Core Designation:

L&CS 122: Environmental Responsibility in a Global Community

  1. Rashaan A. Meneses, Adjunct Faculty
  2. Liberal & Civic Studies Program
  3. Liberal & Civic Studies
  4. Linda Saulsby, Program Director
  5. Liberal & Civic Studies 122: Environmental Responsibility in a Global Community
  6. Spring 2013
  7. The course will be offered in the spring of each year
  8. L&CS 121 or permission of instructor
  9. 1.0
  10. Proper audience: sophomores, juniors, seniors
  11. Learning goals:
  1. Students will be able to integrate ideas from various sources, including this course, courses in other disciplines, the arts, service work and life experiences.
  2. Students will be able to read, discuss and understand challenging texts.
  3. Students will be able to analyze and think critically about learning, service learning and personal experiences, and use the results to form a self-assessment.
  4. Students will write in different rhetorical modes using coherent grammatically correct English.
  5. Students will be able to speak intellectually and clearly in small group discussions.
  6. Students will be able to seek, locate, analyze, evaluate, and effectively use information from printed media, internet, and verbal sources.
  7. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of core environmental issues from a national and global viewpoint along with their responsibilities and social justice issues involved in addressing them.
  8. Students will integrate service learning, class discussions, reading, and current events into a deeper understanding of the collective and individual responsibility to the environment.

Learning Outcomes: Teaching

  1. Reflect and write substantively on ways in which human beings find fulfillment in community.

This course focuses on the natural world in which we live, and the complex inter-relationship between human activities, and the implications for the biosphere of our activities as consumers, custodians and destroyers to discover means of practicing common good in regards to environmental responsibility. Students are assigned a Research Essay, which utilizes course materials and outside sources on a topic related to environmental responsibility, and they will be expected to complete a Research Presentation where they will create a webpage to post their research essay and include pictures, relevant links, further information, and integration of service learning.

  1. Articulate in prose or through another communicative medium, a critical account of a just social order.

Through course readings students examine environmental ethics and explore historical and anthropological perspectives on environmental responsibility so that they may look to the future of the environment in regards to the common good and utilize problem-solving skills to identify potential solutions and calls to action.

  1. Demonstrate a capacity for coherent, principled analysis of concrete social problems.

This course poses questions such as: How does “environmental responsibility” contribute to social justice and the common good? What is “environmental justice” and how do issues of race, class, and gender factor into the issue? Students examine power and privilege as it relates to social justice and will continue their exploration as it relates to environmental problems and solutions.

Learning Outcomes: Student Learning

  1. Reflecting and writing substantively on ways in which human beings find fulfillment in community.

In addition to course readings on environmental ethics and historical perspectives, students engage in service-learning during the semester in a "systemic service-learning setting" in which service activities are directed toward prevention of environmental problems and addressing relationship between environmental responsibility with the common good. The academic papers, presentation, and self assessment will measure students’ capacity to understand and apply principles of environmental responsibility.

  1. Articulating in prose or through another communicative medium, a critical account of just social order.

In addition to the research essay, presentation, and web-page, students are expected to complete weekly news responses, in which they will analyze, reflect on, and respond to current news events regarding complex environmental problems in relation to the common good as well as integrate readings, class discussions, and service-learning in their critical responses and formal assignments.

  1. Demonstrating a capacity for coherent, principled analysis of concrete social problems.

Throughout the course, in students’ readings, service learning, class exercises and formal assignments, they will be asked to critically analyze the “WHAT, SO WHAT, NOW WHAT?” Which means, they will be expected to identify & explain the issue/experience(WHAT); discuss its significance/relevance for individuals and the community(SO WHAT); and then be able to articulate and substantiate whatcould be done and how the issue/experience has impacted each of them individually (NOW WHAT), thereby considering the common good both personally and socially.

Environmental Responsibility in a Global Community

Liberal & Civic Studies 122-01, Spring 2012

Class meetings: MWF 10:20-11:20 am (3 labs: 2/24, 3/23; 4/20; at 12:40-2:10 pm with Garden Steward) + 3 additional labs

Classroom: FAH 120

Instructor:

Office:

Office Hours:

Course Description: This course focuses on the natural world in which we live, and the complex inter-relationship between human activities, and the implications for the biosphere of our activities as consumers, custodians and destroyers. We will examine environmental responsibility as a global issue, and evaluate dilemmas such as climate change, consumption, pollution, ethics, fair trade and environmental justice. We look to the future of the environment and utilize problem-solving skills to identify potential solutions and calls to action. How does “environmental responsibility” contribute to social justice? What is “environmental justice” and how do issues of race, class, and gender factor into the issue? In L&CS we examine power & privilege as it relates to social justice, and will continue that exploration as it relates to environmental problems and solutions.

Students engage in service-learning for 20 hours during the semester in a "systemic service-learning setting" in which service activities are directed toward prevention of problems. For your service-learning, there will be selected partners that deal with different aspects of environmental issues with whom you can work. Students are also required to participate actively in the class, attend several cultural events, write essays/news responses and a self-assessment that reflects on the themes of the course. In addition to three hours of class meetings each week, a workshop class meets for an hour-and-a-half approximately six times in the semester.

Throughout the course, in your readings, service learning, class exercises, we will be asking “WHAT, SO WHAT, NOW WHAT?” Which means, you want to be able to (WHAT) identify & explain the issue/experience; (SO WHAT) discuss its significance/relevance for you and the community; and then be able to articulate (NOW WHAT) what you think should be done and how it has impacted you.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Students will be able to integrate ideas from various sources, including this course, courses in other disciplines, the arts, service work and life experiences.
  2. Students will be able to read, discuss and understand challenging texts.
  3. Students will be able to analyze and think critically about learning, service learning and personal experiences, and use the results to form a self-assessment.
  4. Students will write in different rhetorical modes using coherent grammatically correct English.
  5. Students will be able to speak intellectually and clearly in small group discussions.
  6. Students will be able to seek, locate, analyze, evaluate, and effectively use information from printed media, internet, and verbal sources.
  7. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of core environmental issues from a national and global viewpoint along with their responsibilities and social justice issues involved in addressing them.
  8. Students will integrate service learning, class discussions, reading, and current events into a deeper understanding of the collective and individual responsibility to the environment.

The Legacy Garden

Some of our workshops/labs this semester will take place in the Saint Mary’s College community garden. Working with Garden Steward Julie Welch [, we will help in the garden and learn about campus sustainability programs at our school and also about the larger issues of global sustainability. See the Sustain SMC website to learn more about the program:

Required Reading:

Reynolds, Blackmore & Smith, eds.,The Environmental Responsibility Reader (Zed, 2009)

Jared Diamond, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (Penguin, 2005)

Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Penguin, 2011)

Selected articles posted on Blackboard

Requirements

Midterm 15%

News Response 15%

Service Learning 15%

Research Essay 20%

Research Presentation 15%

Class Participation 20%

Self-Assessment

Midterm: In-class midterm exam

News Responses: You will be responsible for submitting 10 news responses. A weekly response should be approximately 250 words. You will use the news response to describe, analyze, reflect on and respond to a news event related to the environment. You should also incorporate readings, class discussions and activities, service-learning, outside events, etc. in which you integrate ideas from this and other courses and relate them news worthy events. Your grade will be based on your written communication and your reflective analysis – your ability to critically integrate service, readings and discussions into your response and to address potential solutions to the issue. Think WHAT, SO WHAT, NOW WHAT… Submit your new response each Friday. The first response will be practice, after that they will be graded.

**You're encouraged to keep a reading and writing journal to record notes for discussion, reading, service learning. Ideas raised in the reading should be tracked in this journal and are then expected to be incorporated in your formal writing assignments.

Service-Learning: Service-learning is a central feature of L&CS 122 and of the Liberal and Civic Studies Program. We do not consider classroom knowledge and community service as separate entities, but as an integrated whole. In Liberal and Civic Studies, classroom knowledge (gained by reading, reflection, discussion) informs community service, and knowledge gained through service informs classroom learning. Service-learning also provides you with the opportunity to respond with your heart as well as your mind, and to learn in a powerful, first-hand way that all persons are of unique worth and have gifts to share with others, that democracy depends on the involvement of each member of the community, and that our mutual survival on the planet depends on the more able and the less able working together. Service-learning requirements are as follows:

1. Obtain a meaningful service-learning project by the end of the first week of class. There are suggestions in your Guide. CILSA will try to help you with this process during the first week.

2. Perform at least 2 hours of service each week for 10 weeks beginning in the third week of the semester, for a total of at least 20 hours. You may do more hours if you wish. You must complete your service by week 14.

3. Maintain an accurate service-learning log, and regular reflective responses to your service project. Work to relate insights that you have gained in your service with ideas from our readings.

4. Fill out the “Clarification Worksheet” with your service-learning supervisor, delineating expectations that each of you have.

5. Interview a staff person in your organization, write up the responses, and turn them in when they are due.

6. Integrate your service-learning experience into class discussions.

7. You will be asked during the semester to share your service learning experience with the class, explaining WHAT, SO WHAT, NOW WHAT.

Research Essay: A comprehensive 8-10 page research paper, which utilizes course materials and outside sources on a topic related to environmental responsibility.

Research Presentation: You will create a webpage in which you will post your research essay. You will also include pictures, relevant links, further information, integration of service learning, and organizations that address your environmental issue. This is a way to educate your audience about your research project and your experiences with this course overall. At the end of the semester, you will have a 10-minute presentation to the class on your webpage. Peer reviews will also be conducted and part of each student’s presentation grade will include their peer review efforts.

Class Participation: Grading Rubric and Evaluation

Prepared attendance is required for all class sessions. Students must inform the instructor of her or his absence in advance. Missing class will affect your overall grade. Your grade is based upon your leadership of class discussions, essays, integration of service learning, and your attendance at extra-curricular events. You are asked to attend three events, two of which should be arts events, and the third of which may be a lecture. Participation grades are based upon the following criteria:

  • Excellence [A] requires that you attend all classes, workshops, and events, participate actively and take a leadership role in discussions, demonstrate your careful and thoughtful reading of the text, discuss points articulately, listen respectfully and respond seriously to others’ views, ask insightful questions, and take responsibility for the overall quality of the discussion.
  • Above average [B] requires that you are rarely absent from class/events, participate actively in discussions, demonstrate a good knowledge of the text, work to achieve understanding, listen respectfully to other viewpoints, and ask sound questions.
  • Average [C] requires that you attend class/events regularly, participate in the discussions with occasional contributions, demonstrate a basic knowledge of the text, listen respectfully to others and sometimes ask questions. Missing more than 3 hours of classes may also result in a C in participation.
  • Below average [D] results when you follow the conversation respectfully and occasionally participate, or miss more than 5 hours of classes/workshops/events.
  • Failure [F] results when you occupy a seat but show no signs of life, or when you miss more than 9 hours of classes/workshops/events.

Late Assignments: Assignments submitted late will lose half a letter grade for each day past the deadline. If you are having difficulty with an assignment, please ask for help.

Student Disability Services: Reasonable and appropriate accommodations, that take into account the context of the course and its essential elements, for individuals with qualifying disabilities, are extended through the office of Student Disability Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services Coordinator at (925) 631-4164 to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines and available services. Additional information regarding the services available may be found at the following address on the Saint May’s website:

Academic Honor Code: Saint Mary’s College has established a new academic honor code that asks students to pledge to do their own work in their own words, without seeking inappropriate aid in preparing for exams or assignments. The pledge reads as follows: “As a student member of an academic community based in mutual trust and responsibility, I pledge: to do my own work at all times, without giving or receiving inappropriate aid; to avoid behaviors that unfairly impede the academic progress of other members of my community; and to take reasonable and responsible action in order to uphold my community’s academic integrity.” This course operates under the premises of the academic honor code, including the expectation that you will work to uphold high standards of integrity. I am available to discuss issues of academic integrity and any questions you might have about the relationship between policy and this course. To understand the academic honor code in full, please see the most recent Student Handbook. Invitation and reminder: Please feel free to conference with me during office hours, or by appointment, for help with any aspect of the course.