George Mason University–Office of the Registrar Undergraduate Course Approval Form
Please complete this form and attach a copy of the syllabus and catalog description for new courses. Forward the form and
attachments to your departmental curriculum committee for approval, and then to your College/School curriculum
committee, or Dean’s office, for final approval. The approved form should then be forwarded to the Academic Scheduling
Office, MS 3D1. This is for undergraduate course approval only. Please see the Provost Office/Graduate Council
website to obtain a copy of the Graduate Course Approval Form and for details about the graduate course approval process.
Note: Colleges and Schools are responsible for submitting new or modified catalog descriptions (35 words or less, using
catalog format) to Creative Services by deadlines outlined in the yearly Catalog production calendar.
Please indicate: New X _______
Modify___ ____
Delete_______
Department/Unit: _Environmental Science & Policy____Course Subject/Number: __EVPP 421
Submitted by: ____ECM Parsons
________
_______ Ext: ___3-1033________ Email: ___eparson1@gmu.edu
___
Course Title: ____________Marine Conservation_________________________________________________________
Effective Term (New/Modified Courses only): _Fall_________
Credit Hours: (Fixed) __3.0___
(Var.) ______ to ______
Final Term (deleted courses only):____________
Grade Type (check one):_X____ Regular graduate (A, B, C, etc.)
_____
_____
Satisfactory/No Credit only
Special graduate (A, B, C, etc. + IP)
Repeat Status*(check one): ___ NR-Not repeatable __X__ RD-Repeatable within degree ____ RT-Repeatable within term
*Note: Used only for special topics, independent study, or internships courses
Total Number of Hours Allowed: _______
Schedule Type Code(s): 1._LEC_ LEC=Lecture SEM=Seminar STU=Studio INT=Internship IND=Independent Study
2.____ LAB=Lab RCT=Recitation (second code used only for courses with Lab or Rct component)
Prereq _X__ Coreq ___ (Check one):____ BIOL/GEOL 309 (Introduction to Oceanography) and completed or concurrent
enrollment in all other required general education courses.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Note: Modified courses - review prereq or coreq for necessary changes; Deleted courses - review other courses to correct prereqs that list the deleted course.
Description of Modification (for modified courses):_
______
Special Instructions (major/college/class code restrictions, if needed):__________________________________________
Approval Signatures:
Department or Unit: _________________________________________ Date: _____________
(Signature)
College/School Committee: ____________________________________ Date: _____________
(Signature)
George Mason University
Undergraduate Course Coordination Form
Approval from other units:
Please list those units outside of your own which may be affected by this new, modified, or deleted course. Each of these units should
approve this action prior to its being submitted to the COS Curriculum Committee for approval.
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Unit’s Signature:
Date:
Unit:
Head of Units Signature:
Date:
COS Curriculum Committee approval: ______________________________________________ Date: ____________
Course status:
This proposed course has been taught for the past three years (with overall course ratings of 4.83 – 5.00) as EVPP 490 (special topics),
cross-listed with EVPP 505 and BIOL 508.
Catalog Description:
This course provides an overview of threats to the marine environment. It discusses the scientific, socioeconomic and political
issues behind marine conservation. The course covers categories of marine pollutants (chemical, biological and physical
contaminants) and their impacts on the marine ecosystem as well as impacts on humans (health, social and economic), threats to
key marine species (e.g. coral, sharks, turtles and marine mammals) and initiatives and laws developed to reduce these threats.
Scientific and socioeconomic problems that hinder sustainable fisheries management and the science and policy behind the
global warming debate are also discussed. The course also provides an overview of marine environmental law and policy issues
related to marine conservation policy (3:3:0)
Necessity for the Course:
The crisis in the world oceans is one of the major conservation problems today. The investigates the myriad issues involved (scientific
and political) in a multi-disciplinary way. Marine conservation issues are not currently covered in the environmental/conservation track
syllabus, despite to may extents, many of the greatest environmental problems being liked to the oceans – global warming being one
such example.
Relationship to other courses:
BIOL/GEOL 309 (Intro. To Oceanography), BIOL 449 (Marine Ecology) (prerequisites) – marine conservation and fisheries
management are mentioned briefly in one lecture in each course, but not in detail.
EVPP 419 (Marine conservation – proposed) – deals with the biology and conservation of marine mammals only, i.e. a marine
conservation case study. This forms a good complimentary course to marine conservation.
Prerequisites:
Completion or concurrent enrollment in all other required general education courses.
Relationship to similar courses in other departments:
This course has no similar course in other departments.
Audience and enrollment:
400-level. Particularly aimed at Biology (conservation biology and environmental science), Earth Science (Environmental science)
majors and a proposed Earth Science (oceanography major) and the Ocean and Estuarine Science minor. The class has been run for the
past three years with an enrollment of 15-20 students. More students are expected with a proper catalogue entry (30-40).
List of instructors:
Dr. E.C.M. Parsons, Asst. Professor – Marine biology & conservation
Anticipated frequency:
Every fall
Additional Resources necc:
None at this time.
General Education requirement:
The course will be offered as a Gen Ed Synthesis course