This document focuses on procedures and conventions for the course ENVR-E-120 - "Environmental Ethics and Land Management." You may want to print this out and keep a hardcopy of it somewhere that you remember, since it has information of enduring relevance.
Course Syllabus:
As many of you may have discovered by now, the course
syllabus is located on the web at:http://courses.dce.harvard.edu/~envre120
Please check out the syllabus when you are next browsing on the web. This will be the basic reference page for the semester.
On the Syllabus you will notice that there is an indication that you should:
"fill in the Course's Student Information Form (providing background information -- name, address, e-mail, etc.), available by clicking the appropriate link in the Week 1 Resources and Assignments page."
Please fill out this form as soon as you can. We will need to match the information there with that provided by the Extension School Registrar in order to proceed.
Other Course Logistic Concerns:
1.) Cambridge + "Distance Learners"
This course is being offered in a dual mode -- that is, as a classroom course on the Harvard Campus, and as a "Distance Learning Course." Requirements for students in each status will be the same, but the logistics of completing the requirements will at times differ. For this reason, you will have to declare clearly by the end of registration changes, whether you are taking the class in Cambridge or as an "enrolled distance learner."One of the ways in which requirements will be completed in a slightly different manner for the students in each status concerns the "class presentation" of the research you will be conducting. For those taking the course in Cambrige, you will be required to give that presentation in one of the Tuesday evening sessions.
For those taking the course as distance learning students, however, you will have to make arrangements with the instructor and the course Teaching Assistants to construct a presentation or equivalent exercise. More instruction will be provided in class and via e-mail about how to complete that part of the course requirements. But, if you are a "distance learner" the burden will be upon you to contact the course Teaching assistants and me to receive approval for the exercise you propose to offer in this context. In order to make arrangements for this as smoothly as possible we will have to establish a firm e-mail list of all those opting to take the course as "distance learners." That list will be "locked" after October 30th so that we can coordinate clear plans for the presentations of "distance learners" and those who will be giving their presentations in Cambridge.
2) Webcast of Lecturers
The lectures in the course will be "filmed" and presented on the web in streaming video format. There will be a necessary time lag between the Tuesday evening lecture and its appearance in streaming form on the web. Normally a link to the streaming version of the lecture will be placed on the "Class Assignment" page for the respective date by some time on Friday after the Tuesday lecture.
The lectures will normally be available to anyone registered in the course by clicking on the link provided on the syllabus or on the Weekly Resources and Assignments page. The lectures will be made available in 3 different video formats, corresponding to the speed of Internet transmission. Before you select a video to view, you will be prompted to indicate the speed of your Internet connection. A connection to this video page will be placed on the Assignment page for the session concerned when the streaming video has been prepared for each of the respective sessions.
3) Written Papers
As it is made clear in the syllabus, all students -- whether in Cambridge or "distance learning" -- students will be required to submit written papers by the deadlines indicated in the syllabus. "Electronic" submission of papers, either via e-mail or via the "Student Drop Box" will not be accepted. Papers are to be received by the dates indicated in the syllabus, so those who have to send these papers via US mail or Federal Express or whatever, should plan to send them off in time so that they are received by the dates indicated. You will be given instructions on the address to which you should send these written materials. Those taking the course in Cambridge are expected to submit the written work in class on the dates indicated.4) Course Teaching Assistants:
The course will have two teaching assistants:
Tracey Schaal and Robert Burns
Correspondence and questions about the course should in most cases be addressed to them in the first instance. They will be in touch with you (usually via e-mail) with any specific instructions that are appropriate in contacting them.5) First "Class Exercise"
You will note on the Syllabus there is an Assigned Reading for the first session of the course. This consists of the article in the current month's issue of the National Geographic Magazine, entitled, "State of the Planet." This is a widely available publication and should be easily accessible.We are very much looking forward to seeing all of you in this course -- either in Cambridge or on the Web.