COURSE SYLLABUS
Environmental Communication

Texts
Attendance
Deadlines
Grading



Instructor:







COURSE DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE AND JUSTIFICATION:

Research in mass media and science communication reveals the need for professionals in various disciplines to acquire skills to inform and educate the public about environmental and other science issues via the media. Communication of environmental issues is essential for public awareness, information and action in an era of rapid population expansion and resource depletion which is leading to global unsustainability. Research indicates that since the general public receives most of its information from the mass media, professionals need to be adequately trained in media information dissemination styles and techniques. This class will cover the spectrum of media available for conveying environmental and science information to the public and will teach writing and speaking skills for media and other communication channels. The course will also teach principles for an ecologically and economically sustainable future and how these principles can be effectively and persuasively communicated to people.


COURSE OBJECTIVES:

At the conclusion of this course the student will have acquired the following knowledge and skills:




COURSE PROCEDURE:

This course will incorporate environmental issues and sustainability principles and methods of communicating these issues and principles to wide audiences. In addition, a list of other topics and assignments is attached. However, this class is one that follows current environmental topics and their media coverage and therefore is constantly changing in content. The instructor reserves the right to design content of this class as needed each semester to fit current issues and controversies. Assignments are redesigned each semester accordingly.


TEXTS:

The handbook "ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION: Messages, Media & Methods" , 1997 Edition, by Lea J. Parker is required for this course. Each student is also required to maintain his or her own notebook with additional handouts throughout the semester. Additional reading material for this class is taken from a variety of sources and will be distributed during class meetings. Students are responsible for making sure they receive such materials. These handouts should be kept organized in the student note~book. Students will be tested on this material in addition to material in the text. Students will also be given points for keeping an up-to-date notebook.


ATTENDANCE:

Miss a class and you jeopardize your grade. The material for this class is taken from a variety of sources in addition to assigned class readings. Lectures will not be repeated. Excused absences are given for the following reasons only: a) illness documented by written doctor's medical statement; b) family emergencies documented by appropriate evidence; c) institutional reasons documented by official institutional excuse form.

Note: Two or more undocumented absences will be sufficient cause for final grade reduction of one or more full letter grades.


ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignments are given out in class. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor for the assignment if you have an excused absence. Make-ups are granted for excluded absences only!


DEADLINES:

These are absolute! No work will be accepted after scheduled deadlines, resulting in a grade of ZERO (0) for the assignment not turned in on deadline.


ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:

All work submitted for this course must be original and must have been completed during the semester in which the class is taken. No duplicate work (work completed for other classes) will be accepted and will be treated as cheating. Any act of cheating or plagiarism will result in a grade of ZERO (0) for the assignment or test in question and possible lowering of the final grade by one or more letter grades per instructor discretion.


GRADES:

Completion of assignments and tests will be used to attain cumulative points. It should be noted that completion of the assignment does not insure maximum point value; therefore, students wishing to achieve a high grade should strive to attain the most points possible for all assignments. Writing assignments will be graded according to the School of Communication Policies and Standards (see attached copy). Credit will sometimes be given for in a class participation and problem-solving assignments (note: such work cannot be made up, so class attendance is vital). Students should keep copies of all graded returned work in a class notebook and will be asked to exhibit these in case of grade dispute. Individual grades will be discussed by appointment only.


TESTS: The instructor reserves the right to determine the number of tests during the course of the semester. (There will most likely be several quizzes and tests.) Tests must be completed on test dates. No make-ups except for excused absences. Any make-up test will probably be essay format.


GRADE SCALE: Grades will be distributed according to the following breakdown:




TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Environmental Issues including Indicators of Living Systems Decline and Social Indicators: Human Population Growth and resulting Social and Economic Impacts, Resource Depletion, Pollution, and other Unsustainable Trends

Sustainability Principles including Ecological Integrity, Economic Security, Democracy and Community, and an introduction to The Natural Step

Sources of Information and Research Techniques

Risk Perception and Risk Realities

Mass Media Channels available for communicating environmental issues including newspaper reporting and writing and magazine feature writing as well as visual and electronic reporting

Environmental Public Relations and Advertising Campaigns

Organizations and Environmental Sustainability

Speaking for the Environment

Environmental Persuading and Negotiating, including lobbying and letter-writing campaigns

Environmental Ethics for a Sustainable Future,including Environmental Justice issues

Special Topics




SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS: (Not Required Texts)
Note: Information may be given and readings assigned from the following sources, in addition to other handouts:

State of the World (past three years' issues) - Lester Brown et al., Worldwatch Institute

Vital Signs (recent editions) - Worldwatch Institute

Saving The Planet, by Lester Brown,Christopher Flavin and Sandra Postel W.W. Norton & Co., 1991

Global Visions, Beyond the New World Order, edited by Jeremy Brecher, South End Press, Boston, 1993

The Environmental Promise of Democratic Deliberation, by Adolf G. Gunderson, The University of Wisconsin Press, 1995

Environmental Economics, by Ian Hodge, St. Martin's Press, New York 1995

Beyond Limits, Confronting Global Collapse, Envisioning a Sustainable Future, by D.H. and D.L. Meadows and J. Randers, Chelsea Green Publishing Co., Post Mills, Vermont

"Educating a Nation: The Natural Step," by Karl-Henrik Robert, from In Context, No. 28, p. 10-15, Spring 1991

The Ecology of Commerce, by Paul Hawkin, Harper Business, 1993

"The Economics of Sustainability: Challenges," by Stephen Viederman, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, 16 East 34th St., New York, N.Y. 10017, 1994

"Eco-Societal Restoration: Re-examining Human Society's Relationship with Natural Systems," distinguished lecture by Dr. John Cairns, Jr., Center for Environmental and Hazardous Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994

"Harvesting One Hundredfold: Key Concepts and Case Studies in Environmental Education," by Donella H. Meadows, United States Environment Program, 1989

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