St. Cloud State University
General Education Goal Area 10
Environmental Issues
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
1.
Proposal Number:
Prepared by: Balsy Kasi for ETS
Phone: 308-3132
Email: balsy@stcloudstate.edu
2.
Requesting Unit: COSE
3.
Department, Course Number, Title: ETS 363 Resource Management
4.
New Course
5.
Will this course be flagged as a diversity course?
Already Designated as Diversity
Existing Course
No
Diversity Proposal Accompanying This Form
6.
Will this course also satisfy another General Education Goal Area?
No
Yes
If “Yes” specify which goal area.
Goal Area 3: Natural and Physical Sciences
7.
Course bulletin description, including credits and semesters to be offered:
‘Energy and material resource management including waste generation, energy efficiency/conservation,
and resource recovery.’3 Cr. F, S.
8.
Indicate the clientele for whom this course is designed. Is the course for general education only, or
does it fulfill general education and other program needs for this or another department? Obtain
signatures from any affected departments.
This course is required for many of our majors. This course has the potential to reach broader audience
including but not limited to students in science & engineering fields.
9.
Indicate any changes that must be made in offerings or resources in your department or other
departments by offering this course.
NONE
10.
For new courses or courses not yet approved for General Education, indicate any other SCSU departments
or units offering instruction that relates to the content of the proposed course.
N/A
11.
Courses designated as General Education are included in the assessment plan for the Goal Area(s)
for which they are approved. Courses for which assessment has not included in the annual GE
assessment report for two years will be removed from the General Education Program.
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The Requesting Unit understands and recognizes the above conditions.
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12.
Provide a concise explanation of how the following goal is a “significant focus” of the proposed course.
Goal Area 10: Environmental Issues
Examine the interrelationship of humans and the natural worlds from scientific and socio-cultural
perspectives and the complex environmental challenges that result.
This course offers a forward-looking approach to environmental education by focusing on the roles that
scientists and engineers play in solving environemetnal problems. Prinicples of green design, industrial
ecology, pollution prvention and sustainable development will be presented as we explore technological
solutions for environmental problems. This course will incorporate engineering and science (physical,
chemical, biological) concepts in the design, development, and deployment of solutions to environmental
problems.
13. In order for a course to be designated as fulfilling Goal Area 10, it must address at least 4 of the 5 student learning
outcomes (SLOs) below. Check the SLOs below that are focused on in the proposed general education course.
1. Explain the basic structure and function of various ecosystems and human adaptive strategies within those
systems.
2. Discern patterns of interrelationships of bio-physical and socio-cultural systems.
3. Describe the human institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, and religious) that deal with
environmental and natural resource challenges.
4. Analyze environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships,
ecosystems, and institutions.
5. Propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems including issues involving sustainability.
14.
Explain how each of the learning outcomes checked above is achieved by this course.
SLO 1: Students will explore the connections between environment and society by appropriate framing of
environmental issues which includes human activity with respect to physcial, chemical, and biological changes.
Based on reading assignments, case studies, and supplemental readings students will be asked to demonstrate their
understanding of physical, chemical, and biological changes in the environment and relevant
adaptation/mitigation of the environment. Students will explore contemporary environmental concerns such as ewaste and land-use dynamics.
SLO 2: Students will see the connections by exploring industrial ecology, green engineering, and Life Cycle
Assessment principles as they relate to products and chemical/physical/biological processes. Based on teading
assignments, review of case studies, and supplemental readings, students will be asked to offer solutions to
loca/global environmental problems. In addition, students will be asked to map the connections between
socia/engineering/bio-physical-chemical sciences as they study the development of technology in the cultural
context.
SLO 3: Students will understand the institutional arrangements by understanding the nature of technologicla
design for the environment from specific examples related to energy, water, transporatation, batteries,
powerplants, automobile, refrigeration etc. Students will be asked to evaluate solutions for waste management,
urban sprawl, Urban Smog, water pollution and their impact on diverse community based on
race/class/gender/region. The connections between environment and economics within the politcal contact will be
discussed.
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SLO 4: Students will analyze environmetal issues via environmental policy analysis dealing with economics, risk,
and forecasting. Students will use fundamentals of engineering economics, life cycle cost, C/B analysis from the
governmental data related to technology and environment.
SLO 5: Students will understand the connection between engineering (technology) and environment to provide
sustainable solutions to protect the only blue planent that we know. Students will use assigned case studies of
issues such as PCBs in the Aquatic environment, e-waste, Great Lakes pollution/remediation, CFCs and Ozone
Hole, Batteries and Environment, Refrigeration and the Environment, controversies surrounding dam building,
Agricultural/wetland issues. Data from governmental/NGOs will be used.
15.
List or attach the Course Outline (adequately described and including percentage of time to be allocated
to each topic). Curriculum Committees may request additional information. Topics larger than 20% need
to be broken down further.
1.
Understand the historical roots of resource conservation, environmental, and sustainability
movements. 10% SLO 1-3
2.
Understand the interactions of technology (engineering), society, and environment in the context of
resource management. 5% SLO 3-4
3.
Describe basic concepts and processes in resource management. 5% SLO 1-3
4.
Get an in-depth dynamics of resource management by semester long discussion on topics such as energy,
water, transportation, industrial products from current supplemental readings. 15% SLO 3-5
5.
Understand the relevance of technology design for the environment through case studies and
environmental life cycle assessments. 15% SLO 1-5
6.
Explore the relevance of modeling environmental processes in resource management. 15% SLO 4-5
7.
Discuss contemporary resource management topics in policy analysis (natural/non-natural resources) 10%
SLO 3-5
8.
Discuss contemporary issues related to sustainable resource management. 15% SLO 3-5
9.
Encapsulate our feelings about resource management. 5% SLO 1-2
10.
Become an informed and ethical user/manager of resources on the planet! 5% SLO 1, 5
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St. Cloud State University
General Education Transmittal Form
Academic Affairs Use Only:
Response Date:
Effective Date:
Proposal Number
Department:
Course or Course(s):
Department or Unit Chair Signature
Date
Department forward to Academic Affairs for publication and electronically to Chair of General Education Committee, Chair
of College Curriculum Committee, College Dean
Recommendation of General Education Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of University Curriculum Committee:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
Chairperson
Committee
Signature
Date
Recommendation of Faculty Association:
Approve
Remarks:
Disapprove
FA Senate
Signature
Date
Action of Academic Vice President:
Approve
Disapprove
Signature
Entered in Curriculum Data File
12/11/2009
Remarks:
Date