Course Form (revised 7-2008)
I. Summary of Proposed Changes
Dept / Program
RECM
Course Title
Winter Wilderness Field Studies
Course #
418
Short Title (max. 26 characters incl. spaces)
Winter Wilderness Fld Stdy
Summarize the change(s) proposed
Add new course
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Requestor:
Laurie Yung, Director,
Wilderness Institute
Phone/ email :
6934
laurie.yung@umontana.edu
Program Chair/Director:
Mike Patterson, Chair, Dept
of Society and Conservation
Other affected programs:
Len Broberg, Chair, EVST
Other affected programs:
Neil Moisey, Program
Coordinator, RECM
Dean:
James Burchfield, College of
Forestry and Conservation
III: To Add a New Course Syllabus and assessment information is required (paste syllabus into
section V or attach). Course should have internal coherence and clear focus.
Exact entry to appear in the next catalog (Specify course abbreviation, level, number, title, credits,
repeatability (if applicable), frequency of offering, prerequisites, and a brief description.) 
UG RECM 418 3 cr. Examination of wilderness values, management issues and strategies, winter
ecology and snow science, risk management and group leadership, and traditional skills. Winter
field course in the Swan Valley and Mission Mountains Wilderness. Offered wintersession. Crosslisted with EVST.
Justification: How does the course fit with the existing curriculum? Why is it needed?
This course has been offered during wintersession for several years. It is a very popular course which fills a
number of important curricular gaps.
Are there curricular adjustments to accommodate teaching this course?
No.
Complete for UG courses. (UG courses should be assigned a 400 number).
Describe graduate increment (Reference guidelines:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/committees/grad_council/procedures/gradIncrement.aspx )
Students receiving graduate credit are required to submit an original research term paper at the end
of the course. The paper should address a relevant wilderness issue (prescribed burning, fee
demonstration, wildlife reintroduction, etc.), and be about 15 pages in length. The paper must
include cited sources, and be of publishable quality, written in a standard format (such as Journal of
Forestry, Journal of Leisure Research, or American Psychological Association, etc.).
Fees may be requested only for courses meeting specific conditions determined by the
YES
NO
Board of Regents. Please indicate whether this course will be considered for a fee.
X
If YES, what is the proposed amount of the fee?
$150
Justification: The fee is required to cover the Forest Service cabins where students stay in Condon during the
first week of the class and the Wilderness First Aid training they obtain as part of the course.
IV. To Delete or Change an Existing Course – check X all that apply
Deletion
Title
Course Number Change
From:
Level U, UG, G
From:
To:
Description Change
Change in Credits
From:
To:
Prerequisites
1. Current course information at it appears in catalog
(http://www.umt.edu/catalog) 
3. If cross-listed course: secondary program & course
number
4. Graduate increment if level of course is changed to
UG. Reference guidelines at:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/committees
/grad_council/procedures/gradIncrement.aspx
(syllabus required in section V)
5. Other programs affected by the change
6. Justification for proposed change
To:
Repeatability
Cross Listing
(primary program
initiates form)
Is there a fee associated with the course?
2. Full and exact entry (as proposed) 
Have you reviewed the graduate increment
guidelines? Please check (X) space provided.
V. Syllabus/Assessment Information
Required for new courses and course change from U to UG. Paste syllabus in field below or attach and send
digital copy with form.
Winter Wilderness Field Studies Course Syllabus
Goals
Students will understand Wilderness values, definitions, issues, management strategies, ecology,
and traditional skills as they relate to the Mission Mountains Wilderness.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Define their personal and legal definitions for Wilderness
 Recall threats to designated Wilderness
 Understand winter-related wilderness management issues
 Comprehend community based stewardship in the Swan Valley
 Demonstrate LNT winter camping skills
 Practice outdoor leadership skills including group dynamics and decision-making
 Demonstrate backcountry medicine principles applicable to winter travel
 Practice avalanche safety techniques and backcountry medicine techniques before and during
the backcountry trip
 Measure and monitor winter recreation use
 Identify wildlife tracks, travel patterns, and local ecology
of an alpine habitat.
 Understand and apply the fundamentals of risk assessment
 Understand differences in wilderness management between east and west slopes of the
Mission Mountains Wilderness
Course content:
This course includes a backcountry and classroom component. Students will stay at the Condon
Work Center in the front-country and ski or snowshoe in the backcountry. This course explores
natural resource management issues and outdoor leadership in the Swan Valley and the Mission
Mountain Tribal Wilderness. Students will study community-based stewardship, winter ecology,
fundamentals of snow and avalanche science, mountain meteorology, outdoor leadership, group
dynamics and decision-making, risk assessment, and Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness history.
Activities include classroom and field lectures, discussion, visits with local Swan Valley residents,
winter recreation monitoring, basic winter wilderness skills and emergency care, and a three-day
backcountry trip.
Evaluation of student course work
Expected Learning Outcomes





Students will understand personal and legal definitions for Wilderness
Students will understand threats to designated Wilderness
Students will understand winter-related wilderness management issues
Students will understand and apply outdoor leadership skills including group dynamics and
decision-making
Students will understand community based stewardship in the Swan Valley







Students will understand winter ecology principles
Students will understand the fundamentals of snow and avalanche science
Students will understand how to conduct winter recreation monitoring
Students will understand the fundamentals of risk assessment as it applies to outdoor
education
Students will understand differences in wilderness management between east and west
slopes of the Mission Mountains Wilderness
Students will understand backcountry medicine principles applicable to winter travel
Students will understand and practice winter wilderness skills, especially as they apply to
Leave No Trace principles
Assessment
Undergraduate Credit: Evaluation Criteria & Grading


50% Skill development, class participation, attitude, and performance in the field and in the
classroom
50% written essay exam covering reading assignments, lectures, videos and activities (both
indoors and outdoors)
Undergraduate students are responsible for reading assignments on due dates and may be called
upon to lead a group discussion.
Graduate Credit: Evaluation Criteria & Grading



25% Skill development, class participation, attitude, and performance in the field and in the
classroom
25% written essay exam covering reading assignments, lectures, videos and activities (both
indoors and outdoors)
50% research paper
Students receiving graduate credit are responsible for reading assignments on due dates and may be
called upon to lead a group discussion. Students receiving graduate credit are required to submit an
original research term paper at the end of the course. The paper should address a relevant wilderness
issue (prescribed burning, fee demonstration, wildlife reintroduction, etc.), and be about 15 pages in
length. The paper must include cited sources, and be of publishable quality, written in a standard
format (such as Journal of Forestry, Journal of Leisure Research, or American Psychological
Association, etc.).
Grading
1. This course will be using a plus/minus grading system. Valid grades and their grade point
values per credit are shown below:
Grade
A
Points
94 – 100
%
GPA
4.0
Grade
C+
Points
77 –
79%
GPA
2.3
Grade
D-
Points
60 –
62%
GPA
0.7
A-
90 – 93 %
3.7
C
B+
87 – 89 %
3.3
C-
B
83 – 86 %
3.0
D+
B-
80 – 82 %
2.7
D
73 –
76%
70 –
72%
67 –
69%
63 –
66%
2.0
F
< 60 %
0.00
1.7
1.3
1.0
Meeting dates
January 4 to January 8
January 11 to January 15
Students meet from 8 AM to 5PM, and 7 PM to 10 PM daily
Enrollment limit
Enrollment is limited to 12 students due to housing availability at the Condon Work Center and
group size limits in the Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness.
Week One
Monday, 01/04
Arrive Condon @ 10 a.m., Welcome & Introductions, Course expectations
Tour facilities & get settled. Swan Ecosystem Center, Anne Dahl
Afternoon: Field activities (nature trail-winter ecology; winter wilderness skills)
Evening Program: “Wild by Law” video, reading assignments
Tuesday, 01/05 Classes begin @ 8 am
Morning: Weather Forecast, Wilderness Management Lecture and activities;
Andrew Johnson, USFS, guest speaker
Afternoon: Visit with Bud Moore, Coyote Forest (community-based stewardship)
Evening Program: “Snowshoeing” & “Arctic Dreams” video, Group Meeting, reading assignments
Wednesday, 01/06 Classes begin @ 8 am
Morning: Weather Forecast, Trip planning and gear shake down, Route planning, mapping activity
Backcountry Medicine, Trenton, Aerie School for Backcountry Medicine
Afternoon: Backcountry Medicine…continued
Evening Program: “American Values, American Wilderness” video and reading assignments
Thursday, 01/07 Classes begin @ 8 am
Morning: Weather Forecast
Wilderness Management: “Threats to Wilderness,” Kari Gunderson
Afternoon: Ski and snowshoeing field trip
Evening Program: Group Meeting, Avalanche videos, reading assignments
Friday, 01/08 Classes begin @ 8 am
Morning: Weather Forecast
Discussion on Rescue-Free Wilderness, Kari Gunderson
Avalanche Awareness, Leah Taylor, U.S. Forest Service
Afternoon: Avalanche Awareness…continued
Group Meeting, clean up facilities, depart from Condon for home by 4 PM
Week Two
Monday, 01/11
Arrive Condon @ 10 a.m.
Morning: Forecast
Winter LNT Principles and Winter Camping; Tribal Wilderness. Germaine White & Lester Big Crane,
Salish/Kootenai Tribal Natural Resources Program, Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness (11 AM)
Afternoon: Trip Planning and Preparation
Evening Program: Trip Preparation
Tuesday, 01/12 Depart at 8 am for Cold Lakes, Mission Mountains Wilderness
Group backcountry ski/snow shoe trip
Winter ecology, group dynamics & leadership, winter wilderness skills, and monitoring
Wednesday, 01/13
Group backcountry ski/snow shoe trip
Dig snow pit, snow analysis, build snow shelter, group dynamics & leadership, avalanche awareness, winter
wilderness skills, monitoring, and winter ecology
Thursday, 01/14
Group backcountry ski/snow shoe trip
Group dynamics & leadership, avalanche awareness, winter wilderness skills, and monitoring
Return to Condon
Preparation for essay assignment, complete course evaluation
Friday, 01/15, Classes begin @ 8 am
Morning: Trip Debriefing session, Essay Assignment
Afternoon: Group Closure activity, clean up facilities
Depart by 4 PM
2010 Winter Wilderness Field Studies
Course Readings
Monday, January 4, 2009
 Mission Mountains East
 Guide to the Mission Mountains Wilderness
 Mission Mountains Tribal Wilderness: A Case Study
Tuesday, January 5, 2009
 Hypothermia: The Insidious Cold
 Notes on Hypothermia, Cold Injuries, and Dehydration
 LNT Winter Use Principles
 Winter Camping & Backpacking Tips
Wednesday, January 6, 2009
 Management Dilemmas That Will Shape Wilderness in the 21st Century
 Stewardship to Address Threats to Wilderness Resources & Values
 The Montana Legacy Project/Swan Watershed Map
Thursday, January 7, 2009
 Rescue-Free Wilderness Areas
 Incident Reports for the Mission Mountains Wilderness
VI Department Summary (Required if several forms are submitted) In a separate document list course
number, title, and proposed change for all proposals.
VII Copies and Electronic Submission. After approval, submit original, one copy, summary of
proposals and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221, camie.foos@mso.umt.edu.