GEOGRAPHY 2412
ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURE
FALL 2007
Instructor:
Lecture:
Office:
Office hours:
CU Learn Site:
Professor E. Yeh
Tues, Thurs, 11-11:50am, Muenzinger E050
Guggenheim 103A, 303-492-5438, yehe@colorado.edu
Tuesdays, 1-3 pm, or by appointment
Instead of a class website, this class will use CU Learn.
Log into CU Learn http://culearn.colorado.edu with your identikey and password and click on
the link for Geography 2412. Please check this site frequently! All class materials, including this syllabus,
homework assignments, announcements, and readings not in the text will be placed on CU Learn.
Updates and possible adjustments to both the readings and the lecture schedule will also be announced
there. You are responsible for being aware of these changes. In addition, you can keep track of your own
assignment grades for the class through CU Learn.
Teaching assistants and sections:
Lead TA:
Abby Hickcox, abby.hickcox@colorado.edu, Section 107
* primary contact for clicker questions *
TAs:
Amy Zader, amy.zader@colorado.edu, Sections 108, 111
Jessica Schwarz, Jessica.schwarz@colorado.edu, Sections 103, 113
Joshua Taylor, Joshua.S.Taylor@colorado.edu Sections 102, 112
Julie Shapiro, Julie.shapiro@colorado.edu, Sections 117, 120
Kerry Malm, kmalm@colorado.edu, Sections 101, 115
Daniel McGrath, Daniel.mcgrath@colorado.edu Sections 105, 116
Tony LaGreca, Anthony.lagreca@colorado.edu Sections 109, 114
Tyler Roberts, tyler.roberts@colorado.edu, Sections 104, 106
Yonten Nyima, yundannima.yundannima@colorado.edu Section 110
TA office hours will be handed out in the individual recitation sections and posted on CU Learn.
Course topic
The goals of this class are to increase your understanding of key contemporary environmental
issues and to introduce you to the ways in which the field of geography has approached the interaction
between society and nature. In pursuit of these goals, the class will survey global and regional
environmental issues and problems, with an emphasis on their social, political-economic, and cultural
dimensions. The study of these issues evokes one of the most profound questions of our times: What is,
and what ought to be, the relationship between humans and the environment? Throughout the semester,
we will address this question through an examination of selected environmental issues, varied social
responses to environmental change, and the different ways in which human societies have transformed the
earth. We will also ask: How do we understand “nature”? What drives human modification of the earth,
and how are specific groups of people differentially affected by those modifications? What kinds of
assumptions have led to the creation of certain environmental problems (and for whom are they problems)?
What kinds of assumptions underlie our attempts to solve these problems and what differential impacts do
efforts to mitigate environmental change have? Topics you will learn about include population and
consumption; agriculture; energy; biodiversity and conservation; anthropogenic climate change; and
water use. Through this class, you should find that geography offers an integrated way of understanding
that is increasingly useful for addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems and their potential
solutions.
1
Required textbooks
There are two required textbooks, both available at the University Bookstore.

Withgott and Brennan. 2007 Essential Environment – The Science Behind the Stories. Second
Edition. [“Essential Environment”]

Annual Editions – Environment – 07/08. Twenty-fifth Edition. 2007 [“Annual Editions”]
In addition, you will also have assigned, required readings, which will be placed on E-reserve and
on CU Learn.
I-clicker
In addition to the readings, you must purchase an I-clicker for this class. Some copies of Withgott
and Brennan are packaged together with a $10 coupon for an I-clicker. This is the same I-clicker as is
being used across campus, and you only need one for all of your classes.
To register your I-clicker after you have clicked it once during lecture, log into CU Connect, click
the “Courses” tab and then click on the “CU Clicker registration button.”
The frequency for the lecture hall is BB. You will need to remember to set the frequency to BB
at the beginning of each lecture (or each time you power it on, if you turn it off during lecture). If your
frequency is not set properly, you will know when the light on your clicker flashes red instead of green
when you try to click an answer. If your light flashes green, your answer has been received and registered.
We strongly recommend that you put your name/email/phone number on your clicker. In case
you lose your clicker and need to purchase a new one, let us know so that we can re-register your grades
to date to your new clicker.
Do not forget to bring your clicker to lecture. There will be clicker questions at all lectures except
for days we show films or when there are guest lecturers. We will give everyone a few “free” clicker
points to cover the possibility that you may forget to bring it once or twice, but if you forget frequently,
your clicker grade will suffer. You do not need to bring the clicker to recitation.
Further instructions and resources for help with clickers can be found on CU Learn.
Readings
Lecture readings, as listed in the class schedule, are to be done before coming to lecture that day.
Clicker questions may be based on those readings.
Recitation readings are to be done before your recitation for that week.
Course Structure
Lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays will cover key points that will build upon the reading that
you have already done for that day. On occasion, I will show a relevant film related to the topic of the
day. Exam questions will be taken from lectures, guest lectures, films, as well as the textbook.
Lecture attendance and clickers Your attendance is expected at the lecture section. I will ask 2-4
clicker questions, usually at the beginning and/or end of each lecture. A receiver will be connected to a
laptop and this system will be used to record your answers. I will use these responses to guide the lecture,
clarify confusing material, and assess comprehension of previous lectures and required readings. These
questions during lecture (correct answer = 2 pts; wrong answer = 1pt) constitute 10% of your final grade.
If you must miss class unavoidably on a few occasions, make sure to get notes from a classmate.
Lecture notes An outline of what will be covered in lecture will be put up on CU Learn by 9am
the day of class, to make them available for pre-lecture printing. These notes are NOT a substitute for
lecture attendance but rather are simply an aid to note-taking. Lecture notes will not be put up on days
when there are films or guest lecturers. All films shown will be available in the Norlin Media Library.
Recitations, held once a week, are your opportunity to clarify any questions you may have about
the lectures, and to discuss your views of contemporary environmental issues presented in lecture. This is
also your opportunity to develop and defend your position through discussion and debate. On a few
2
occasions, recitation instructors will teach a topic related to lecture material. In general, the recitations
will review material covered in the previous week’s lectures, though there will be exceptions to this.
Prior to your recitation section each week, you will be variously required to read an article or
chapter, and/or prepare a written assignment, and/or prepare answers to questions that will be used as
your notes for discussion/debate (but not turned in). The specific requirements for each week are listed in
the schedule below.
Six sets of discussion/debate preparation questions will be due throughout the semester. Although
these do not need to be handed in, your recitation instructor will check to see if you have done them, and
if you have not, or have done them only very superficially (such that you are unable to participate
intelligently in discussion) points will be deducted from your participation grade for that day. This is to
ensure that recitation discussions and debates are worthwhile.
Finally, there will be seven written assignments that will be due in recitation. These will be
posted on CU Learn and you must turn them in during class. The purpose of these written assignments is
to deepen your understanding of the material presented in lecture, and again, to prepare you for recitation
discussion. Be sure to look very carefully at the assignments the week before they are due, so that you
can ask any questions you may have about them in recitation. Unless otherwise noted, these written
assignments are to be typed. For assignments which require short answers, you can enter the answers
directly on the page downloaded from the website, and print it out. For each day that your assignment is
late, you will lose 10% of your grade.
Your attendance is required during recitation.
Lecture, recitation, and critical thinking
Some of the topics covered in this class can be controversial. The lecture will provide facts,
frameworks, and a guide to interpretation of these topics. Students are welcome to offer additional points,
but please note that, given the sheer size of the class, it is during discussion sections and through the
students’ written answers that each student will have the greatest opportunity to confront issues and
defend particular positions. Hopefully, over the course of the semester, each student’s personal position
will develop or evolve, or perhaps even change. The only important thing is that each student develops a
position that can be defended in the face of critique and facts. Developing your ability to articulate your
position, in both discussion and in written from, is developing the ability to think critically. This ability,
regardless of what one’s position may be, will be a very useful tool in further university coursework as
well as life after college.
Assignments and grades are as follows:
There will be a good deal of work and reading for this class. A good rule of thumb is that three
hours of work are necessary for each hour of in-class time, or in other words 9 hours a week outside of
this class. You should review the material continuously throughout the semester and ask questions about
material that you do not understand. Budget your time accordingly.
Recitation written assignments: Best 6 out of 7,
Attendance, participation in recitation discussions, etc.
Clicker questions in lecture
Mid-term examination
Final examination
6 x 5% =
30%
20%
10%
20%
20%
100%
Examinations
The mid-term exam will be held on Thursday October 18 in class. The final exam will be held
Saturday December 15 at 10:30am. The format of the exams will be true-false and multiple-choice.
The final will not be cumulative in the traditional sense. It will likely use terms and concepts that you
learned in the first half of the class, but will test your knowledge of material taught after the mid-term.
3
Both exams will test understanding of the concepts and processes presented in lectures and readings, and
discussed in recitation sections.
In general no make-up exams will be given. Therefore, please note the date/time of the mid-term
and final, and make your travel plans around it, not the other way around.
The only exceptions to the make-up exam policy are as follows:
(1) The University allows students with 3 or more exams scheduled for a single day to take one
of them on an alternate day. The University deadline to let me know that you want to exercise
this option for either the mid-term or final is Friday, October 5. However, the sooner, the
better.
(2) Students with serious religious observance conflicts must notify the TA or professor by
September 13. This scheduling will be resolved according to the University’s Religious
observances policy (see below).
(3) In cases of serious illness with medical documentation, students may be permitted to
reschedule after discussion with the professor.
Missing an exam for any other reason will result in a grade of 0 for that exam.
4
CLASS SCHEDULE
This schedule of lectures and readings is subject to modification during the semester.
WEEK ONE
Introduction – NO RECITATIONS THIS WEEK
Tues Aug 28
Introduction to class and go over syllabus
Thurs Aug 30
Reading:
Cultures of nature; thinking about society and the environment
“Introduction,” Jennifer Price, Flight Maps: Adventures with nature in modern
America. 1999. Perseus Books. Pp. xv- xxii (on CU Learn AND E-reserve)
and
Essential Environment, pp. 15-21, 35 (start at “US Environmental Policy”)-42
(stop at “The Environmental Policy Process”)
Extra credit option: 6pm tonight: “The Global energy crisis: climate change, mitigation and
adaptation.” UMC Room 235, Extra credit if you attend and write a 1-2 page typed summary
of the arguments of each of the five panelists (2-4 points added to midterm grade, depending on
how thoughtful and well written your summary is). If you choose this option, turn your summary
in to your TA next week.
WEEK TWO
Human transformations of the earth
Recitation reading:
“A brief natural history of the plastic pink flamingo,” Jennifer
Price, Flight Maps; Adventures with nature in modern America. 1999. Perseus
Books. Pp. 111-165.
Tues Sept 4
Reading:
Human transformations of the earth
Essential Environment, pp. 49-52 (stop at “Chemistry and the Environment”);
60-73 (start on p.60 at “How environmental systems work. You can skip
“Plate tectonics shapes earth’s geography on p. 71)
Thurs Sept 6
Reading:
Human transformations of the earth (continued)
Annual Environments, Article 5, “The climax of humanity,” pp. 45-47
WEEK THREE
Population and consumption
Recitation reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 193-199; 203 (start with “Urban centers have mixed
Consequences for the environment”) – 205 (stop at “Forestry and resource
management”). Pay attention to the debate on p. 197.
Assignment 1 due in recitation: Ecological footprint (EXCEPT FOR MONDAY RECITATIONS)
Tues Sept 11
Reading:
Biogeochemical cycles; Millenium Ecosystem Assessment
Annual Editions, Article 6. “Population and consumption: what we
know, what we need to know,” pp. 52-58;
and
Essential Environment, pp. 3-7, 24-33; 123-126; 136-139
[NOTE: Wed Sept 12 is deadline to drop without “W” appearing on transcript and without being
assessed for tuition/fees]
5
Thurs Sept 13
Reading:
Population and Consumption; IPAT; Development as problem or solution?
Annual Editions, Article 4, “Do global attitudes and behaviors support
Sustainable development?” pp. 30-44.
WEEK FOUR
Population/consumption (continued); tragedy of the commons
Recitation reading:
Ronald Bailey, 2002. “Wilting Greens” in Taking Sides: Clashing
Views on Environmental Issues, pp. 34-36.
Assignment 1 due for Monday recitation
Discussion/debate preparation 1 must be completed before, and brought to, your recitation
Tues Sept 18
Reading:
Consumption and population, continued, Malthus, food and famine
Annual Editions, Article 19, “Dryland development: success stories from West
Africa” pp. 151-161.
Thurs Sept 20
Film on consumption – Affluenza
WEEK FIVE
Property rights/ Agriculture
Recitation reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 126-136
Assignment 2 due in recitation: Population/consumption/tragedy of commons
Tues Sept 25
Reading:
Tragedy of the commons? : Property rights in problems and solutions
Hardin, Garrett. 1968. “The Tragedy of the Commons.”
Science. 163: 1243-1248.
and
Feeny, D., F. Berkes. B.J. McCay & J. Acheson (1988) “The Tragedy of the
commons: 22 years later” Green Planet Blues. Edited by Ken Conca, Michael
Alberty and Geoffrey D. Dabelko. Boulder: Westview Press, pp. 53-62.
Tues Sept 27
Property rights (continued);
Agriculture – environmental effects, the Green Revolution
Reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 141-167; and
“Where have all the farmers gone?” Brian Halwell, World Watch Sept/Oct 2000.
WEEK SIX
Agriculture/water
Discussion Preparation 2, which you need to bring to recitation
will require that you answer questions by reading the following websites:
http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1687&Itemid=1189
http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/files/Utilities/Water_Conservation/DroughtPlanVol1.pdf
http://www.hydrosphere.com/projects/boulder_drought_plan.htm
http://www.westernresourceadvocates.org/water/wateruse.php
6
Tues Oct 2
Agriculture (continued)- genetically modified organisms; industrial agriculture
Reading:
Annual Editions, Article 8, pp. 66-70
Thurs Oct 4
Agriculture – organics; sustainable agriculture
WEEK SEVEN
Water
Assignment 3 due in recitation: Water (bring your answers to recitation)
Discussion/debate preparation 3: Genetically modified organisms
Tues Oct 9
Reading:
Water – hydrological cycle
Essential Environment, pp. 240-252
Annual Editions Article 20, pp. 162-171
[NOTE: Wed Oct 10 is the drop deadline for NON- Arts & Sciences students]
Thurs Oct 11
Water (continued) privatization and scarcity
WEEK EIGHT
Midterm week
Tues Oct 16
MID-TERM REVIEW
Thurs Oct 18
MID-TERM
WEEK NINE
Climate Change and climate justice
Discussion/debate prep 4
Climate change science – evidence, mechanisms, impacts
Tues Oct 23
Reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 271-275 (stop at “Outdoor air pollution”);
278 (start at “Burning fossil fuels produces industrial smog”) – 284;
288-299.
Annual Editions, Article 10 “The Irony of climate”, pp. 79-82;
Thurs Oct 25
Environmental Justice (Maxine Burkett, CU School of Law)
Reading:
WEEK TEN
In the wake of the storm: Environment, disaster and race after Katrina”
http://www.russellsage.org/news/060515.528528, pp. 1-42.
Climate change, continued
Assignment 4 due in recitation: toxics/environmental justice
Tues Oct 30
Climate change, continued – vulnerability, responses
Reading:
1. Annual Editions, Article 26, “The Tipping Point”, pp 221-224.
7
2. Annual Editions, Article 10 “The Irony of climate”, pp. 79-82;
3. “Dangers and thresholds in climate change and the implications
for justice” Stephen Schneider and Janica Lane, in Fairness in
Adaptation to Climate Change, pp. 23-51.
Thurs Nov 1
Reading:
Climate change – Kyoto and beyond, climate justice
1. Annual Editions, Article 27
“Swift boating, stealth budgeting, and unitary executives”, pp. 225-228
and
2. “Introduction: Wet feet marching” in A climate of injustice:
Global inequality, North-South Politics and Climate Policy,
pp. 1-19.
[Note: Friday Nov 2 is drop deadline for students in the college of Arts & Sciences]
WEEK ELEVEN
Climate change (continued)/automobility
Assignment 5 due in recitation: climate change
Discussion/debate preparation 5: climate change
Tues Nov 6
Post-Kyoto action at various scales – international, national, regional, local
No reading
Thurs Nov 8
Cultures of nature: the automobile and American nature
No reading
WEEK TWELVE
Automobility and Energy: petro-politics and renewables
Assignment 6 due in recitation: Automobile essay
Discussion/debate preparation 6: ANWR (must be completed before, and brought to, your
recitation)
Recitation reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 319-326 (Nuclear energy)
Tues Nov 13
Automobility/conventional energy
Conventional energy
Reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 301-319 (stop at “Nuclear Power”)
Thurs Nov 15
Robert Gough – renewable energy on native American lands
Reading:
Annual Editions, Article 12, “More profit with less carbon”, Article 13, “Wind
power: obstacles and opportunities” and Article 16, “Sunrise for renewable
energy?” pp. 96-114; 123-125.
NO CLASS WEEK OF NOVEMBER 20 – FALL BREAK/THANKSGIVING
8
WEEK THIRTEEN
Conventional energy
Discussion preparation 7: renewable energy (must be completed before, and brought to, your
recitation)
Recitation reading:
Essential Environment, pp. 329-351
Tues Nov 27
Petropolitics
No Reading
Thurs Nov 29
Reading:
Cultures of nature/biodiversity: indigenous knowledge and ethnobotany
Film: The Shaman’s apprentice
Annual editions, Article 18, “Markets for Biodiversity services” pp 139-147
Essential Environment, pp 169-189
WEEK FOURTEEN Biodiversity/Parks and wilderness
Recitation reading:
“ ‘Are you an environmentalist or do you work for a living?’: Work and nature”
Richard White. 1996." In William Cronon (ed). Uncommon Ground: Rethinking
the human place in nature. p. 171-183.
Tues Dec 4
Biodiversity
Reading:
Thurs Dec 6
Reading:
WEEK FIFTEEN
“Introduction: From common ground” and “Conclusion: Exceptions and the rule”
Dispossessing the wilderness: Indian removal and the making of the national
parks. Mark David Spence, Oxford UP, 1999. pp. 3-8; 133-139.
The trouble with wilderness: parks and dispossession
“Vanishing (Remaining)” by Rebecca Solnit, Savage Dreams: A journey
Into the hidden wars of the American West. 1994, pp. 268-293.
Wrap-up
Assignment 7 due in recitation: Environmentalisms
Tues Dec 11
Is green consumerism the answer?
Thinking about the way forward/wrap-up
Reading:
Michael Maniates 2002. "Individualization: plant a tree, buy a
bike, save the world?" in Thomas Princen, Michael Maniates, Ken Conca,
eds., Confronting Consumption. Cambridge: MIT Press: 43-66.
AND
Essential Environment, p. 372-378
9
Thurs Dec 13
REVIEW FOR FINAL EXAM
Final Exam: Saturday, December 15th, 10:30am – 1:00pm, same classroom (Muen E050)
Bring a #2 pencil and eraser to all exams!
CAMPUS POLICIES AND HELPFUL HINTS
HOW CAN I DO WELL IN THIS CLASS?









Attend all lectures and recitations.
Participate actively in recitation, having thought about readings ahead of time.
Keep up with the required readings.
Turn in all recitation assignments the day they are due.
On recitation assignments, pay attention to proper grammar, punctuation and writing style, to use
of ideas learned in class, as well as to the persuasiveness of your argument.
Your TAs are here to help! Ask questions during recitation; visit their office hours immediately if
you have trouble with the material. The earlier you see them, the more they can help you.
Take effective notes on readings and lecture. In taking notes, identify key arguments, important
points, themes, trends, and concepts.
Read over your notes and see if they make sense. If not, or if you have any remaining questions.
ask your TA or the professor.
A good way to study for exams is to pretend you are the instructor and write your own test
questions. Once you’ve written the questions, answer them yourself without referring to the book.
Campus Policies
Accommodations for students with disabilities
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to your TA or the professor a
letter from Disability Services as soon as possible, and certainly no later than October 2 (the 6th week of
class), so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on
documented disabilities. (303-492-8671, Willard 322, www.Colorado.edu/disabilityservices)
Religious observances
Students whose religious obligations conflict with scheduled exams or will significantly impact required
attendance in lectures or recitation must notify the professor or TA as soon as possible. If this is the case,
the student and professor will meet and work out a mutually satisfactory agreement for the particular
situation. However, it is the student’s responsibility to examine the course schedule immediately for
anticipated conflicts and notify the professor or TA by Thursday September 13 at the latest.
Discrimination and harassment
Any student who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race,
color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the
Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303492-5550. Information about the ODH, the relevant campus policies, and the campus resources available
to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/odh.
Honor Code and authorized assistance
10
All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the
academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism,
aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of
academic misconduct will be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273).
Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both
academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to
university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html and at www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/
The Honor Code Pledge reads:
“On my honor, as a University of Colorado at Boulder student, I have neither given nor received
unauthorized assistance on this (test) (paper) (work) (assignment)”
For this class, authorized assistance will be limited to your own personal knowledge during
exams, and your own written work on all written assignments. When preparing the weekly recitation
assignments, you may discuss the readings and the answers to your questions with others but your
written answers must be your own.
You are encouraged to use the services of the writing center (see http://www.colorado.edu/pwr/)
and to have someone else proofread or offer suggestions on your writing assignments before submitting
them. However, it is a violation of the honor code to cut and paste text from web sites into your written
assignments without both quotation marks and proper citation. It is also a violation of the honor code to
take writing by your classmates and present it as your own. That is, while it is fine to think about and
discuss assignments with your classmates, it is a violation of the honor code to turn in identical
written answers. Finally, note that according to the Honor Code, "An assembly of huge blocks of other
individuals' existing material, even when cited, does not constitute an appropriate representation of this
expectation (that the papers will be written by the student)".
The bottom line of the Honor code: if you cheat or plagiarize on any test or assignment, you will
receive an F for the class and the violation will be reported to the Honor Council.
Classroom behavior
Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Those
who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Professional courtesy and
sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race,
culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are
provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. TAs and the professor will gladly honor your
request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise us of this preference early
in the semester so that we may make appropriate changes to our records. See polices
http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html and at
http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code
As common courtesy to fellow students and the instructors, students are requested to pay
attention to the following:
 Turn off all cell phones and pagers before coming to class.
 Do not talk out of turn.
 Given the disruption caused by entry and exit from the lecture hall, it is important that all remain
in their seats until the lecture is over. Late arrivals and early exits are disruptive and should be
avoided if at all possible. If you must leave early, please sit close to the door and leave as
unobtrusively as possible.
11
Department of Geography Code of Conduct:
In the Department of Geography, instructors strive to
create an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect in which learning, debate, and intellectual growth can
thrive. Creating this atmosphere, however, requires that instructors and students work to achieve a
classroom in which learning is not disrupted. At the most basic level, this means that everyone should
attend class, and be prepared with readings and assignments completed, and that students pay attention.
This means no conversations with friends, reading the newspaper, coming late, or leaving early. Such
behavior is disruptive to the instructor and to your fellow classmates.
These basics of classroom etiquette are an important means of building and showing mutual
respect. Inevitably, however, disagreements will arise. Sometimes these disagreements will be about
content, sometimes about grades or course procedures, and sometimes they will be about the treatment of
participants in the class. In order to facilitate the resolution of these disagreements, the following
guidelines should be followed. All interactions must be guided by mutual respect and trust.





If you are bothered by some aspect of the class, identify what it is that is bothering you and center
the discussion on that issue.
Address issues that concern you early. Problems are easier to resolve before they fester.
Consider whether it is best to address your concerns in class or in a separate appointment with the
instructor. Remember, behavior that disrupts your fellow classmates is not acceptable.
Abusive speech or behavior will not be tolerated in any interaction between students or between
student and instructor. If an instructor feels that your speech or behavior is abusive, you will be
asked to leave the room. If you believe an instructor has become abusive, you may leave the room
and talk with the department chairperson. Debate and discussion can continue after all parties can
proceed with mutual respect.
If mutual respect cannot be restored, either you or the instructor may take the issue to the
department chairperson or the campus Ombuds Office.
The TAs will sometimes walk around the lecture hall to observe use of clickers. If any of the TAs notices
a student talking loudly or otherwise disturbing the ability of other students to learn from lecture, they
will take the student’s name down to be noted in the student’s grade records for the semester. If a student
has more than one such note, we will deduct from the student’s participation grade for each
additional incident.
12