Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development Section 1

Course name: Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development

Course number: ENVI 3101 BAAR

Programs offering course: Open Campus

Open Campus track: Sustainability and Environmental Sciences

Language of instruction: English

U.S. semester credits: 3                                     

Contact hours: 45

Term: Fall 2018

Course Description

This course seeks to critically examine the science-local knowledge-policy interface on several issue areas related to the idea of sustainable development itself and its promotion in the global and regional contexts. We will explore the concepts of sustainable development by looking at different institutions, regimes and conventions that gave origin to that idea. That will allow us to then link those discussions to a South American context by revisiting the historical dilemma of development in a region rich in natural resources and the associated socio-environmental conflicts. By analyzing the role of different actors traditionally associated with the concept of environmental governance, students will be able to grasp some of the existing functions of knowledge (expert and traditional) in environmental public policy setting in South American. Do these sources of knowledge objectively inform environmental public policies or do they merely justify a political decision? Do all actors and agents of knowledge have similar capacities to affect environmental governance in our region?

Learning Objectives

• Students will have a high-level understanding of the roots of the idea of sustainable development
• Students will be able to articulate a deeper understanding of relevant and current debates around environment and development in Argentina and Latin America.
• They will critically evaluate actors’ positions revolving around the relationship between scientific/expert knowledge, traditional knowledge and environmental politics.
• Independently source and verify additional and relevant sources of information.
• Develop and deliver complex arguments on environmental sensitive issues.

Methods of Instruction

The course will consist of lectures by the professor, followed by Q&As and class discussions based on the class material and assigned readings. Classroom activities will include individual, partner and group work and will be complemented by homework exercises. The learning process will be enhanced by discussion meetings with representatives of different players in the public sphere, among them NGOs, political scientists, and politicians. Co-curricular activities will include visits to either NGOs and/or areas affected by environmental issues present in Buenos Aires.

Course Requirements

Presentation

Students will be required to deliver oral presentations during the course. This presentation should be 10-15 minutes in length and demonstrate a good understanding of a selected topic and the ability to put it in perspective. The topic should be presented in a concise yet comprehensive manner.

Discussion Forums

Each of two Discussion Forums consist of a role-play exercise in which students, divided into smaller groups, will represent the positions and interests of different organizations in a multi-stakeholder negotiation (involving corporate, NGO, media and governmental actors) around a pertinent sensitive subject (i.e., climate change or a productive development implying conflictive interests).

Midterm Exam

Students will take an exam that assesses both the level of comprehension of the readings and the understanding of the issues discussed in the first half of the term. The exam will consist of three exam questions, from which students choose two (800-1000 word length each) and elaborate their answers based on both the readings seen and the topics discussed in class.

Final Paper

Students will be provided with the instructions for the production of a final paper, 2500-3000 words in length, based on one of subjects discussed during the second part of the term. This paper will require students to critically think, synthesize and integrate the concepts from different class sessions. Students are expected to show extensive knowledge of the discussed literature being also allowed to use complementary material to support their arguments. The paper should use APA citation style in referencing resources.

 

Participation

Participation is valued as meaningful contribution in the digital and tangible classroom, utilizing the resources and materials presented to students as part of the course. Meaningful contribution requires students to be prepared in advance of each class session and to have regular attendance. Students must clearly demonstrate they have engaged with the materials as directed, for example, through classroom discussions, online discussion boards, peer-to-peer feedback (after presentations), interaction with guest speakers, and attentiveness on co-curricular and outside-of-classroom activities. Each session will begin with a ‘breaking ice’ exercise that consists on briefly describing the main ideas and arguments introduced by the authors at discussion for that specific session (listed as mandatory readings for the day). Therefore only students who voluntarily participate along the different session’s opening will have that 10% count as part of their final grade for class participation.

Attendance Policy

Regular class attendance is required throughout the program, and all unexcused absences will result in a lower participation grade for any affected CIEE course. Due to the intensive schedules for Open Campus and Short Term programs, unexcused absences that constitute more than 10% of the total course will result in a written warning.

Students who transfer from one CIEE class to another during the add/drop period will not be considered absent from the first session(s) of their new class, provided they were marked present for the first session(s) of their original class. Otherwise, the absence(s) from the original class carry over to the new class and count against the grade in that class.

For CIEE classes, excessively tardy (over 15 minutes late) students must be marked absent. Attendance policies also apply to any required co-curricular class excursion or event, as well as to Internship, Service Learning, or required field placement. Students who miss class for personal travel, including unforeseen delays that arise as a result of personal travel, will be marked as absent and unexcused. No make-up or re-sit opportunity will be provided.

Attendance policies also apply to any required class excursion, with the exception that some class excursions cannot accommodate any tardiness, and students risk being marked as absent if they fail to be present at the appointed time.

Unexcused absences will lead to the following penalties:

Percentage of Total Course Hours Missed	Equivalent Number of Open Campus Semester classes	Minimum Penalty
Up to 10%	1 content classes, or up to 2 language classes	Participation graded as per class requirements
10 – 20%	2 content classes, or 3-4 language classes	Participation graded as per class requirements; written warning
More than 20%	3 content classes, or 5 language classes	Automatic course failure, and possible expulsion