INTRODUCTION TO THE
COURSE
Alex Mayer, Michigan Technological University
Course overview: Origin and purpose
of the course

“SustR”: Sustainable Development for Rural
Communities A Student Mobility Program
 Consortium
of six universities in the US, Canada, and
Mexico
 1 or 2 semester student exchanges in the consortium
universities
 Shorter intensive field trips to experience rural
sustainability issues in Mexico, Canada and the US
 A new collaborative web-based course on rural
sustainability
Course overview: Origin and purpose
of the course
Locations of the six universities
For more information on
the SustR program,
contact the program
director at your
university.
At Michigan Tech, go to
http://www.geo.mtu.edu
/~asmayer/sustr.htm
Course overview: Weekly modules

Week
1
2
Weekly Schedule
Date
9/5/2011 - 9/9/2011
9/19/2011 - 9/23/2011
Topic
Introduction to the course; Goals and objectives of rural sustainable
development
Global, regional and local forces
3
4
5
9/26/2011 - 9/30/2011
10/3/2011 - 10/7/2011
10/10/2011 - 10/16/2011
Governance and the Commons
Case study: Renewable energy
Case study: Food security and cultural connectedness
6
10/17/2011 - 10/23/2011
Case study: Natural Resource Extraction – the Case of Mining
7
10/31/2011 - 11/4/2011
Case study: Sustainable rural tourism
8
11/7/2011 - 11/11/2011
Case study: Sustainable agriculture
9
11/14/2011 - 11/18/2011
10
10/24/2011 - 10/28/2011
11
11/28/2011 - 12/2/2011
Case study: Population and Environment in the State of Aguascalientes,
Mexico
Case study: Water and Sanitation
Case study: Biodiversity and rural communities
Responsible
University
UNISON
UNBC
LU
All
LU
MTU
UNBC
MTU
All
MTU
MTU
Course overview: Weekly modules

Weekly modules are available at course web site:
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~asmayer/Seminar_on_Rural_Sustainability.htm
Objectives
 Background
 Web-based lectures (posted on Monday)
 Readings
 Other resources
 Discussion questions
 Evaluation (assignments)
 Vocabulary
 Faculty contact(s) for questions of clarification

Course overview: Weekly modules

Discussion sessions
Held every Friday, beginning at 12:00 am to 1:00 pm,
Eastern time via Adobe Connect
 Students from the consortium universities will participate in a
discussion session on the week’s topics, led by the students
from the university responsible for that week.*
 At the beginning of the discussion session, students from the
responsible university* will deliver a 10-minute summary of
the week’s lecture and readings and a list of discussion
questions
 Students from the responsible university* will then moderate
the following discussion (approximately 30 minutes).

*except for the first week
Course overview: Written assignments




Students will submit a three‐page reflection paper
each week of the first five weeks of the course. *
Questions for each reflection paper will be posted
the Friday before the week when the paper topic is
discussed.*
Reflection papers will be due the Wednesday after
the week when the paper topic is discussed.*
Student reflection papers will be posted on the
course website.
*except for the first week
Course overview: Written assignments



Reflection papers will be based on the following
rubric: 20% for spelling and grammar; 30% for
organization; 50% for depth of analysis.
For the last six weeks of the course, no reflection
papers are due, but reflection questions will be
posted.
A 10-page synthesis paper will be due
12/9/2011, connecting the two halves of the
course and explaining the concepts of rural
sustainability.
Course overview: Overall grading

Semester grades will be based on
5
weekly reflection papers
 synthesis paper
 participation


50%
40%
10%
Refer to the syllabus for an explanation for
expectations regarding participation.
The home university’s instructor will grade all
aspects of their university’s students.
Organization of the module

Lecture
 what
are sustainability and sustainable development?
 how do we define “rural?”
Organization of the module

Readings





Cromartie, J. and Bucholtz, S. (2008) “Defining the ‘Rural’ in Rural
America, Amber Waves, 6(3): 28-34.
Hamilton L., Hamilton L., Duncan C., Colocousis C. (2008) Place Matters:
Challenges and Opportunities in Four Rural Americas. Carsey Institute,
University of New Hampshire: Durham, New Hampshire.
Harris, J.M. (2000) Basic Principles for Sustainable Development, Global
Development and Environment Institute, Working paper 00-04, Tufts
University, Medford, Massachusetts.
Robinson, J. (2004) “Squaring the circle? Some thoughts on the idea of
sustainable development,” Ecological Economics, 48(4): 369-384.
World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), Our
Common Future, Chapter 2: Towards Sustainable Development, Oxford
University Press, Oxford.
Organization of the module

Assignments
 Write
a three-page reflection paper considering the
following questions, based on the lecture, readings, and
your prior experience. The reflection paper is due by 5
pm, Wednesday, September 14. Email your paper to
your instructor.
 Are
the notions of sustainable development useful?
 How are rural areas defined and of what use are these
definitions?
 How do the notions of sustainable development apply to the
current issues faced by rural communities?
Organization of the module

Assignments
 For
Friday’s discussion session, prepare two Powerpoint
slides on the sustainability
efforts/activities/research/etc. that are occurring at
your university.
 Email to Alex Mayer (asmayer@mtu.edu) your
Powerpoint files by Thursday (September 8) afternoon
at 5 pm (Eastern time). Be sure to put your name and
your university in the Powerpoint. You will present these
during Friday’s (September 9) discussion session.
Organization of the module

Discussion session (Friday, September 9)
 Each
student will present two Powerpoint slides on the
sustainability efforts/activities/research/etc. that are
occurring at their university.