Levin College of Urban AffairsCSU
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 UST 440 / ENV 540 
Course Syllabus

(any changes will be announced in class)


Objectives COURSE OBJECTIVES


Our natural environment, a key limited resource, is often the subject of heated debate among concerned individuals, communities, the business sector, and agencies at all government levels that engage in policy formulation and in regulatory and permitting activities. Decisions are usually fraught with conflict that delays or prevents any action. Decision making for environmental policy and management has to take into account conflicting values, information with heavy scientific content, and the possibility that consequences will affect numerous people for extended periods of time. One measure of the quality of decisions is their implementability. The implementation of policies and decisions affecting the natural environment can be hampered by decision processes geared to the interests of one party to the near exclusion of other interests. Such processes in essence foil implementation, by failing to ensure the participation of those who can assist or prevent it. On the other hand, broad participatory processes can also reach impasse as various interest groups successfully block each other's initiatives. What types of processes are most likely to yield decisions and policies that can be implemented?
Ecology and Human Affairs addresses this question. It introduces students to principles, techniques and examples of decision making in contexts with environmental linkage.

This course fosters the student's ability to assess decision situations affecting the environment, by:
  • discussing the kinds of process challenges a decision maker encounters in the realms of planning and environmental decision making;
  • identifying strategies (negotiation, litigation, lobbying, etc.) suitable for various decision situations -- such as one-shot versus on-going, two-party versus multiparty, local versus national -- with focus on implementation;
  • carrying out the analysis on which decisions can be based, generating implementable strategies, and negotiating them with others who have a say in implementing a selected strategy;
  • honing skills for presenting results of the analysis and of negotiations to constituencies.

    • At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to:
    identify the joint aspects of an environmental decision situation;
    analyze own interests, options, and likelihoods of consequences;
    identify potential stakeholders in the decision, map their interests, resources and strategies;
    " understand the design needs for a negotiation process that leads to an acceptable and implementable decision;
    understand what is necessary for arguing in favor of selected decisions before a constituency.


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    Method COURSE METHOD


    The course consists of:
    • lectures on decision making and negotiations principles and strategies;
    • class discussions of current issues and case studies;
    • student presentations on assigned questions regarding case studies (with focus on Understanding Environmental Problems);
    • occasional guest lectures;
    • negotiation simulation games.

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    Expectations


    Students are expected to:
    • attend all classes;
    • participate actively in games and discussions, asking clarifying questions;
    • read text materials as assigned;
    • complete assignments in a timely fashion.
    Homeworks/papers should be handed in ON TIME (typed, using any wordprocessing software). Since homeworks serve the goal of sharpening communication skills that complement the analytic ones, pay attention to completeness, clarity and aspect. Grading will be based on both soundness of the analytical thinking and effectiveness of interpretation and communication of conclusions. Prepare for productive class sessions by reading text assignments, identifying topics that need clarification in class, as well as topics for class discussion. Feel free to raise questions to ensure that you thoroughly understand and are able to apply discussed analytical frameworks in contexts outside the classroom.


    Evaluation EVALUATION PROCEDURE


    (tentative)
    The final grade will be a composite of grades for:
    periodic assignments (homeworks) 10%
    participation (games, discussions, presentations) 30%
    midterm 25%
    final 35%
    Warning
    No extra credit beyond the list above.
    Late homeworks will not be accepted.
    Attendance at exams is required. Makeups will be given only in extreme and documented circumstances (proof required; vacation arrangements are not emergencies) and with advance notice. The student must schedule the make-up exam within 7 days of the in-class exam. The make-up exam will vary in form, content, and length from that given in class. Except in these rare circumstances, students earn a score of zero on missed exams.
    If any course component is not offered, the points are redistributed among remaining components.
    Class attendance is not required, but strongly recommended because:
    • that's how you get the participation points
    • changes to this syllabus may be announced only in class
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    This site has been prepared by Sanda Kaufman ()
    Please contact her with any comments.