Community Forestry At Home and Abroad
Tues/Thur9:30-10:45,Aiken
Room 119
Instructor:Dr.
Cecilia Danks, Assistant Professor, ENVS/SNR
Office hours:
Aiken
347: Wed. 10:30 am– 12 noon.Sign
up on list on door of Aiken 347.
Bittersweet:Tues.
2:15-3:30 pm.Call 656-4055 for
appointments.
My main office: The
Bittersweet, 153 So. Prospect, tel. 656-0175
E-mail: cdanks@zoo.uvm.edu
To scroll down to the different sections of the syllabus, click on the
section headings below:
Objectives
General schedule
Readings
Assignments
Grading Policy
For students:
To gain an understanding
of:
1)What
community forestry means in different contexts
a.Issues
that community forestry proponents seek to address
b.Trends,
theories, and conditions underlying community forestry approach
c.Critiques
of community forestry
2)How
community forestry is an example of the development of policy innovations
in resource management
a.Influence
of external ideas, esp. international models
b.Resonance
with domestic ideals, esp. evolving US policy (follow the bill!)
For the instructor:
1)Read and reflect with a group of interested people, on all of #1 above, esp. the international – national relationship in community forestry
2)Start to establish UVM as a center of excellence for education and outreach in community forestry.
This syllabus is subject to change!
We are creating a new course together.I will be developing much of the course as we proceed and adapting it based on your interests and input.Scheduling of guest speakers may also affect the course schedule.
My commitment:I’ll listen to your feedback, and do my very best.I’ll keep any changes updated on the course website.
Your commitment:Remain flexible, responsive, and proactive in seeking personal benefit from this course and in contributing to the group experience.
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Week 1
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Introduction to Course and Community forestry
Promise and Pitfalls
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Week 2
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Diverse meanings of community forestry
Concepts of Community
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Web Search DUE
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Week 3
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Property and Forests
Private, Public and Common
Property
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Quiz
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Week 4
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Social Capital
Collaborative Process
Community Capacity
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Quiz
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Week 5
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Cases of community forestry abroad
Cases of community forestry
in the US
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Project Proposal due - draft
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Week 6
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Critiques of community forestry –ecological,
equity, institutional
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Quiz
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Week 7
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Review of concepts
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Mid-Term Exam
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Week 8
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Intro to US policies of CF
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Project Proposal due- final for grading
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Week 9
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Issues in US community forestry
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Week 10
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Field Trip – Community forestry New England
style
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Week 11
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May the Ford be with you
(transfer and growth of
an idea in the US)
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Second written report due (approx)
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Week 12
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Week 13
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Envisioning “social forestry” --more
than just communities
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Week 14
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Class presentations
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Week 15
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Class presentations
Evaluation – formal and
informal
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Last day!
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Reflection: Where
does community forestry go from here?
Where do we go from here?What
will you go away with?
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Final Projects DUE
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Assigned readings will be listed on the website.I will try to place readings on electronic reserve or on the website at least a week ahead of time to the extent possible.(This is also an experiment for me.)Other readings will be handed out in class.I may require that you pay for class handouts if they add up to a sizable amount.
A brief write up of a web search for “community forestry”.
All projects will have three graded products: a project proposal, a class presentation, and a final project paper (or website). The final papers will be posted on the class website and possibly the public website.Class presentations will be graded both by class members (+/-30%) and the instructor (+/-70%).
Written/oral assignments:
Web search 5%
Other written 5%
Project proposal 10%
Final project (paper/website) 25%
Class presentation 10%
Tests:
Mid-term exam 20%
Quizzes (about 4) 10%
Participation:
Attendance 10%
Preparedness/Alertness/Positive contribution 5%
NR 254 vs. ENVS 196:Student
enrolled in NR 254 are expected to engage in the material at a more advanced
level and may be graded accordingly on assignments and participation.NR
254 students may be asked to read different or additional readings and
engage in an additional discussion session.FOR
credit is also available.
Late assignments:Written
assignments lose ½ letter grade for every day late, including weekends,
without prior (and not last minute) permission of the instructor,
which is granted only for unusual extenuating circumstances.For
example, if an A quality paper due Friday at 4 pm is turned in Sat. at
10 am, it receives an A-.If it
is turned in Monday at 3 pm, it receives a B.
Rewriting for a higher grade:Any
student or group is encouraged to rewrite a written assignment for
a higher grade, except the final version of the final project paper.All
rewrites MUST be turned in within three weeks of the date returned to the
student and with the original paper as marked up by the instructor.A
draft of the final project paper may be submitted to the instructor about
2 weeks prior to the final due date (see schedule) for review and comment.
Participation:As
this course is all about community participation, and I am relying on your
input for course development, your participation is highly valued.Since
you cannot participate if you do not attend, no matter what the reason,
attendance is a big part of participation.Attendance
will be taken frequently throughout the semester.If
necessary, attendance points may be made up through extra credit activities
at the discretion of the instructor.
Make-up quizzes:Quizzes
are to ensure that students adequately understand readings before class
discussion.Students will receive
prior notice of all quizzes.No make-up
quizzes will be given after the class has taken the quiz.If
a student is absent on the day of a quiz, he or she will receive a “zero”
on that quiz, unless the student had arranged to take it prior to that
class period.
Extra Credit:With
prior approval of the instructor, a student may opt to do an extra credit
assignment, worth up to an additional 5% of the total grade. (An EC assignment
is usually similar to the “second written” assignment.)
Above and Beyond:Occasionally
a student will go above and beyond on a given assignment or in class participation.This
is not expected or required but should it occur, I think a student’s grade
should reflect exceptional effort.Therefore,
a few points may be added to any assignment or for participation, with
clear justification by the instructor.Note
that above average length and attractiveness of a product does not in itself
contribute to an “above and beyond” performance, but rather a demonstration
of critical thinking, individual progress, and constructive engagement.
Changes to this grading policy:If any changes are made to the grading policy in the course of the semester, you may elect to have your grade calculated either by the formula and policy describe on the original syllabus (1-15-02), or the amended policy in place at the close of the semester.