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Field Studies in Conservation

Social Awareness & Responsibility

Course Description

This experiential field program is appropriate for students of all disciplines and for anyone with an interest in the conservation, preservation, and natural and cultural history of the world’s protected areas (including national parks, forests, and marine reserves). A program fee is charged for accommodations, transport, and meals.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate credit for the course requires an integrative 500-word essay that clearly demonstrates an ability to apply concepts and material in experiential learning to a conservation-related topic. In addition to the essay, graduate credit for the course requires that the quality of the presentations, written exam material, and project assignments will be of a higher quality than at the undergraduate level. Accordingly, written material and project assignments will receive more rigorous grading than at the undergraduate level. The 500-word essay, in addition to the standard University policy for graduate credit, will be applied for each 3-credit course.

Athena Title

Field Studies in Conservation

Non-Traditional Format

The course will include extended field experience and a series of lectures combined with seminars, presentations, and/or student projects. Two field hours (excluding travel time) is equivalent to one classroom lecture hour in which one semester credit requires 750 minutes of classroom equivalent lectures (hence 3 semester credits requires 3*750 (2250) minutes (37.5 hours) of classroom equivalent lectures).

Prerequisite

Permission of department

Semester Course Offered

Offered fall, spring and summer

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

Student learning Outcomes

  • Students will actively engage with the world's natural environments and protected areas.
  • Students will encourage self-awareness through personal relationships with the natural world.
  • Students will promote creative discourse on conservation and related topics.
  • Students will seek to engage in citizen science activities related to conservation.

Topical Outline

  • The course is comprised of 60-70% field activities (where two field instructional hours equate to one classroom equivalent contact hour), with remaining time spent in the classroom. For example, a 3-credit course will provide 45 classroom-equivalent contact hours and a 6-credit course will require 90 hours.
  • 1. History of conservation and preservation in the United States and/or globally.
  • 2. Natural and cultural history of selected protected areas.
  • 3. Role-playing scenarios and simulations of conservation issues and related topics.
  • 4. Citizen science techniques and case studies.
  • 5. Wicked problems in conservation and potential solutions.

Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes

Social Awareness & Responsibility

The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.


Syllabus

Public CV

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