ENVS 660
Advanced Watershed Science & Policy
Fall 2014, CSU Monterey Bay. Copyright (C) Dr. Doug Smith , Dr. Fred Watson & Dr. Marc Los Huertos and/or Guest Instructors.
Syllabus
Course Description from Catalog .........................................................................................................................1
Instructors ................................................................................................................................................................1
Class times & location ...........................................................................................................................................1
Prerequisites ...........................................................................................................................................................1
Course Introduction................................................................................................................................................2
M.S. Coastal and Watershed Science & Policy - Major Learning Outcome 5 ..............................................2
Course Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................................2
Three Course Modules ..........................................................................................................................................3
Treatment Systems for Agricultural Runoff.................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Carmel Lagoon Ecology and Water Quality ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Fire Impacts on Big Sur Lagoon .................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Tentative Schedule of Topics: ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Assessment.............................................................................................................................................................3
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities ....................................................................................................3
SMART College Policy on Academic Honesty ..................................................................................................4
Course Description from Catalog
ENVS 660 – 4 credits: Addresses current watershed environmental issues using advanced research
methods and sound science. Considers issues from multiple perspectives, including legal, political,
diverse stakeholders, and natural science. Students present project results in both written and oral
formats, utilizing innovative visualizations, as necessary, to communicate technical science to decisionmakers or non-specialists. (Offered fall semester.)
Instructors
Dr. Marc Los Huertos
Chapman Science Academic Center, Room E213, (831) 582-4696, marc_loshuertos@csumb.edu
Office hours: By appointment set up using email. ON LEAVE 2014-15
Dr Doug Smith
Chapman Science Academic Center, Room S302, (831) 582-4696, douglas_smith@csumb.edu
Office hours: By appointment set up using email.
Dr Fred Watson
Chapman Science Academic Center, Room E112, (831) 582-4452, fred_watson@csumb.edu
Office hours: By appointment set up using email.
Class times & location
Tuesdays: 12:00 – 4:00
Chapman Science Academic Center E136
Prerequisites



Watershed Systems (ENVS 560 and 560L)
Research Methods/Experimental Design (ENVS 550)
Instructor consent
Course Introduction
Watershed environmental issues embody some of the greatest challenges for sustainable living in our
region and beyond. These issues include water supply, water quality, public health, flooding, and
endangered species. Some watershed impacts are also translated to the marine environment via
lagoons, estuaries, or direct discharge. Effective environmental science that improves watershed and
marine conditions requires an understanding of the interactions among policy, laws, technology,
stakeholder perspectives, management, the complex environment itself, and natural science. Students
completing ENVS 660 will be able to apply advanced topics in watershed science to address real world
problems
In ENVS 660, students will learn first-hand about current watershed issues from professionals in the
community who need solutions. Students will analyze select problems from legal, societal, technical and
scientific perspectives, with the goal of developing a scientific project that formally addresses the issue in
a technical report. Emphasis will be placed on clearly communicating technical scientific results to
decision-makers and associated stakeholders who brought the issue to the class.
M.S. Coastal and Watershed Science & Policy - Major Learning Outcome 5
Advanced Watershed Science & Policy partially fulfills the requirements for “Applied Sciences” major
learning outcome (MLO 5) in the Coastal and Watershed Science and Policy M.S graduate program.
MLO 5 states that students will apply advanced principles, theories, and practices of a life science or
earth science field to environmental issues and policies. This outcome is met by passing the ENVS 560
and ENVS 660 series. Advanced methods and technologies in watershed research are introduced in
ENVS 560 (Watershed Systems) using a series of short teaching modules. In each module, advanced
analysis tools that are used to address watershed issues are introduced and practiced. In ENVS 660
(Advanced Watershed Science & Policy) students combine the skills that were learned in both Watershed
Systems and Research Methods to effectively address current watershed issues brought to the class by
invited environmental professionals. In any given semester the invited speakers might include
representatives from politics, regional government, environmental agencies, consulting firms, agriculture
and business, non-profit groups, and academia. The final product is a written (and perhaps oral) report
presented to interested parties in the environmental decision-making process. The report must effectively
communicate the technical science of the issue to the intended audience. The ENVS 660 learning
outcomes include demonstrating skills in problem definition, analysis design, project execution, and
results communication.
Course Outcomes
Course Learning Outcome 1—Define a watershed issue: Students will define and distill a watershed
environmental issue so that it can be addressed by science. The student will frame the issue after
considering multiple perspectives, including legal, political, diverse stakeholders, and natural science.
Learning Experiences
1. Invited speakers
2. Lecture with examples of issue definition.
3. Feed back on stages of research and final project
Course Learning outcome 2—Design a scientific approach to addressing a watershed issue :
Students will develop a research or analysis plan using advanced research methods, including
experimental design.
Learning Experiences
1. Invited speakers
2. Lecture with examples of analysis design.
3. Feed back on stages of research and final project
Course Learning outcome 3—Apply scientific approach to a watershed issue. Students will execute
a well thought out scientific project that addresses a watershed environmental issue.
Learning Experiences
1. Feed back on stages of research and final project
2. Feedback from target audience and peers if time allows
Course Learning outcome 4—Effective Communication: Students will communicate project results in
both written and oral formats suitable for decision makers and stakeholders. Students will utilize
innovative communication tools, including visualization, as necessary to communicate technical scientific
results to a non-specialist.
Learning Experiences
1. Invited speakers
2. Feed back on stages of research and final project
3. Feedback from target audience and peers if time allows
Three Course Modules
Over the course of the semester, students will cover 3 discrete topics, each managed by one of the three
instructors. This has been designed to cover a broad bases of skills needed on watershed science with a
hands one approach from project development, implementation, and reporting.
The modules differ each year. The products of most previous modules are summarized here:
http://sep.csumb.edu/class/ENVS660
Schedule
Each module runs for 5 weeks, nominally but flexibly spanning five Tuesday sessions.
Depending on the year, typical module start dates are approximately: 8/27, 10/4, and 11/5.
Assessment
This course must be taken for a letter grade. Student learning will be assessed entirely through
completion of the three group projects. Each student will receive a numerical score for each project. Peergrading may be used in combination with grading by the instructors. The scores will be tallied, and letter
grades assigned approximately as follows:
A+
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
D+
D
F
98%
92%
90%
88%
82%
80%
78%
70%
68%
60%
<60%
You are expected to have a good understanding of Excel, Word, PowerPoint, ArcMap, and Acrobat
(writer) and you should be able to utilize and combine all of these programs to create assessable
documents. Assignments are due at the times assigned in class.
Grades will be specifically linked to the learning outcomes of each project. While the grade A+ signifies
perfection beyond the basic learning outcomes, the C signifies the ability to accomplish the learning
outcome, and grades between A and C reflect the performances between these extremes.
Accommodation of Students with Disabilities
CSUMB welcomes and accommodates students with disabilities as part of campus diversity and for legal
compliance. Students with disabilities who may need accommodations please see a course Instructor by
9/11/14 (3 days after the Add/Drop deadline of 9/8/14) during office hours or by making an appointment.
ALSO, contact: Student_Disability_Resources@csumb.edu, Building 47, Student Services, First Floor,
Phone: 831/582-3672 voice, or 582-4024 fax/TTY http://sdr.csumb.edu/.
SMART College Policy on Academic Honesty
All students are expected to do their own academic work. Plagiarism, copying the work of others and
claiming it as one's own, has lead to the destruction of many reputations and careers. The code
governing student conduct in the California State University regarding plagiarism and academic honesty
is based on section 41301, Article 1, Subchapter 3, Chapter 5, Title 5 of the California Code Regulations,
and is as follows:
"41301. Expulsion, Suspension and Probation of Students.--Following procedures consonant with due
process established pursuant to Section 41304, any student of a campus may be expelled, suspended,
placed on probation or given a lesser sanction for ..... cheating or plagiarism in connection with an
academic program at a campus."
Within the SMART College, plagiarism or other forms of dishonesty by students in their academic work
will not be tolerated, and will result in serious and immediate consequences. In keeping with CSU
requirements, academic dishonesty cases that occur in the classroom shall be handled by faculty
members. The practice in SMART shall be that students who are found by faculty to have committed
plagiarism in an assignment will, at minimum, upon the first offense fail that assignment. Upon the second
offense, a student will, at minimum, fail the class.
In addition, and in keeping with CSU requirements, after action has been taken, the faculty member shall
complete a REPORT OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY form to identify the student who was found
responsible, the general nature of the offense, the action taken, and a recommendation as to whether or
not additional administrative action is needed. The completed form shall then be sent by the faculty
member to the Judicial Affairs Office. This process provides an opportunity to hold students accountable
and to identify students with multiple academic dishonesty reports. In all cases, the student may be
subject to an academic sanction as determined appropriate by the faculty member, as well as
administrative sanctions as deemed necessary by the Judicial Affairs Office.