Course Syllabus

Course TitleTopics in Tribal Air Quality Management

Section TitleManagement of Tribal Air Programs and Grants

Course NumberCEFNS393

Offered byCollege of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences (CEFNS) and

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP)

Course Hours1.0 credit hour (25.5 hours in the classroom, 3 hours of pre-course work, and 2 hours of homework during the course. There will be an additional 15 hours of post-course work for those who seek academic credit)

InstructorPatricia M. Ellsworth, Ph.D., Curriculum Coordinator, ITEP

Office LocationInstitute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP)

NAU-Box 15004

Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5004

Ph: 928-523-9555

Fx: 928-523-1266

Course Prerequisites

ITEP’s Introduction to Tribal Air Quality course or equivalent training or experience.

Course Philosophy

As a cooperative effort between Northern Arizona University and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the American Indian Air Quality Training Program seeks to fulfill the mandate of the 1990 Clean Air Act to offer Native American tribes full partnership in the management of air quality on tribal lands. It is also recognized that any training program provided to Native Americans must be sensitive to their cultural heritage.

Course Description

This is a course for tribal air quality program managers and technical personnel. The course provides an overview of the administrative and management skills needed to operate a tribal air quality program and manage grants.

Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes for This Course

This course will help professional tribal air quality staff successfully operate their programs. This course will better prepare tribal air quality staff to manage federal grants and budgets, write high-quality grant work plans and reports, and understand the requirements of a federal air program. After completing this course, participants will be able to:

  1. List key concepts of the Tribal Authority Rule (TAR).
  2. List several elements in a typical Tribal Air Program.
  3. Identify one specific way tribes can participate in the policy process at the regional and/or national level.
  4. Write a Goal for air quality management.
  5. Write three measurable Objectives that will help the tribe work toward that goal.
  6. Write three Tasks, with a timeframe, for each objective.
  7. Develop a work plan for an air program.
  8. Develop a budget for an air program.
  9. Explain key concepts of personnel management.
  10. Respond to an RFA/RFP.
  11. Apply key principles of grant management.

Course Structure and Approach

This course is designed as a highly interactive workshop. There are large-group presentations (lecture/discussion) with visual aids, but the emphasis is on small-group work. Groups develop strategic goals and objectives, work plans, staffing strategies, and budgets for a tribal air program. Groups also calculate indirect costs and match for federal grants.

Textbook and Required Materials

A training manual composed of presentation materials, small-group activities, and an extensive glossary will be provided at the beginning of this course.

Pre-Course Reading:

An Overview of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Adapted by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals. Updated 2011.

Days 2–3 Reading:

The Tribal Air Grants Framework: A Menu Of Optionsfor Developing Tribal Air Grant Work Plans andManaging Grants for Environmental Results. Revised October 2007.

Recommended Materials/References

Indian Tribes: Air Quality Planning and Management; Final Rule. Federal Register, Vol. 63, No. 29, February 12, 1998, pp. 7253–7274.

Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act. US EPA 400-K-93-001. April 2007.

Course Outline

See attached agenda.

Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes

  • Methods of Assessment
  • Pre-course assignment.
  • Homework assignments.
  • Pre-course/post-course assessment of content knowledge. This assessment will be given twice. As a pre-test at the beginning of the course it will establish a baseline of knowledge among the participants. As a post-test at the end of the course it will provide a measure of the knowledge gained. The assessment will be based on presentations, group activities, homework, and a pre-course assignment. It is one of several tools for assessing learning during the course.
  • Post-course work for students seeking academic credit.
  • Timeline for Assessment
  • The pre-course assignment will be completed and submitted prior to the course.
  • Homework assignments will be completed during the course.
  • Time will be provided during class for completion of the pre-course/post-course assessment of content knowledge. It will be graded following the course and each participant will receive his/her own scores via email.
  • Post-course work will be completed within 2 months after the course occurs.

Grading System (applies only to credit-seeking students)

This course will be given on a graded basis. Grades will be assigned for this course based on:

1.Homework, pre-course and post-course assignments (30% of grade)

2.Participation in classroom activities, discussions, etc. (40% of grade)

3.Post-course assessment of content knowledge (30% of grade)

Grades are assigned as follows:

Letter Grade / Points
A / 90-100
B / 80-89
C / 70-79
D / 60-69
F / <60

Course policies

  • There will be no retests or make-up tests.
  • No late assignments will be accepted.
  • 100% attendance is mandatory.
  • Additional policy statement (required by NAU) is attached.

NAU Classroom Management Statement

Membership in the academic community places a special obligation on all members to preserve an atmosphere conducive to a safe and positive learning environment. Part of that obligation implies the responsibility of each member of the NAU community to maintain an environment in which the behavior of any individual is not disruptive.

It is the responsibility of each student to behave in a manner which does not interrupt or disrupt the delivery of education by faculty members or receipt of education by students, within or outside the classroom. The determination of whether such interruption or disruption has occurred has to be made by the faculty member at the time the behavior occurs. It becomes the responsibility of the individual faculty member to maintain and enforce the standards of behavior acceptable to preserving an atmosphere for teaching and learning in accordance with University regulations and the course syllabus.

At a minimum, students will be warned if their behavior is evaluated by the faculty member as disruptive. Serious disruptions, as determined by the faculty member, may result in immediate removal of the student from the instructional environment. Significant and/or continued violations may result in an administrative withdrawal from the class. Additional responses by the faculty member to disruptive behavior may include a range of actions from discussing the disruptive behavior with the student to referral to the appropriate academic unit and/or the Office of Student Life for administrative review, with a view to implement corrective action up to and including suspension or expulsion.

Revised 7/30/11