Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | ENV-1010-VO01 - Introduction to Environmental Science

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Jaimi DeFeo
View Faculty Credentials

Hiring Coordinator for this course: Jennifer Guarino

General Education Requirements

VSCS Natural Science

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is a multidisciplinary study of the interrelationship between living things and their environment. The fundamentals of biology, chemistry, geology, and energy flow are studied so that current environmental issues can be understood and discussed from a scientific perspective. Emphasis is placed on maintaining and restoring sustainable ecosystems.

Essential Objectives

1. Identify concepts of ecology as they relate to environmental issues.
2. Summarize the foundations of nutrient cycling and energy flow as they relate to the movement of matter and energy within ecosystems.
3. Analyze the impacts of population changes on ecosystems, including issues of human population growth.
4. Identify the role of atmospheric thermodynamics and chemistry as they relate to the biosphere.
5. Analyze the causes and effects of the major pollution issues (including but not limited to: climate change, ocean acidification, eutrophication, acid rain, ozone depletion) and outline strategies to restore ecological balance.
6. Compare and contrast methods, impacts, and sustainability of traditional and alternative energy.
7. Discuss the history behind the creation of public lands in the United States and how scientific discoveries influenced the laws and policies behind the modern environmental movement.
8. Analyze the influence of science, economics, ethics, and culture on environmental management and social justice issues.
9. Evaluate environmental issues and solutions from a global, national, local and personal perspective.
10. Research and establish educational, career, and professional goals related to the field of environmental science.
11. Demonstrate proficiency in understanding, interpreting, applying, and evaluating the accuracy of data and information sources.
12. Explain how knowledge created in the natural sciences has contributed to the creation, maintenance and dismantling of social inequalities and discuss the impacts of diversity and inclusion on scientific research and practice.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations.

Spring 2024 textbook details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

ENV-1010-VO01 Link to Textbooks for this course in eCampus.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

* Weekly discussion forum

* Quizzes and essays

* Internet research activities

* Homework reading and writing assignments

* Video reaction paper

* Interpreting and evaluating data

Evaluation Criteria

70% Homework Assignments (Includes reading and writing assignments from the textbook; reaction paper to videos; internet activities; data analyses; essay writing; and quizzes)

30% Weekly Participation in Discussion Forums and Activities (Includes research on specific topics; discussions on water/energy/ecological footprints; condense news stories and your essays; and engage with others using critical thinking)

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

A note about time: CCV lists a 3-credit course as taking about 8-10 hours a week, and a 4-credit course requires 14-16 hours, including the contact time and homework. Please keep in mind that because this is an online course, we cannot cover the 3 hours of instruction and activities that would have been provided in an in-person class. Therefore, you will need to compensate for this by dedicating time to reading and completing tasks that would have been covered during our lectures. Additionally, you will still be responsible for completing the homework that would have been assigned outside of class. Sometimes, the homework from an online class may seem like more, but we cover the same material as we would have if we met in person. (Just think of all the time you save getting ready to go out and then commuting and being in class!)

I understand it may take some people longer to do the work than others, as we all go at a different pace for different reasons. Getting into the flow and routine may take a little time, too. How long it takes you is very subjective; I've had some students finish assignments in 2 hours that took other students 4 hours or more. It also depends on how detailed and complete your assignments are; more effort results in better grades. Be patient, learn how to pace yourself, and finish early if you can to reduce the anxiety and stress of a deadline, especially if you aren't grasping something right away. Also, ask for help when you need it. If you feel the work is exceeding these hours, please reach out and let me know.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Remember to check the Canvas modules every Tuesday as the semester progresses to stay updated on the latest news and assignments. Assignments are due on a weekly basis. If you fail to submit an assignment on time, a penalty of 5% will be deducted for each day it is late, up to a maximum of one week. If you do not submit an assignment within that time, it will automatically close in Canvas, and you will no longer be able to upload it. If you require any assistance or if you have any special circumstances, please contact me, and I will do my best to help you. However, please do not wait until the end of the semester.

It's important to keep in mind that the discussion topics cannot be created after the start of a new week. This is because we will be starting a new discussion every week, and you won't be able to participate in the previous week's discussion if it's already past the due date. I suggest completing these discussions early in the week.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity