Mon Feb 6 13:45:39 2017
| Back to Proposal List | ||
| Approvals Received: |
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| Approvals Pending: | College/Dean > Provost > LE > Catalog | |
| Effective Status: | Active | |
| Effective Term: | 1179 - Fall 2017 | |
| Course: | ESCI 1903 | |
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Institution: Campus: |
UMNTC - Twin Cities/Rochester
UMNTC - Twin Cities |
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| Career: | UGRD | |
| College: | TIOT - College of Science and Engineering | |
| Department: | 11130 - Earth Sciences, Dept of | |
| General | ||
| Course Title Short: | Sea Level in the 21st Century | |
| Course Title Long: | Sea Level in the 21st Century: Societal Response to Coastal Processes | |
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Max-Min Credits for Course: |
3.0 to 3.0 credit(s) | |
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Catalog Description: |
This course focuses on the oceanic shorelines of planet Earth and examines the role of changing sea level and its impact on both humans and ecosystems that inhabit coastal regions as well as its impact on the broader global society. Scientific literature and popular press are replete with the view that global sea level is rising in the 21st century. However, in reality, some sectors of the marine shorelines are experiencing a sea-level fall. Thus understanding what controls changing sea level is key to guide society?s response and to promote responsible public policy. Students will develop scientific fluency in fundamental coastal processes associated with waves, tides, beaches, storms (hurricanes), rising or sinking land, river deltas, and nearshore regions in general. These coastal processes will be examined in the face of changing sea level and its interrelationship with land-use policies, engineering practices, human infrastructure, coastal laws, risk assessment in the insurance industry, and global geopolitics. Assignments will enhance students? skills in research, logical reasoning, and critical analysis as well as foster lifelong skills in writing proficiency and oral communication. The societal challenges posed by changing sea level, both local and international, lie at the heart of this seminar. | |
| Print in Catalog?: | Yes | |
| Grading Basis: | A-F only | |
| Topics Course: | No | |
| Honors Course: | No | |
| Online Course: | No | |
| Freshman Seminar: | Yes | |
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Is any portion of this course taught outside of the United States?: |
No | |
| Community Engaged Learning (CEL) : | None | |
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Instructor Contact Hours: |
3.0 hours per week | |
| Course Typically Offered: | Fall Odd Year | |
| Component 1 : |
LEC (no final exam) |
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Auto-Enroll Course: |
No | |
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Graded Component: |
LEC | |
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Academic Progress Units: |
Not allowed to bypass limits.
3.0 credit(s) |
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Financial Aid Progress Units: |
Not allowed to bypass limits.
3.0 credit(s) |
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Repetition of Course: |
Repetition not allowed. | |
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Course Prerequisites for Catalog: |
<no text provided> | |
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Course Equivalency: |
No course equivalencies | |
| Cross-listings: | No cross-listings | |
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Add Consent Requirement: |
No required consent | |
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Drop Consent Requirement: |
No required consent | |
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Enforced Prerequisites: (course-based or non-course-based) |
001475 - Freshman and FRFY for Freshman Seminar Courses | |
| Editor Comments: |
Karen Kleinspehn Earth Sciences Tues, Thurs 9:45-11 a.m. East Bank Karen Kleinspehn was raised in upstate NY where she went to Colgate University and then on to a Ph.D. at Princeton University. She brings a global perspective to this course through her field studies of ancient and modern coastal processes in the Arctic, Australia, Central America and many regions throughout North America, Europe, southern Asia and the Pacific realm. Coastal processes and sea-level fluctuations have been a key element in her introductory to Ph.D.-level courses for 33 years. The perspective offered in this freshman seminar will certainly highlight scientific understanding but will emphasize human interactions with natural processes. |
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| Proposal Changes: | New freshman seminar with LE Environmental theme. | |
| History Information: | <no text provided> | |
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Faculty Sponsor Name: |
Karen Kleinspehn | |
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Faculty Sponsor E-mail Address: |
klein004@umn.edu | |
| Student Learning Outcomes | ||
| Student Learning Outcomes: |
* Student in the course:
- Can identify, define, and solve problems
Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Course assignments, including student presentations, discussions and a research paper, will require that the student learn how to locate, evaluate and synthesize reliable popular literature and media releases coupled with peer-reviewed scientific literature. Students will be expected to examine available information critically to decipher issues of intent, bias, and whether interpretations are supported by reliable, factual detail. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. Throughout readings, written assignments and oral presentations the students will be asked to question the reliability of interpretations and to learn to base their own syntheses on well supported data. Student presentations will be assessed by both the instructor and the speaker?s peers so students will practice critical evaluation in class and are expected to transfer that practice to their own work. The students will be asked to write a full-length paper in which they address a question or controversy associated with sea-level fluctuation and asked to critically assess both sides of the controversy. |
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| Liberal Education | ||
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Requirement this course fulfills: |
ENV Environment | |
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Other requirement this course fulfills: |
None | |
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Criteria for Core Courses: |
Describe how the course meets the specific bullet points for the proposed core
requirement. Give concrete and detailed examples for the course syllabus, detailed
outline, laboratory material, student projects, or other instructional materials or method.
Core courses must meet the following requirements:
<no text provided> |
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Criteria for Theme Courses: |
Describe how the course meets the specific bullet points for the proposed theme
requirement. Give concrete and detailed examples for the course syllabus, detailed outline,
laboratory material, student projects, or other instructional materials or methods. Theme courses have the common goal of cultivating in students a number of habits of mind:
?Regardless of its causes, global climate is changing, which in turn induces changes in sea level globally. Because roughly half of the US population (excluding AK) lives less than 30 feet above sea level and approximately 10% of the human population is concentrated in these low-lying coastal regions, one of the biggest challenges is how our global society responds to changing sea level. ?In regions of concentrated population, humans are as significant as natural systems in shaping coastal processes. The students will gain an appreciation of the relative roles of anthropogenic versus natural forcing in marine coastal regions. ?To address this challenge requires a scientific understanding of coastal processes, which the students will master in this seminar, coupled to an understanding of human practices in coastal regions and the choices that are presented to cultures in the face of changing sea level. The students will gain such understanding through class discussions and readings and by having to generate original scholarly works in the form of oral presentations and a full-length research paper. ?The students are asked to examine sea-level issues through the eyes of a global citizen. Whether the costs of changing sea level, both personal and economic, are to be borne locally by individual cultures or by the global community is a pressing ethical question of the 21st Century. |
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LE Recertification-Reflection Statement: (for LE courses being re-certified only) |
<no text provided> | |
| Statement of Certification: |
This course is certified for a Core,
effective
as of
This course is certified for a Theme, effective as of |
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| Writing Intensive | ||
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Propose this course as Writing Intensive curriculum: |
No | |
| Question 1 (see CWB Requirement 1): |
How do writing assignments and writing instruction further the learning objectives
of this course and how is writing integrated into the course? Note that the syllabus must
reflect the critical role that writing plays in the course. <no text provided> |
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| Question 2 (see CWB Requirement 2): |
What types of writing (e.g., research papers, problem sets, presentations,
technical documents, lab reports, essays, journaling etc.) will be assigned? Explain
how these assignments meet the requirement that writing be a significant part of the
course work, including details about multi-authored assignments, if any. Include the
required length for each writing assignment and demonstrate how the 2,500 minimum word
count (or its equivalent) for finished writing will be met. <no text provided> |
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| Question 3 (see CWB Requirement 3): |
How will students' final course grade depend on their writing performance?
What percentage of the course grade will depend on the quality and level of the student's writing
compared to the percentage of the grade that depends on the course content? Note that this information
must also be on the syllabus. <no text provided> |
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| Question 4 (see CWB Requirement 4): |
Indicate which assignment(s) students will be required to revise and resubmit after
feedback from the instructor. Indicate who will be providing the feedback. Include an example of the
assignment instructions you are likely to use for this assignment or assignments. <no text provided> |
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| Question 5 (see CWB Requirement 5): |
What types of writing instruction will be experienced by students? How much class
time will be devoted to explicit writing instruction and at what points in the semester? What types of
writing support and resources will be provided to students? <no text provided> |
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| Question 6 (see CWB Requirement 6): |
If teaching assistants will participate in writing assessment and writing instruction,
explain how will they be trained (e.g. in how to review, grade and respond to student writing) and how will
they be supervised. If the course is taught in multiple sections with multiple faculty (e.g. a capstone
directed studies course), explain how every faculty mentor will ensure that their students will receive
a writing intensive experience. <no text provided> |
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| Statement of Certification: | This course is certified as Writing Internsive effective as of | |
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Readme link.
Course Syllabus requirement section begins below
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| Course Syllabus | ||
| Course Syllabus: |
For new courses and courses in which changes in content and/or description and/or credits are proposed, please provide a syllabus that includes the following information: course goals and description; format; structure of the course (proposed number of instructor contact hours per week, student workload effort per week, etc.); topics to be covered; scope and nature of assigned readings (text, authors, frequency, amount per week); required course assignments; nature of any student projects; and how students will be evaluated. Please limit text to about 12 pages. Text copied and pasted from other sources will not retain formatting and special characters might not copy properly. The University "Syllabi Policy" can be found here Any syllabus older than two years should be replaced with a current version when making ECAS updates. ESCI 1903 FRESHMAN SEMINAR: ENVIRONMENT - Fall 2017 Sea Level in the 21st Century: Societal Response to Coastal Processes Registration: 3 Credits Class Meetings: TTh 9:45-11:00, Room TBA Prerequisite: NONE, other than Freshman status Grade basis: A-F Only Instructor: Karen L. Kleinspehn Office hours: Tuesday 11:30-12:30 p.m., or Friday 10-11 a.m. or by appt. (Just ask via email) Office: 385-10 Tate Hall Contact: klein004@umn.edu 624-0537 or 624-1333 Course Description A Liberal Education represents a philosophy of education that empowers individuals with broad knowledge and transferable skills, along with a strong sense of values, ethics and civic engagement. It prepares students to respond to complexity, diversity, and change by integrating knowledge of the wider world, blending science, culture, and society. Through this learning approach a student investigates the world from new perspectives, learns new ways of thinking, and grows as a participatory global citizen and lifelong learner. This course meets the University?s liberal education requirements for all students and is taught regularly by full time faculty. Goals of this course This course focuses on the oceanic shorelines of planet Earth and examines the role of changing sea level and its impact on both humans and ecosystems that inhabit coastal regions as well as its impact on the broader global society. Scientific literature and popular press are replete with the view that global sea level is rising in the 21st century. However, in reality, some sectors of the marine shorelines are experiencing a sea-level fall. Thus understanding what controls changing sea level is key to guide society?s response and to promote responsible public policy. Students will develop scientific fluency in fundamental coastal processes associated with waves, tides, beaches, storms (hurricanes), rising or sinking land, river deltas, and nearshore regions in general. These coastal processes will be examined in the face of changing sea level and its interrelationship with land-use policies, engineering practices, human infrastructure, coastal laws, risk assessment in the insurance industry, and global geopolitics. Assignments will enhance students? skills in research, logical reasoning, and critical analysis as well as foster lifelong skills in writing proficiency and oral communication. The societal challenges posed by changing sea level, both local and international, lie at the heart of this seminar; thus this course fulfills the Liberal Education (LE) Environment Theme. Students will evaluate various proposed technological and policy responses to sea-level change in the context of their own ethics and societal values. Although this course meets portions of several of the University?s mandated Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), it focuses primarily on ensuring that students can locate and critically evaluate information. Course assignments, such as student presentations, the research paper and discussions, require that a student learn how to find and synthesize trustworthy, peer-reviewed scientific literature. These assignments also require students to examine critically the information in popular literature and media to understand issues of intent or bias, and decipher whether information is reliable and supported by facts. Course Materials Background materials and videos are provided including scientific journal articles, news articles, and debate in the media, most of these materials will be available on the course?s Moodle website. However, students will need to locate additional studies and sources independently using search engines and scientific literature indices to utilize in their oral presentations and their full-length research paper. Course Grades Grades will be based on attendance, preparation and delivery of class presentations, active class participation individually and in teams, and a full-length writing assignment. Grade Distribution The University?s intermediate grades scheme will be used (A, A-, B+, etc.). For students taking the course S-N, an 'S' will be equivalent to a 'C minus' or better. Incompletes The assignment of an Incomplete requires a written agreement between the instructor and student following university policy. Workload The expected workload is equivalent to three hours of learning effort per credit per week or 9 hours per week for this course. Three credits are based on the amount of work required to come prepared for seminar, upon which the success of the course rests, and the time spent on personal research for the written paper, as well as the preparation of group presentations. Individual participation Attendance and active participation is essential. Absences or late assignments require documentation of an excuse conforming to university policy. Please don't be afraid to ask questions. This class is designed to be fun but you are expected to be active in your learning process. Use of Electronic Devices: The use of cell phones in class, can be potentially distracting, and is allowed only when they are required to complete an activity or assignment as indicated by the instructor. No audio or video recording of class activities is permitted. Accommodations, Classroom Conduct, Student Code of Conduct, Equity and Diversity This course adopts the university policies regarding disability accommodations, classroom conduct, academic integrity, use of personal electronic devices, absences, class notes, sexual harassment, equity and diversity, and mental health. These policies are important, and I encourage you to refer to the following University policy pages for more detailed information: https://diversity.umn.edu/disability/ http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/STUDENTRESP.html http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Equity_Diversity_EO_AA.pdf http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/Academic_Freedom.pdf http://www.mentalhealth.umn.edu/ http://www.mentalhealth.umn.edu/stressmgmt/index.html http://regents.umn.edu/sites/default/files/policies/SexHarassment.pdf Lecture/Discussion/Presentation Topics: 1) Week 1 ? Introduction, goals and expectations; How sea level is measured 2) Week 2 ? Controls on Changing Sea level: Climatic controls, thermal expansion, subsidence, tectonic controls, and why is sea level not level 3) Week 3 ? Preparation of presentations: Practice and discussion of a lifelong communication skill 4) Week 4 ? Sea level in the 20th vs 21st Centuries: Observations, Trends and Prognoses Student Team Presentation and class discussion PAPER TOPIC & 5 REFS DUE AT CLASS TIME 5) Week 5 ? Tidal Processes: Basic processes & responses to shoreline migration 6) Week 6 ? Tsunamis, Hurricanes & Major Storms: Basic processes and coastal responses 7) Week 7 ? Deltaic processes I ? Sediment deposition, channel avulsion, subsidence, shoreline migration: Mississippi River Delta case study EXTENDED PAPER OUTLINE, DRAFT ABSTRACT & 10 REFS DUE AT CLASS TIME 8) Week 8 ? Deltaic processes II ? Integrating upstream river drainages to their downstream deltas: Land-use policies, engineering practices and controversies Student Team Presentations and class discussion RETURN EXTENDED OUTLINE OF PAPER/DRAFT ABSTRACT WITH FEEDBACK 9) Week 9 ? Coastal wetland restoration: Public policies, engineering practices and controversies Student Team Presentations and class discussion 10) Week 10 ? Waves and beach processes: Responses to shoreline migration CLASS MEETING INCLUDES VIDEO FOLLOWED BY CLASS DISCUSSION 11) Week 11 ? Barrier islands: Responses to climate change and sea-level fluctuations CLASS MEETING INCLUDES VIDEO FOLLOWED BY CLASS DISCUSSION 12) Week 12 ? Land-use policies and engineering practices on Barrier Islands Student Team Presentation and class discussion ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER IS DUE AT CLASS TIME 13) Week 13 ? Barrier islands continued & THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY 14) Week 14 ? U.S. Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA): Progress and Problems Student Team Presentation and class discussion 15) Week 15 ? General discussion about what we have learned and remaining questions, course evaluations |
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Readme link.
Strategic Objectives & Consultation section begins below
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| Strategic Objectives & Consultation | ||
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Name of Department Chair Approver: |
Donna Whitney | |
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Strategic Objectives - Curricular Objectives: |
How does adding this course improve the overall curricular objectives ofthe unit? Freshman seminars are important to the department's curricular objectives in the following ways (1) these courses introduce Earth-science topics to students who might not otherwise gain this exposure, giving them a new perspective on how the physical environment is important in their daily lives; (2) the small classes allow for active-learning and project-based education, which are beneficial to both students and faculty; (3) although not our main objective, some students in freshman seminars have been inspired to major or minor in Earth Sciences; and (4) we are required by the University to teach 3 freshman seminars per year, and as part of fulfilling this requirement, we are committed to creating excellent and interesting seminars on a diverse range of topics. |
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Strategic Objectives - Core Curriculum: |
Does the unit consider this course to be part of its core curriculum? None. |
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Strategic Objectives - Consultation with Other Units: |
Before submitting a new course proposal in ECAS, circulate the proposed syllabus to department chairs in relevant units and copy affiliated associate dean(s). Consultation prevents course overlap and informs other departments of new course offerings. If you determine that consultation with units in external college(s) is unnecessary, include a description of the steps taken to reach that conclusion (e.g., catalog key word search, conversation with collegiate curriculum committee, knowledge of current curriculum in related units, etc.). Include documentation of all consultation here, to be referenced during CCC review. If email correspondence is too long to fit in the space provided, paraphrase it here and send the full transcript to the CCC staff person. Please also send a Word or PDF version of the proposed syllabus to the CCC staff person.
There is no overlap for Sea Level Changes. |
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| Back to Proposal List | ||