 103 and 104, or consent of instructor. ECON 374 Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy: 3 Utopias and their Critics Critically
examines formal models of three major systems of governance and allocation
using contemporary economic theory (including game theory) and political
philosophy. Includes the "marriage of capitalism and democracy,"
socialist feminism, the market as a cultural, political, and economic
institution, and economic democracy. Prerequisites: ECON 105 and 305. GEO
360 Economic Geography Economic
activity around the world, from world market factories in Asia to industrial
co-ops in Spain to household in the U.S. and Australia. Paid and unpaid
labor, market and nonmarket transactions, capitalist and noncapitalist
enterprises. Emphasis on economic diversity and agency. MGT 301 Principles of Management Behavioral
background of formal organizational life, organizational design, integrating
factors in collective behavior, organizational change, systems analysis,
techniques of decision making and control, the organization and its
environment, and the nature of management theory. Topics grouped in modules
of organizational behavior, operations management, and
strategy/entrepreneurship. MGT 330 Organizational Behavior Individual,
interpersonal, and group behavior in an organizational context. Emphasizes
participation in class exercises. Brief lectures and readings encourage
broadened awareness of one's own and others' behavior in managerial roles,
while improving managerial skills. Prerequisite: MGT 301 MTKG 491A Marketing for Non-profit Organizations and Services
RESEC 324 Small Business Finance Economic analysis of the financial resource management for a small business. It examines issues such as financial statements and financial planning, capital budgeting and management, investment, risk, profitability, and forecasting. (Spring) Biophysical Systems
BIOLOGY
280 Ecological Diversity of Life-Time Process
of biological evolution and the evolutionary history of life on earth. Major features
of biological evolution including microevolution (the evolution of biological
populations), speciation (the origin of species), and macroevolution
(evolution above the species level). Microbial, plant, and animal
evolution. Primates and the evolution of humans. Origin of major
evolutionary innovations stressed, including evolution of photosynthetic,
oxygen-releasing bacteria, nucleated cells, sexual reproduction, true roots
and leaves, woody plants, the seed and flowers, animals with a true body cavity,
insects and their societies, and the vertebrate jaw, the transition from fins
to limbs, the evolution of the shelled land egg, dinosaurs and bird origins,
and the adaptive radiation of mammals. Prerequisites: a grade of C or better
in BIOLOGY 100 and 101. BIOLOGY 287 Intro to Ecology The
scope of ecology; how organisms cope with environmental challenges;
population dynamics; species interactions of competition, predation, and
mutualism; community ecology; biodiversity; biogeochemical cycles; selected
topics in evolutionary and behavioral ecology. Basic concepts related to
practical applications in harvesting, biological control, conservation,
pollution, and global change. Prerequisite: a grade of C or better in BIOLOGY
100 and 101 or in BIOLOGY 102 and 103. BIOLOGY 421 Plant Ecology With
lab. This fundamental ecology course emphasizes the quantitative skills
needed to understand and conduct field research. The lectures introduce
major ecological concepts, local vegetation types, and methods and techniques
of gathering and analyzing data. In laboratories, students collect
original data at sites in the Connecticut Valley and write an original
scientific paper. Prerequisite: an introductory biology or botany
course or consent of instructor. (Planned for Fall) BIOLOGY 426 New England Flora Identification of New England plants in the lab and on field trips. Emphasis on the minimum terminology needed to identify plants and to use keys. Students learn to recognize the common plant families in the area. Prerequisite: introductory biology or consent of instructor. (Planned for Spring) BIO 526 Plant Geography Principles
of plant distribution, basic characteristics, and literature on vegetation of
North America, with an overview of world vegetation. History of plant
geography, mechanisms of plant dispersal, and development of plant
communities in time and space. Emphasis on vegetation of New England.
Prerequisites: BIOLOGY 103 or 104 or 100, and BIOLOGY 221 or 297B or 421, or
consent of instructor. (Spring, alternate years). ENV-HLTH 565 Environmental Health Practices Concepts of control methods used by environmental health and engineering practitioners. Topics include water, wastewater, solid wastes, food sanitation, vector control, housing, and accident control measures. ENV-HLTH 660 Issues in Environmental Health Policy & Law Describes and analyzes a range of major environmental policy and law issues. Subjects include the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. ENVIRDES 553 Resource Policy & Planning Examination of natural resource policy formation and the planning process at the local, state, and regional levels; the role of congress, the bureaucracy, and citizens' interest in policy formation; the interplay among forces of economics, technology, ecology, and design in the determination of policy goals and planning horizons. ENVIRDES 575 Environmental Law & Resource Management Concepts of nuisance, police power, zoning, eminent domain, and growth management. Their application to management of environmental resources, including riverine, coastal, and wetland areas. Includes introduction to legal research. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. ENVST
497G Environmental Problem Solving in the Community Provides
students with in-depth experience in identifying and planning solutions for
environmental problems in a community setting. An inquiry-based
learning approach stressing collaborative learning techniques used to address
community environmental problems. ENT
342 Pesticides, the Environment and Public Policy Current
issues associated with pesticide use; includes discussion of role of
pesticides in agriculture, public health and other related areas; fate of
pesticides in the environment; and public perception of pesticides. ENT 581 Integrated Pest Management Theory
and application of the principles of insect, disease, and weed pest
management; emphasis on insects. Focus on pest and natural enemy sampling
techniques, properties of available control strategies, underlying ecological
and behavioral principles, model pest management systems and societal
concerns. Prerequisite: ENTOMOL 326 or MICROBIO 530 or equivalent or consent
of instructor. (Fall). ENT 585 Toxicology of Insecticides All
aspects of insecticide chemistry, including toxicity, classification,
pharmaco- dynamics and metabolism, mechanisms of action, resistance, and
environmental toxicology. For those with toxicological, agricultural, or
environmental interests. Prerequisite: organic chemistry. (Fall, odd years). ENT 592 Chemicals and the Environment Contact department for description. (Planned for Fall, even years) GEO-SCI 285 Environmental Geology With field trips. Principles of geology and hydrology applied to regional planning in conservation and land use. Ground and surface water resources, water pollution problems, slope stability and mass wasting, geological catastrophes with prevention planning. Environmental geology related to broader environmental and social problems. Participation in field trips. Prerequisite: introductory geology course. Students needing or wanting a laboratory component may register for GEO-SCI 131. (Gen.Ed. PS) (Planned for Spring) GEO-SCI 360 Economic Geography Economic activity around the world, from world market factories in Asia to industrial co-ops in Spain to households in the U.S. and Australia. Paid and unpaid labor, market and nonmarket transactions, capitalist and noncapitalist enterprises. Emphasis on economic diversity and agency. (Gen.Ed. SB, U) (Planned for Spring) GEO
362 Land Use and Society The
meaning of land in past and present societies, and the evolution of public
involvement in land use management. Land use data and concepts; review
of historical emergence of land use controls in response to social needs;
current methods and issues of land use management in the U.S. GEO-SCI 364 Geography of Development Examines the geographic structure and process of social, economic, and environmental change associated with `development' in the `Third World'. Issues addressed at a global and local scale include population, food production, and the Green Revolution, gender, population mobility and urbanization, and environmental costs of growth. GEO-SCI 444 Sense of Place and Environmental Behavior Exploration of the ways different cultural subgroups perceive, organize, and use their space and environment. Emphasis on both individual and group behavior concerning environmental preference and location, debates over "using versus preserving" the environment, response to environmental hazards, migration and adjustment into new environments, and other environmental choices that contribute to the evolution of particular cultural landscapes ranging from the urban built environment to the rural landscapes of the world. GEO 370 Urban Geography Survey
of urban geographical analysis and the development of the world's cities.
Theoretical and methodological approaches of urban geography used to explore
cities as they shape and are shaped by their social, cultural, economic, and
physical contexts. Topics include pre-industrial cities, industrial cities,
the evolution of American cities, and contemporary urban issues in both
developed and developing countries. (SB) (Fall) GEO
420 Human Impact on the Environment Human
geographical perspectives on the historical human transformation of the earth
and current environmental issues. Cultural and historical geography,
cultural ecology, political ecology and environmental history used to explore
the diverse, regionally variable, and historically dynamic conditions and
processes that have shaped past and present human impacts on the environment. GEO
497S Indigenous People and Conservation Indigenous
peoples' conservation values and practices and their importance for global
conservation. Emphasis on indigenous knowledge, cultural values, sacred
places, community management of natural resources, and the role of indigenous
peoples in the establishment and management of new kinds of inhabited
national parks and protected areas. GEO
530 Population and Environment Population-resource
relationships in context of social science theory and debates over
sustainability, theories of population change, political economy of
resources, institutional factors in resource management and carrying capacity
concepts applied to conditions in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. MICROBIO 530 Plant Pathology The
causes, nature, and control of plant diseases. Diagnosis of plant diseases.
Mechanisms, biochemistry, and genetics of plant disease; induction,
development, and management. Prerequisite: course in biology. (4 credits)
(Fall). MICROBIO 515 Management and Ecology of Plant Disease The
ecology of plant, microbe, and human interactions in plant diseases, from
wilderness to industrial farms. Epidemics, traditional farming, environmental
impacts and sustainability issues. Ways in which agriculture, particularly
plant production and plant disease management, change ecosystems. Independent
project. BIOLOGY 100 or equivalent recommended. NRC 382 Human Dimensions in Natural Resource Management Introduction
to the human dimension of resource management. Topics include social
values, demographics, outdoor recreation, agency history and mandates, economic
valuation, resource allocation, stakeholder groups, the commons dilemma, and
other topics. (Planned for Fall) NRC 409 Natural Resource Policy & Administration An
introduction to the processes of natural resource policy formulation, administration
of public lands, and social values related to managing the nation's renewable
natural resources. History of current federal laws, policies, and
programs, and discussion of the roles of various resources management
agencies. (Planned for Spring) NRC 549 Ecosystem Management Ecosystem management and how it is defined by various organizations. The historical context and key contributing ecological concepts of ecosystem management and alternative approaches for its implementation. (Planned for Spring) PLS
265 Sustainable Agriculture (with approval from BDIC) This
course is designed for agriculture and non-agriculture students who want to
explore ethical, practical and scientific aspects of the quest for long-term
agricultural sustainability in the U.S. The course will include field trips,
lectures, discussion of current topics, decision case studies, assigned
readings, weekly writing and individual research. A community
understanding of sustainable agriculture will be developed using observations
from field trips and systems tools. PLS
280 Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants Introduction
to the growth, culture, and science related to the production and use of
herbs, spices, and medicinal plants. Emphasis on plants used in the home with
discussions on bioactivity of plant extracts. Laboratory practice in seeding,
growing, oil extraction, and utilization of these plants. Examinations,
project and identification of selected herbs. PLNTSOIL 297B Medicinal Botany An exploration of plants as botanical remedies and the principles underlying the resurgence of plant materials for medicinal use. Focus on scientific evidence in support of traditional herbalism. Discussion topics include medical studies and reassessments of botanical medicines that have been discarded by conventional medical practices, but which may be helpful in treating human ailments. Demonstrations of traditional techniques for producing herbal extracts are used to relate botany to medicine. (1 credit) PLS
300 Deciduous Orchard Science Principles
and practices involved in the establishment and management of deciduous
orchards. PLS
305 Small Fruit Production Principles
and practices governing the establishment and management of small fruit
plantings. PLS
310 Principles of Weed Management History
of weed control; importance of weeds and their relationship to man and the
environment; ecology of weeds, competition, persistence and survival
mechanisms; reproduction, seed germination, and dormancy; methods of weed
control, cultural, biological, chemical, and integrated pest management
strategies; classification of herbicides and their selectivity; soil factors
affecting herbicide performance, persistence and degradation; application
equipment and calibration of sprayers; weed management systems for various
crops and non-crop areas. PLS
325 Vegetable Production Principles
of production of vegetable crops; emphasis on cultural practices used in home
gardens and in commercial operations. Prerequisite: Introductory Plant Science
or Biology course. PLS
350 Crop Science An
examination of sustainable farming systems for food, fiber, and forage crops
including cultural requirements and physiological responses.
Illustrations of concepts, discussions of topics and examination of
distinguishing morphological characteristics of selected crop species during
laboratory sessions. Quizzes, mid-term, final. Prerequisites: BIOLOGY103 or
equivalent, or consent instructor. PLS
370 Tropical Agriculture Tropical
regions of the world, their environment and classification; influence of
climate, population, and socio-economic conditions on agriculture; major
crops and cropping systems of sub-humid tropics; introduction to dry land
agriculture; importance of rainfall and irrigation on productivity; green
revolution; desertification; present and future research needs of region and
state of agricultural technology. PLS
375 Soil and Water Conservation Soil
management related to water and wind erosion control. Environmental
aspects of erosion. Cropping, tilling and management effects on erosion and
water quality. Landscape and soil sustainability. Principles of soil
drainage. Midterm and final exams, term paper, class presentations.
Prerequisite: PLNTSOIL 105 or equivalent. PLNTSOIL 397A Ethnobotany I: The Shaman's Pharmacy Explore traditional, plant-derived medicines among various world cultures, based by first-hand knowledge from field research. Learn about beneficial compounds in plants, and about medicinal plant preparation. See, touch, smell, and taste herbal potions. View extraordinary slides from the Amazon, India, China, and other cultures, and learn about environmental preservation, shamans, medicine men and women, and nature's bounty of beneficial plants. (1 credit) PLS
397C Community Food Systems This
class will explore the movement of food from the grower to the consumer.
Emphasis will be on how consumers get access to food from emergency and
non-emergency sources. Direct marketing, Community-Supported Agriculture,
farmers' markets, and small-scale farming will be discussed. Outside speakers
from area community food banks, CSA's, non-profit organizations, faith
communities, soup kitchens, and farmers' markets will lead discussions on
various topics related to food access. Two one-hour lectures and a two-hour
lab/discussion. This is a Service Learning Course. PLS
397D Soils and Land Use Principles
of on-site sewage treatment; evaluating the suitability of soils for on-site
sewage disposal. Identification of soil types, geological deposits, and
hydrology in relation to wastewater disposal. Identification of soil types,
geological deposits, and hydrology in relation to wastewater disposal in
non-sewered areas. Design of conventional and alternative Title 5
systems. Course meets the basic requirements for the Massachusetts Soil
Evaluators training program. Prerequisites: knowledge of chemistry. PLNTSOIL 497A Natural Products Industry Investigate the natural products industry through lectures, field trips, and interviews. Students talk to small independent business owners and representatives of large scale companies, coming to an understanding of the various ways that a business can be built. Students create a potential business of their own and develop plans for its success. Prerequisites: PLNTSOIL 280 or other medicinal plant program course; RES-ECON 141 or 241 or similar marketing/economics course, or permission of instructor. (2-3 credits) PLNTSOIL
540 Plant Breeding An
introduction to the principles of plant breeding. Topics cover basic breeding
methods, genetic engineering, reproductive systems of crop plants, inbreeding
depression and hybrid vigor, interspecific hybridization, use of genetic
markers for crop improvement, breeding for disease resistance, conservation
of germplasm, crop evolution, and applications of gel
electrophoresis. Prerequisite: BIOLOGY 283 or similar course in
introductory genetics. (Planned for Fall.) PLNTSOIL 597P: Origin and Future of Crops Review current knowledge about the origin of the world's crops and examine genetic changes brought about by domestication of wild plants, dispersal from the centers of domestication and plant breeding. The process of selective breeding will be compared with natural selection (evolution). The evolution of several agronomic and horticultural crops will be examined in detail. Use and ownership of the world's agricultural resources (such as genetic engineering, collection and conservation of germplasm, and plant patents) will be discussed. Prerequisites: general genetics (BIOLOGY 283) or equivalent. (Planned for Spring) Integrative/Holistic
Courses
COMM
312 Cultural Codes in Communication Communication
as it creates, maintains, and transforms cultural identities, and, in turn,
culture as it creates, maintains, and transforms communication. Grounded in
the substantive patterns of communication from areas such as Europe, the
Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, Polynesia, and the Far East. COMM
514 Social Uses of Language Introduction
to the study of language behavior and communication. Focus on
ethnography. Concepts such as ritual, myth, code and discourse;
enactments such as verbal duels, song challenges, communicative use of
silence, and jokes; approaches include empirical, theoretical, and
comparative study. COMMHLTH
602 Community Development Latest
approaches in community development and community organization procedures.
Exploratory readings, field assignments; emphasis on leadership development
and coordinated community action. COMMHLTH
603 Principles of Group Dynamics Review
of group process roles and responsibilities of public health professionals.
Group dynamics, principles related to theories and concepts underlying public
health community programs. Structured laboratory experience provided. EDUC
395E Leadership in Action ENGLISH
499 C-D Imagining a Sustainable World See
Honors 499 C-D below GEO
392E Earth System Science A
look at the Earth system as a whole. Emphasis on the relationships
among biological, geological, climatolgical, and human systems on continental
and global scales. The links between these systems illustrated by
present-day processes and the geological record of selected events in Earth
system history. HONORS
499 C-D (or) ENGLISH 499 C-D Imagining a Sustainable World There
is no longer any doubt that we--all of us--are in a state of environmental
crisis. What we read, what we hear and see tells us that our air,
water, land are unsafe, informs us about species extinction, the loss of
wilderness, of farmland, of topsoil. As Wendell Berry notes in “The
Idea of a Local Economy,” our homeland is not secure. 150 years ago
Henry David Thoreau asked us to think hard about how we want to live our
lives. Berry today suggests that restoring environmental sanity depends
upon changing the way we think. He and other contemporary nature
writers–Annie Dillard, Gary Snyder, Terry Tempest Williams–all write from
places of passion because they believe in the transformative power of
language to effect social and environmental change. They all begin with
the question at the center of Walden and so urgent to us in the 21st century:
what would it mean to live an environmentally sustainable life? During
the first semester, we will think deeply about this question--to ask
ourselves what we really want in our lives and what choices we are willing to
make to sustain that life. We will read contemplatively in works drawn
from a broad range of interdisciplinary perspectives, from ecofeminism to the
history of the government’s involvement in environmental protection to
literary meditations on place; from Thoreau’s Walden to Chickasaw writer
Linda Hogan’s “spiritual history of the living world” to Williams’ project of
creating an “open space for democracy.” Students who stay on for the
second semester will write a 50-page senior honors thesis that grows out of
the themes of the course. LSS
100 Issues in Landscape Studies – Smith College Through
readings, discussions, and a series of lectures by Smith faculty and guests,
we will examine the history and influences out of which landscape studies is
emerging. We will look at the relationship of this new field with literary
and cultural studies, art, art history, landscape architecture, history,
biology, and environmental sciences. What is Landscape Studies? Where does it
come from? Why is it important? How does it relate to, for instance,
landscape painting and city planning? How does it link political and
aesthetic agendas? Contact Dr. Anne Leone for information at…
ALEONE@email.smith.edu NS
276 Elements of Sustainability – Hampshire College Contact
Dr. Larry Winship for information or see the course listing at Hampshire
College at… http://essp.hampshire.edu/courses.html
and information on faculty interests at… http://essp.hampshire.edu/people.html#susag NUR
320 Holistic Healing and Alternative/Complementary Medicine Open
to Commonwealth College students. Contact the instructor for more
information, Dr. Bright at mabright@nursing.umass.edu NUR
397D Holistic Health and Healing Open
to all university students. Contact the instructor for more
information. Dr. Mary Anne Bright at mabright@nursing.umass.edu PLS
290S Sustainable Living Sustainable
Living introduces students to diverse global perspectives and practical
personal solutions related to environmental, economic and social
sustainability. The course presents a historical, ethical and technical
review of the impact that our daily decisions make on the global condition.
Students will learn from faculty, local practitioners of sustainable living,
and each other about energy, food, land use, water and air, waste, housing,
personal health, and community. Sustainable Living, will introduce students
to these global challenges, while helping them learn about practical and
research-based solutions that may be implemented in their daily lives. This
class is dedicated to helping students make personal and professional
decisions that support the three interconnected objectives of sustainability;
economic viability, environmental integrity, and social equity.
Includes an optional honors discussion section (recommended for all students). PLS
397 Dialogue on Agricultural Issues Students
will be introduced to the technique of insight dialogue while developing an
individual and community-based ethical understanding of current issues
affecting merican agriculture today. Issues may include; Green Revolution,
sustainability, globalization, spirituality, genetic engineering, the
politics of food, soil health, animal agriculture, and organic agriculture.
This course includes a weekly face-to-face dialogue, reflective writings on
the issues, and service learning work on a community dialogue event. While
the course is intended for Plant and Soil Science students, it is pen to any
interested junior, senior or graduate student. PLS 597S Agricultural
Systems Thinking Systems
thinking is a way of understanding complex real-world situations, such as
those often encountered in food and agricultural work. Systems approaches are
needed to complement more traditional scientific approaches and are
particularly useful when a problem under study: 1) is complex; 2) involves
multiple relationships; and/or 3) involves human decision-making. This course
will introduce students to systems tools for unraveling complexity and for
personal and professional decision-making. The purpose of the class is to
provide students with an opportunity to learn and practice systems thinking
to deepen their understanding of complex food and agricultural systems. The
classroom environment will be designed to encourage co-learning of all
participants.
For more information, contact John Gerber at jgerber@psis.umass.edu,
or see my web page, or stop by 210 French Hall and say hello! Note; to hear an “unofficial” environmental
sustainability song, click here. |
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©2004 John M. Gerber |
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