Faculty Syllabus

Required Book: Environmental Science by Withgott & Laposata, 7th Edition

Course Description: This is a face to face, 3 hour lecture course that is an overview of environmental science and current global concerns, exploring scientific, economic, social, and political solutions to environmental problems. Discussion of the history of environmental movement, environmental regulatory agencies, fundamental principles of resources and their use, population, conservation, and environmental health. (3-3-0, this course is a 3-credit course that meets 3 hours a week with no lab)

Academic misconduct refers to any activity that compromises integrity or subverts the educational process, including but not limited to the following: 

• Definition of GAI Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can generate text, images, or other content based on minimal human input. For example ChatGPT, Gemini, Kimi, Claude, etc. 
• Scholastic Dishonesty is using or providing unauthorized information, materials, or devices during exams or quizzes. This includes collaborating in any way with another student, or searching for answers on the internet. Working with students on out-of-class assignments that are meant to be individually efforts can also be construed as cheating. This includes homework assignments.  
• The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, GrammerlyGO, Claude, or other AI-assisted programs will be different in all of your college classes. In this class, it is my policy that you may use AI to study, create study questions, and help with organizing your notes. In fact, I highly recommend it. However, you may not use AI tools to write, generate, or edit your assignments and exams. The use of AI is submitting plagiarized work. Plagiarism is presenting content that you did not create as if you were the creator, and includes the use of websites, or software that will generate text or provide answers to questions, including those using AI. In this class you should be submitting original work created by you. 
• Why: My goal is to help you build critical thinking and problem solving skills, using AI to bypass this process and shortchange your learning and is unfair to yourself and to others. 
• Penalties: The first violation will be given a zero on the assignment or assessment. The second violation, you will be dropped from the class and reported to the Academic Dean for academic dishonesty. 
• Exceptions, should the technology be required for an accommodation, expectations will be made on a case-by-case basis. 
• If there is ever a question about the proper use of AI for this class, contact me, I am happy to discuss it for the context of this course.  

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will learn to recognize, describe, and quantitatively evaluate earth systems, including land, water, sea, and atmosphere, and how these function as interconnected ecological systems. Students will also assess environmental challenges facing humans caused by their interactions with the physical and biological environment (e.g. population growth, energy resources, food production, pollution, water, and resource use). Students will acquire a scientific vocabulary and critical thinking skills related to environmental science.  And assess the effectiveness and feasibility of environmental policy and its impact.

Course Objectives: To give students an understanding of how science and the scientific method can be used to address environmental problems. The student will become familiar with the Earth’s major systems (ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles), how they function and how they are affected by human activity (population growth, air, water and soil pollution, global warming, solid waste disposal). Students will learn about the interaction of human society (urban sprawl, energy use/generation, resource consumption and economics) with the Earth’s systems.