Environmental Studies
Course Descriptions
Fall 2005

BIOL 130 - The Botanical World

(4 semester hours)

R. deLanglade

Course Goals: This section of The Botanical World will focus on the natural world as related to higher plants. The prime goal is to give the students the necessary framework to understand the botanical world around them.

The course will cover the basic aspects of the science of botany, general plant structure, growth and development and reproduction as related to plants. Where appropriate the importance to man/society of the various topics will be discussed.

Assessment: Knowledge of botanical life will be gained through four written exams, a collection of lay press articles with summaries. Students will also grow plants in the greenhouse or make a leaf collection.

BIOL 131 - Trees and Shrubs of the Urban and Natural Environments (Woody Plants)

(4 sh.)

R. deLanglade

Will meet R-8 and lab experience for general education requirements or may be counted in Biology major/minor requirements as a botany course.

Course Goals: This course will focus on the urban and natural environments as related to woody trees and shrubs and vines. The prime goal of the course is to give the student the necessary framework to understand and be acquainted with the woody plant world around them.

Course Subject: The course is to acquaint the student of the various native and cultivated forms of woody trees, shrubs, and vines as found in natural and urban environments. Topics to be covered include: basic classification, naming, use of taxonomic keys, life histories, basic growth patterns, culture and care. Field trips to various local sites will be taken.

Required Text: Graves, Arthur H., Illustrated Guide to Trees and Shrubs

Assessment: Assessment of student achievement of the stated learning goals will be by:
1. At least 2 to 3 lecture tests.
2. 2-3 Field identification tests
3. A specimen collection (made with a partner).
4. Oral presentation to the class on a specific current article regarding this group of plants.
5. A scrap book of current articles in the lay press concerning this group of plants.

BIOL 143 - Cave Ecology

(4 semester hours)

H. Hobbs

This course is a basic introduction to cave ecology and will follow a lecture-seminar-discussion format with no formal laboratory. Several field trips to caves will be scheduled and mini-projects relating to cave ecology will be carried out on these trips. Much of the term will be spent examining speleogenesis, the structure and function of cave ecosystems, as well as the evolutionary biology of obligate cave inhabitants. The grade is based on class participation, mini-projects, one lecture exam, a short paper, several quizzes, and a final exam.

BIOL 341 - Limnology

(5 semester hours)

H. Hobbs

This writing intensive course offers a study of inland aquatic ecosystems with emphasis on lakes and streams. Physical, chemical, and biological features are studied and numerous field experiences supplement lectures. Literature reviews and an exhaustive bibliographic research paper concerning an appropriate limnological topic are part of the requirements of this lecture/laboratory course. Chemistry 121 and 162 required.

CHEM 121 - Models of Chemical Systems

(5 semester hours)

A. Anderson, D. Finster, Staff

This is the first semester of the two-semester sequence in General Chemistry to be taken by all science majors. Chem 121 introduces the student to the study of chemistry and the variety of models that are used to describe atoms, molecules and their reactions. Topics include atomic structure, molecular structure, elementary bonding models, stoichiometry, gases, solutions, acid-base chemistry, and safety in chemistry. Classroom sessions will include lecture and discussion of homework problems and labs. Weekly lab experiments will parallel the content of the lecture. There will be hour exams, a final exam and lab reports.
Prerequisite: Minimum Math Placement score of 24.

CHEM 201 - Organic Chemistry

(5 semester hours)

P. Hanson, Staff

This is a one semester survey course of organic chemistry. The course will cover aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds and will focus on most common functional groups. The emphasis will be on bonding and structural theory, nomenclature, stereochemistry, and reactions of organic molecules. The course has an interactive lecture format where students will be free to ask questions. Many problems will be assigned as homework. Reaction mechanisms will be emphasized as the basis for understanding organic reactions. The course will meet MWF and have a weekly 4-hour laboratory. The laboratory will emphasize the techniques for preparation, isolation, analysis, and spectral identifications of organic compounds.

Prerequisite: Chemistry 162. Required for all chemistry and biology majors.

CHEM 271 - Biochemistry I

(4 semester hours)

A. Anderson

A survey of biochemistry is provided in this lecture-based course. Topics to be covered include the structure and function of biological macromolecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids), a brief introduction to enzyme kinetics and mechanisms, biochemistry thermodynamics, and a survey of metabolic pathways. There is no laboratory with this course.

Prerequisites: Chemistry 201 and Biology 170 or permission of instructor.

ECON 350 - Environmental and Natural Resources

(4 semester hours)

D. Wishart

This course will enable students to discuss alternative views on the relationship between population growth and the prospects for improvement in living standards over time. The relationship between population growth and living standards will be examined in the context of different economic models in the light of empirical evidence. Students will also learn about the role that markets play in allocating scarce renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. Limitations of a market approach to allocation of natural resources will be considered. Policy options for coping with environmental degradation that emobyd market and nonmarket approaches will be evaluated. Two exams and a final will be given. Students will writre a 10 to 15 page resarch paper. The format is lecture/discussion. Writing Intensive.

Prerequisites: Econ 190 and Math 120 or their equivalents.


GEOG 220N - Physical Geography

(4 semester hours)

R. Lenz

Climate, vegetation, soils, and landform formation processes all influence human activity in any region; they are the focus of this process-oriented study of the physical environment. Heat and water budgets and their influence upon ecosystem development as well as fluvial, glacial, and coastal land shaping processes will be studied. Relationships between human activity and various physical environments of the world provide a central theme. Evaluation will be based on four exams and numerous in-class lab exercises. Prerequisite: Math Placement 22.

GEOG 222B - Weather and Climate

(5 semester hours)

R. Lenz

Climate patterns pose fundamental limits to ecosystem development, and therefore control the ways people can interact with the environment. Global climate patterns are the focus of this course, and there are two main goals. In the first part of the course, we will seek an understanding of the processes responsible for climate through study of atmospheric dynamics that create weather patterns across the globe. Then we will consider climatic classifications, and relate them to real-world responses of vegetation regimes to global climate patterns. Laboratory work is scheduled for Thursdays from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM. Ten lab exercises and four exams will be the basis for evaluation. Prerequisite: Math Placement 22.

GEOG 230S - Urban Geography

(4 semester hours)

O. Medvedkov

World urbanization has increased dramatically in the course of the 20th century. About 50% of the global population lives in cities now versus 5% in the 1800s. Developed countries are 73% urbanized, with Europe and Russia facing shrinking populations. Developing countries with a large portion of their population in rural areas face an extremely fast rate of urbanization, and lead the world in number of mega-cities, often surrounded by shanty towns. What is the origin or urban growth and decline? What is the spatial organization of a settlement’s network? What is the structure of the land use in North American cities, and how different it is from European, Russian, Latin American, and Asian centers? All these questions require that cities be constantly rediscovered. The emphasis will be on American cities with their long standing inner-city/suburb dichotomy. A lecture/discussion format is anticipated. Field assignments connect theories to the real world. There will be two exams, one oral report, a final paper, and several field and computer assignments. Prerequisite: Math Placement 22. This course is on WebCT.

GEOL 111- Introduction to Geology: Earthquakes and Volcanoes

(4 semester hours)

Katherine Bladh

This section focuses on the geology of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. A geologic understanding of these hazards, by means of class study of such topics as the products of deadly eruptions and how earth materials respond to earthquake shaking, allows educated citizens to make informed decisions in order to lessen damage and loss of life caused by these hazards. $15.00 will be added to tuition bill to pay for class books. This amount covers the textbook and lab manual (no other book is required). The course has two one-hour lectures and one two-hour lab per week. Attendance at both hours of lab is required. Math placement of 22 or above recommended.

GEOL 150 - Physical Geology

(5 semester hours)

M. Zaleha

Geology 150 is a comprehensive introduction to the science of geology. The course is recommended for students who are interested in the possibility of a geology major or minor, other science majors, or any student who desires a more comprehensive treatment of geology. Concepts and topics include: (1) the structure and constitution of the Earth, (2) internal and surficial processes, (3) recent research concerning the nature and origin of the continents and ocean basins, and (4) methodology, experimentation, and observations used by geologists in attempting to understand the physical and biological evolution of Earth through time. Videos, 35 mm slides, demonstrations and field trips augment the course. The lab includes an introduction to the use of topographic maps, aerial photographs, and geologic maps. Lab manual fee of $5 is billed directly. Math placement 22 or above recommended. Students who have taken a course from the Geology 110 series (Geol 110-115) are not eligible.

GEOL 240 - Process Geomorphology

(5 semester hours)

J. Ritter

Landforms are a function of geology (lithology and structure), climate and tectonics, as well as the resultant earth processes that operate on them. In process geomorphology we will study earth surface processes and their impact on landforms. Weathering, mass wasting, stream erosion and deposition, groundwater, and glacial processes among others will be studied in the context of a course project. The course project will focus on regional landscape evolution. Each student will be responsible for developing a research project, paper, and presentation based on one of these topical areas as it pertains to the course project. Laboratory sessions will focus on topical areas of the course and involve tools that can be used to collect and analyze data pertaining to the project. The tools will include GIS, map and photo interpretation, and several topic-specific field techniques related to streamflow, soils, and infiltration, among others. Prerequisite: a course from the Geology 110 Series (Geol 110-115) or Geology 150 or permission of the instructor.

MATH 127 - Introductory Statistics

(4 semester hours)

D. Andrews

A study of statistics as the science of using data to glean insight into real-world problems. Includes graphical and numerical methods for describing and summarizing data, sampling procedures and experimental design, inferences about the real-world processes that underlie the data, and student projects for collecting and analyzing data. Open to non-majors only.

Prerequisites: Math Placement Level 23 or higher (Note: A student may receive credit for only one of the following statistics courses: MATH 127, MATH 227, PSYC 107, or MGT 210). Mathematical-reasoning intensive.

MATH 205 - Applied Matrix Algebra

(4 semester hours)

A. Stickney

A course in matrix algebra and discrete mathematical modeling which considers the formulation of mathematical models, together with analysis of the models and interpretation of the results. Primary emphasis is on those modeling techniques which utilize matrix methods. Such methods are now in wide use in areas such as economic input-output models, population growth models, Markov chains, linear programming, computer graphics, regression, numerical approximation, and linear codes.

Students in this course are required to have a TI-83, TI-84, or TI-86 graphing calculator for use in class, for homework, and for tests. A TI-89, TI-92, or Voyage 200 are also acceptable. The final grade in the course is based on quizzes, tests, and a comprehensive final exam.

This course is a prerequisite for MATH 360 (Linear Algebra), and should be taken by all sophomore mathematics majors. Prerequisite: MATH 201. Mathematical-reasoning intensive.

MATH 215 - Differential Equations

(4 semester hours)

J. Davenport

An introduction to elementary ordinary differential equations. Topics covered will include first-order equations, linear equations, nonhomogeneous equations, variation of parameters, linear systems, power series solutions, numerical methods and applications.

The final grade in this course is based on quizzes, tests, a computer project, and a comprehensive final exam. Prerequisite: MATH 202. Mathematical-reasoning intensive.

MATH 227 - Data Analysis

(4 semester hours)

D. Andrews

This introductory statistics course is designed not just for students majoring or minoring in math, but for any student who would benefit from a more substantial introduction to the field. In fact, about half of the students who have taken this class are not math majors. Students must learn general principles and techniques for summarizing and organizing data effectively, for designing observational studies and experiments, and for drawing specific inferences from such studies. Data analysis software is used daily. In addition to regular homework and periodic tests and quizzes, students are expected to collaborate on data analysis projects.

Prerequisite: Math Placement Level 25 (Note: A student may not receive credit for more than one of the following: MATH 127, MATH 227, PSYC 107, or MGT 210). Mathematical-reasoning intensive.

POLI 320 - Public Administration

(4 semester hours)

R. Baker

Using a systems framework, this course focuses on politics and policymaking of the federal bureaucracy. Emphasis is on how bureaucrats and bureaucratic gencies interact with each other, and with other political factors at the federal level. The course combines lectures with seminar discussion format. Students will be asked to write 4 critical book reviews, and an article summary. Two essay exams will also be given. Writing intensive.

Prerequisites: POLI 101 and Junior Standing