Instructor:

Robert K. Kaufmann

Associate Professor, Department of Geography

Office: STO 141

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30-4:30, M,F 1:00-2:00, or by appointment.

Contact Information: Kaufmann@bu.edu 353-3940

Teaching

Fellows:

James Baldwin jbaldwin@bu.edu

Karen Cardinal cardinal@bu.edu

Readings for

Lecture:

Cutler J. Cleveland and Robert K. Kaufmann. The Global Environment: An Integrated Systems Approach. This is available at Barnes & Noble.

Readings for

Discussion Section:

Theodore Goldfarb. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Environmental Issues (Dushkin Publishing, 1995, 6th edition).

Course Objectives:

The purpose of this course is to acquaint you with the physical, ecological, social, and political principles of environmental science, and how the scientific method is used to analyze and understand the relation between humans and the natural environment. In particular, we focus on how ecological realities and human desires to increase their material standard of living often clash, leading to phenomena we call environmental degradation. It is not the purpose of this course to teach environmental activism, however worthy you think that is. The purpose of the course is to give you an analytical framework and a set of concepts that you can use to judge environmental issues, to guide your own life, and our responsibility to future generations.

Grading:

Grades are based on four in-class exams (75%), your discussion section grade (20%), which is determined by your participation in discussion, assignments, and in-class quizzes, and in class electronic queries (5%). Three in-class term exams are given during the term. The fourth is given during the final exam session. All exams count equally in figuring your final grade, except that the lowest of the four scores will be dropped. The exams cover lecture material and all the assigned readings. Exams from previous years will be put on this web site. The final exam is on Wednesday, May 5, from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. After your grade has been calculated, I reserve the right to move your grade up (or down) by a single step based on your attendance and participation in class

Absence from tests:

If you are absent from an exam, you receive a grade of zero. In accordance with the low-score drop policy described above, you may decide to cut one of the exams and accept that zero as your lowest grade, which will be dropped. If you are sick for an exam, you may submit a written excuse from Student Health Services (or a physician), and you will be given an oral exam by Professor Kaufmann on the material covered by the exam that you missed.

Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism, cheating on exams, submitting the same work for more than one course, deliberately impeding the academic performance of others and other forms of academic misconduct are serious offenses. I take them very seriously and I expect my students to do likewise. You should read the CAS Academic Conduct Code for further information about specific definitions, procedures, sanctions, etc. Copies of the Code are available in CAS 105.  I am required to refer cases of suspected academic misconduct to the CAS Dean's Office. I assign a "0" or "F" to any assignment that was judged by the Dean (after a hearing in front of a faculty/student Academic Conduct panel) to be a violation of the Academic Conduct Code.